• Viticultural year:  Cold and dry winter, with an unusually hot and dry spring and summer. Despite the combination of adverse weather conditions before and during the harvest (it was advised to bring the harvesting forward due to the forecast of rainfall in mid-September), the harvest rendered balanced and healthy grapes.


• Grape varieties:  Old vines with 23 identified grape varieties. Predominance of Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela, Tinta da Barca, Tinta Carvalha, Tinta Francisca, Tinto Cão, Bastardo, Rufete and Donzelinho.


• Appellation:  DOURO D.O.C.
• Age of the vines:  +100 Years
• Type:  Still Red Wine
• Style:  Oaked, full-bodied and dry
• Soil Type:  Schist
• Alcohol:  14.5% Vol.


• Ageing:  12 months in new, lightly toasted French oak barrels. Minimum bottle ageing of 12 months.


• Bottling:  March 2017
  0.75L › 4,021 bottles


• The Wine:  Quinta dos Frades Comendador Delfim Ferreira is made from grapes coming from the best plots of the estate’s old vines. It is only made in the best years and is the estate’s wine with the greatest ageing potential (+20 years).


• Grape growing and winemaking:  Each year, the grapes for this wine are assessed and selected according to the characteristics of the viticultural year. The ripening period is closely monitored, with both sensory (tasting of the berries in the vineyard) and laboratory analyses being carried out to determinate the perfect level of ripeness. Only grapes coming from very old vines tilled by animals are used.


• Tasting notes:  Appearance: Deep black core, with narrow ruby rim;
  Nose: Pronounced aroma of concentrated black fruit, with smoky/toasty nuances from the oak;
  Palate: Full-bodied, with powerful tannins. Lots of concentrated black fruit, intermingled with toasty aromas of fine oak. Very long, spicy finish.


• Serving suggestions:  Serve at 16°C. This wine accompanies rich dishes such as game and dry aged beef. It’s also an excellent match to roasted meats.


• Analysis:  pH: 3.6; Total acidity: 5.0 g/L


• Allergen information:  Contains sulphites


• Winemaker:  Anselmo Mendes