Quinta do Vesuvio

Quinta do Vesuvio, owned by the Symington family since 1989, is one of the most special and prestigious Vintage Port houses in the Douro, located on the south side of the Douro River in the Douro Supérior. The vineyards of this large domain are spread over 7 hills. Partly due to the exceptional terroir of this quinta, this Vintage Port can be counted among the absolute top. The grapes are still trampled here in historic stone lagares. One of the most impressive and long-lived wines in the world with unparalleled finesse and depth.

Founded by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the great estates of the Douro. It has a total area of ​​326 hectares, of which 133 hectares are planted with vines. The rest has been preserved in its natural state. The terrain has great height differences, from 130 m at the riverbank to 530 m at the top of the ridge. It has vineyards that face north, south, east and west, offering a remarkable range of conditions.

Being so far inland, just 30km from Spain, the Quinta experiences extreme climatic conditions, with very high temperatures in summer and very low temperatures in winter. It is very dry, with an average of only 400 mm of rain per year.

Dona Antónia bottled the first known single estate wine in the Douro in 1868. When our family acquired the property in 1989, we decided to revive the Vesuvio as a single estate, rather than group the grapes under a port brand like most Quintas do. Since then, the sole aim has been to create excellent wines, both Vintage Ports and Douro DOC wines, using only the very best grapes on the property. The 19th century winery is one of the last places on earth where all grapes are still trampled by human feet. All of the property's Vintage Ports are produced in the traditional way, using this time-honored technique passed down through the ages.

The company produces two Vintage Ports: Quinta do Vesuvio, with the highest quality grapes sourced from throughout the property, and Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio, a single vineyard Vintage Port, made only in the very best years. Both wines are produced in very small quantities. The property's flagship Douro DOC red wine, Quinta do Vesuvio, is made from the best vineyards of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Amarela on the property.

Touriga Nacional, the main ingredient, gives the wine elegance, structure and excellent aging potential.Pombal do Vesuvio is the Quinta's second wine, named after the vineyard that surrounds the property's dovecote. Unlike the Quinta do Vesuvio, it has a higher proportion of Touriga Franca, which gives it a silky smoothness and floral aromas.