Ramos Pinto, Duas Quintas Tinto, Douro

This is a very traditional, old-school Portuguese red that shows that... old school traditions can be absolutely wonderful! This is made by the highly successful Port house of Ramos Pinto and comes from two vineyards that are specifically designated the production of still wines. This is broad and smooth with flavours of dark berries, spice, plums and notes of lilac. It is smooth and lovely and although it can age, most people understand that it's made for drinking now...

Though Ramos Pinto have been making and exporting Port wines since 1880, this particular concept of a dry Douro wine was only realised after 1990. The house was unprecedented in its success in the early 20th century with overseas exports, in particular, so strong that the name Ramos Pinto became interchangeable with fortified wines in general. The sales and marketing teams of their day were focused by attention to detail in the entire winemaking enterprise from vineyard selection to blending practices and aging regimes. They had blazed a trail. They had also amassed more land than any other producer in the Douro, owning over 90% of the vineyard requirements that their winery has, which is a claim no other winery has ever had in the region.

Though the idea of non-fortified wines had existed for many years beforehand, it was the backing of the Louis Roederer house who, in 1990, brought the estate into its group and facilitated the still wine project from two of the vineyards that they own. Hence Duas (two) Quintas (fields or farms). Using indigenous varieties and traditional techniques, they have quietly mastered this style and make this a beautiful, classic European red for any and all occasions.