Alves de Sousa Quinta da Gaivosa Tinto 2019

Domigos Alves de Sousa took over his family vineyards in 1987 with only a Degree in Civil Engineering under his belt but quickly decided that selling his fruit to many top Port Houses was not the way forward. After training in viticulture and winemaking the first wines appeared in 1992 from his family’s old vineyard of Quinta da Gaivosa. Domingos was joined by his son Tiagos in 2002 while undertaking a degree in Agricultural Engineering and a PHD in Oenology and Viticulture and is now recognised as one of the top young wine makers in Portugal.

Their Giavosa vineyard at 350m to 500m above sea level, with the best vines facing west to maximise the sunlight hours at the cooler western end of the Douro, planted with a mixture of  20 varietals some well over 100 years of age; is also home to the family’s modern winery.

The deep purple coloured Quinta da Gaivosa; with a nose of eucalyptus and mint which has been dissolved in cool red fruit of bitter cherries, blackberries and plums; was macerated foot trodden and fermented in the open lagares typical of the Douro region and aged in used oak casks. Predominately from Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Touriga Nacional grapes but the vineyard contain co-plantings of several old Douro varietal up to and over 100 years of age This is a top notch exhilarating wine from one of the most exciting winemakers in the Douro.