If we started the year by suggesting the multifaceted 'Três Bagos Reserva red', a wine that combines grapes from the various farms of the producers that make up the company, now it is time to propose, equally, a red, but from a single terroir. We are talking about 'Quinta da Costa das Aguaneiras', a wine that reflects a traditional Douro, and that therefore fits perfectly with this season, par excellence, of traditions.
A note on the fact that the 'Quinta da Costa das Aguaneiras red 2014' – the latest vintage to hit the market – was awarded the 'Grandes Escolhas Award' in the 'Grandes Escolhas Wine Competition', promoted by the magazine Vinho Grandes Escolhas. Yet another reason that does justice to the €18.5 (recommended RRP) that you have to invest in buying a 750ml bottle of this Douro red, also available in magnum (1.5l).
At Quinta da Costa das Aguaneiras – located in Gouvinhas, in the Cima Corgo sub-region –, in a vineyard on a south-facing slope and with plots aged between 30 and 60 years, the grapes that give rise to this nectar of the Douro, but also of the Gods, are grown! In keeping with tradition, they are trodden by foot in stone presses; then they are aged in new French oak barrels for a year. A low-production wine, with an annual average of around 5,000 bottles.
With a bright, intense and deep red color, the 'Quinta da Costa das Aguaneiras red 2014' is made from a blend of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, to which is added a "pinch" of grapes from other varieties, grown in old vineyards (and therefore mixed). This is an exuberant and very fruity red, thanks to the aromas of ripe black plum and cassis that are very typical of the Douro, and elegant. The discreet and well-integrated wood contributes to the aromatic enrichment. In the mouth, the entry is fresh and fruity, revealing a smooth and velvety wine, the tannins are well balanced with the acidity, giving it complexity. The finish is long and tasty.
