Quinta Vale Dona Maria Vineyard da Francisca

Planted in 2004 with grape varieties of great character and complexity, this wine displays the vivacity and freshness of youth and the intense fruit of the Douro region. Vinha da Francisca has a very elegant profile and great aging potential.

Origin of the grapes: In 2004, the year of Francisca's 18th birthday, daughter of Cristiano van Zeller, a new vineyard was planted, with Sousão (50%), Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Francisca and Rufete. With a total of 4.5 hectares, Francisca's vineyard faces mainly south and southeast.

Winemaking and aging: All grapes are hand-picked, carefully selected on the sorting table, and destemmed before entering the granite lagares (traditional stone troughs). All grapes are foot-trodden in lagares and then ferment for 7 to 10 days at temperatures of 22°C to 27°C in the lagares with manual pump-overs. The wines are then transferred to new 225L French oak barrels of different characteristics (Seguin Moreau, François Frères, Taransaud, Nadalie, and Berthomieu), where malolactic fermentation takes place. It ages for 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% of which are new. The final selection of barrels and blending takes place about a month before bottling.

Exam notes: Exceptionally fresh, the Quinta Vale D. Maria Vinha da Francisca 2012 stands out for its elegance. With a great depth of color, this wine seduces with its concentrated aroma of ripe red fruits, black cherry, plum, and raspberry. Elegance and freshness herald a long and creamy finish.

Awards: Wine of the Year (2021; 2022) – Wines of Portugal Competition | 96 points – Decanter World Wine Awards | 95 points – Din vin Guide | 94 points/Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast; 18.5/20 points – Grandes Escolhas |