# Quinta dos Quatro Ventos Reserva (2020)

- **Producer:** Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz
- **Region:** Douro, Portugal
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €21
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, cherry, blackberry, toast, chocolate, tobacco

## About this wine

Quinta dos Quatro Ventos, meaning 'Estate of the Four Winds', takes its name from the sweeping winds that blow across its exposed schist terraces in the Douro Superior near Vila Nova de Foz Côa. Produced by Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal, a historic house founded in 1931, the estate encompasses 150 hectares in total, including 45 hectares of terraced and vertically planted vineyards. The microclimate combines intense summer heat with severe mountain winds, creating distinctive conditions for traditional Douro grape varieties.

## Interesting facts

- The estate takes its name from the powerful winds that sweep across its high-altitude schist terraces.
- Aged in an unusual oak program combining 75% French oak and 25% Russian oak barrels for 12 months.
- Awarded 17.5 out of 20 points by Vinho Grandes Escolhas magazine for the 2020 vintage.

## Food pairing

The firm tannin structure, high alcohol, and rich concentration of this Douro red require heavy protein and fat components to soften the tannins. Hearty game meats, rich beef cuts, and aged cheeses balance the intensity of the wine while taming its alcoholic warmth.

## Wine making process

Hand-picked grapes undergo strict sorting followed by a 5-day cold pre-fermentative maceration at 8°C. Alcoholic fermentation takes place over 8 to 10 days at controlled temperatures of 30°C, followed by a 4-day post-fermentative skin maceration. The wine is aged for 12 months in 100% new oak barrels, consisting of 75% French oak and 25% Russian oak, under the direction of winemakers Francisco Antunes and Magda Costa.