Quinta do Vesuvio
Founded by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the great Douro estates. It has a total area of 326 hectares, of which 133 hectares are planted with vines. The rest has been conserved in its natural state. The property has great variations in altitude, from 130m at the riverside to 530m at the top of the ridge. It has vineyards that face north, south, east and west, providing a remarkable range of conditions. Being so far inland, only 30k from Spain, the Quinta experiences climatic extremes, reaching very high temperatures in summer and very low in winter. It is very dry, with an average of only 400mm of rain falling each 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 resurrect Vesuvio as a single estate, rather than amalgamating its grapes under a port brand like most Quintas. Since then, our sole objective has been to create outstanding 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 the grapes are still trodden by human feet. All the property's Vintage Ports are produced in the traditional way, using this time-honoured technique, passed down through the centuries.
The property produces two Vintage Ports: Quinta do Vesuvio, using the highest quality grapes sourced from the entire property, and Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio, a single vineyard Vintage Port, only made 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 finest Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Amarela vineyards on the property. Touriga Nacional, the principal component, gives the wine elegance, structure and excellent ageing potential.
Pombal do Vesuvio is the Quinta's second wine, taking its name from the vineyard that surrounds the property's dovecote. In contrast to the Quinta do Vesuvio, it has a higher proportion of Touriga Franca, giving it a silky smoothness and floral aromas.
