Abandonado Tinto 2019

One vineyard over 80 years old, with several failures resulting from a partial abandonment for a few years. In an area of intense exposure and with huge outcrops of shale on the surface where not a single herb remains. The people of the Quinta quickly nicknamed it “Vinha do Abandonado”. For years we have tried to recover the vineyard and replant the missing vines. Until we gave up. Despite all our care, only the oldest strains were able to survive in such extreme conditions. In 2004 we decided to isolate it for the first time in the Quinta da Gaivosa winery. It immediately revealed a unique personality and character. We decided to bottle it in homage to the equally unique old vines of the Douro, which will one day disappear. Today we celebrate them.

Grape Varieties: Tinta Amarela Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, others (more than 25 indigenous varieties).

Tasting Note: Deep ruby color. Great aromatic complexity and freshness, with quite unique (but typical from the Abandonado vineyard) balsamic and tar flavours, liquorice and black berries. Pure refinement, with delicacy, minerality and an extraordinary purity of fruit. It feels the schist, the surrounding forest, the freshness of the altitude, in a pure expression of the vineyard’s nature. An exercise of pure elegance and class of one of the most iconic vineyards of the Douro and Portugal.

Winemaking: Total destemming. 9 days fermentation with temperature control. 10 days maceration.

Ageing: 22 months in new and 2nd year French and Portuguese oak barrels.

Pairing: Rich red meats, game, cheeses

Ageing Ability: 25 to 30 years