Quinta do Vallado 20 Year Old Tawny

Region and Vineyards

Nestled in the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro Valley, Quinta do Vallado is one of the region's most historic estates, founded in 1716. The vineyards extend over steep, terraced schist slopes that line the Douro River, a landscape that defines the character of Port wines. These soils, low in fertility but rich in minerality, concentrate the flavours of the grapes and impart a distinct structural backbone to the wines.

The estate's old vineyards are planted in traditional field blends, featuring a mix of more than 35 grape varieties, including Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, and Touriga Franca. This biodiversity ensures layers of complexity, while the hot, dry summers and cool winters of the Douro lend intensity and aromatic expression to the fruit, making these vineyards particularly well suited for long-aged tawny Ports.

Winemaking

The 20 Year Old Tawny is the result of meticulous blending of wines aged for decades in 600-litre seasoned oak casks, allowing for slow oxidative maturation. This extended aging process transforms the wine, developing its amber hue, nutty complexity, and silky palate.

The winemaking is overseen by Francisco Ferreira and Francisco Olazabal, who ensure the balance between sweetness and freshness that characterises Vallado's style. With 145 g/L residual sugar, balanced by an acidity of 4.32 g/L and a final alcohol of 19.5%, the wine achieves both richness and elegance, offering a classic yet vibrant expression of aged tawny.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Amber with golden highlights, reflecting its two decades of aging.
• Aroma: Very rich, with dried fruit, caramelised nuts, and subtle cigar box notes.
• Palate: Fresh, round, and velvety, showing liquorice, nutty sweetness, and a satin-like finish of remarkable length.

Did you know?

Quinta do Vallado was once owned by Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, the celebrated 19th-century figure who transformed viticulture in the Douro Valley and ensured the survival of the region during the phylloxera crisis. Her legacy of innovation and resilience still guides Vallado's philosophy today.

Wine Pairing Ideas

• Aged Manchego: The savoury nuttiness complements the tawny's dried fruit and caramel notes.
• Crème brûlée: The caramelised top and creamy texture mirror the wine's silky mouthfeel and sweet complexity.
• Duck pâté: Its richness finds balance in the freshness and subtle spice of the tawny.
• Walnut tart: Enhances the nutty and toffee elements while echoing the wine's long, velvety finish.

Tradition

Quinta do Vallado, established in 1716, is one of the oldest and most famous "Quintas" in the Douro Valley.

It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to her descendants. It lies on both banks of the Corgo River, a tributary of the Douro River, near its mouth, close to the town of Peso da Régua.

For almost 200 years, Quinta do Vallado´s main activity was the production of Porto wines that were commercialized by the Ferreira Port House (belonging to the Ferreira family).

Following Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira´s great achievement, her Great grand-son Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, and his son Jorge Cabral Ferreira were the main architects of the further development of the Quinta´s vineyards and winery.

Modern Times

Moving from the centuries-old tradition of selling the farm´s production to the Ferreira Portwine House, in 1993, under the direction of Guilherme Álvares Ribeiro and his wife Maria Antónia Ferreira, the company decided to extend the business towards the production, bottling and marketing of own-label wines.

Also in 1993 under the guidance of Prof. Nuno Magalhães, a deep restructuring of the vineyards was started, with the objective of increasing the production of high quality grape varieties.

These new vineyards were planted with the best varieties in single plots, breaking with the old tradition of planting many different varieties in the same vineyard.

The homogenization of treatment, ripening and picking times made for a clear improvement in processes and translated into a much more regular, easy to control and economically effective quality production.

With 50 ha of vineyards aged from 6 to 15 years and having kept 20 ha of the best old plots, more than 80 years old, Quinta do Vallado, and it's executives João Ferreira Álvares Ribeiro, Francisco Ferreira (head of agricultural management) and Francisco Olazabal (oenologist), all descendants of Dona Antónia, has achieved national and international acclaimed levels of quality and recognition.

The construction of the new winery and barriques cellar, started in 2008 and concluded in the fall of 2009, combines state of the art technology with a high quality architecture project, making it one of the places to visit in the Douro valley.