Valenca do Douro, Portugal
It`s not enough to just travel through the Douro Valley, whether by car or train, you need to get out of that vehicle and take in the scenery first-hand. There are plenty of strategically placed Viewing Points to stop at, but if you have managed to get there in the first place, then you should make sure you are staying a few nights!
Accommodation-wise, there is plenty of choice – a room for every pocket, but before you login to Booking.com, I have a unique insider-tip for you. For those Douro Valley Veterans out there, Quinta da Côrte in Valenca do Douro, Cima Corgo may already be a familiar name and if not, why not?
A brief remark before I get going. Should you be travelling through the Douro Valley by car, please make sure the driver is not only well insured but has nerves of steel. The entrance to many premises in Portugal calls for advanced driving skills (or simple bravery) as chances are, there will not only be a sheer drop off to your right or to your left but also one straight ahead. Particularly nerve-racking when arriving for the first time after dark…
Quinta da Côrtes entrance is one of the tricky ones but don`t let that put you off as, presuming you arrive before sunset, you won`t need to venture out again the same evening. This small but exceptional Hotel and working Wine-Estate produces high-quality small-batch Wine and Portwine and serves excellent homemade cuisine to go with them.
In 2013, previous owners - the local Pacheco and Irmãos families – sold the Estate to French property investor Philippe Austruy and Les Vignobles Austruy. Philippe, always on the look-out for such "sleeping beauties" fell in love with Quinta da Côrte at first sight. Modernisation began and soon the 26 hectares of terraced vineyards (including some 10 hectares of old vines) received the tender loving care they deserved, as did the La Casa farmhouse and outbuildings.
Today, with just eight bedrooms, Quinta da Côrte delights with its hang for tradition without being stuffy, and a feeling of quiet intimacy rarely found in modern day establishments. The heart of the hotel is undoubtably the beautiful old kitchen with an impressive fireplace where not so long ago, simple meals were prepared for the hardworking vineyard-hands.
Your breakfast is served here, lunch and dinner too should you indulge yourselves in one of the exquisite House Menus on offer - as we did on our first evening, without regret. The staff are friendly, well-trained and accommodating - seen, but not heard, and at said kitchen table you`ll have the opportunity of communicating – yes, real conversation, with your fellow guests.
Our evening meal was high both in quantity and in quality. As an accompaniment, we chose a bottle of white, rather than red wine. Côte Blanc 2022 DOC Douro is fresh and elegant, slightly on the acidic side and made from the high-quality grape variety Viosinho.
It paired very well with our chosen menu which included a creamy Partridge filled Vol-au-Vent to start, Turkey Stew served with crispy Chayote and baby peas and a gorgeous souffle - a traditional Portuguese dessert with fresh figs and cinnamon. The Estates own Olive Oil I can also highly recommend.
The house itself has been lovingly restored to its former glory and in keeping with the original style. Many fixtures and fittings, such as the light switches and door-latches have not been replaced, just rewired or polished up and I found it rather amusing that on arrival, the young lady introducing us to the ins and outs felt it necessary to explain how they work.
I love such appliances, favouring them any day to those electronic hotel keycards, but perhaps I`m just old-fashioned.
The bedrooms are spacious, comfortable and well equipped. There`s a little library for relaxation and a huge terrace overlooking the valley where you can wine, dine or simply chill-out.
Talking of chilling, the swimming pool isn`t heated but has amazing views, is just stone’s throw from the main building and never gets “crowded”.
The Quintas centralised location makes the Hotel an ideal base for those of you staying a few days and looking to explore the valley, with Pinhão just a few kilometres away where you can enjoy the scenery from one of the many boat trips on offer.
Included in your stay at Quinta da Côrte is their Wine Tour “DÉCOUVERTE” with a tasting of two wines or port wines.
Our allocated Guide Anna Gomes who has worked at the Quinta for three years now, was both professional and highly informative. Of the 50.000 bottles produced annually, we honestly only "sampled two!
PRINCESA Reserva DOC 2019
A beautiful deep-ruby red blend with purple hues (10% Touriga Nacional, 20% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinto Roriz, 35% Tinta Barroca and 15% Vinha Velha - a potpourri of ancient varieties) which spent 12 months maturing in French oak barrels prior to bottling in March 2021 (50% in 500 L, and 50% in 3000 L casks).
An already impressive and expressive wine which will most certainly improve with age. Beautifully fresh dark-berried fruits both on the nose and palate, plenty of blackberry, blackcurrant, allspice and a hint of tobacco.
The elegant tannins make this an exceptional food-pairing allrounder and I can imagine it particularly good with your Sunday roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
LBV PORT WINE 2016
Ancient Portuguese grape varieties blended to a tee, harvested in 2016 - a particularly challenging vintage - which went on to produce rich, complex and intense wines thanks to the late but hot temperatures shortly before harvest time.
Crushed traditionally in granite Lagares by foot, maturation took place in large wooden Toneis creating a super soft profile.
Bottled in 2020, this is a moreish full-bodied fruity Port Wine with notes of chocolate, spice and liquorice to be enjoyed now, or in years to come.
Softly balanced tannins and acidity, the perfect partner for both sweet desserts (with toasted nuts perhaps) and creamy mature cheeses – for myself it would be Stilton.
Winemaker Alexandra Guedes has held the reigns for just 3 months now, having taken over from colleague Marta Casanova, responsible until just recently for the complete vineyard reclamation work, vineyard management and vinification.
The now 100% independent Estate boasts many ancient vines, including varieties which have been grown in the Douro Valley on schist soils since the sixteenth century. Tinto Cao, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) provide for not only high-quality red wines of substance, but are of course, the backbone for all the Douro Valley traditionally stands for: damn good Portwine.
Harvest time begins mid-September depending on the grape variety and current weather conditions, so I timed my visit perfectly.
Thanks to the support of Quinta da Côrtes Director of Marketing and Wine-Tourism Cátia Moura, I had the pleasure of meeting Alexandra personally and literally “on the job”. It did mean an early morning “fall out of bed” call for myself, but it was worth it as you will see below.
Cátia also very kindly put me in touch with the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto. I.P. (IDVP) as Quinta da Côrte is too, an honourable member of the Institute which has been responsible among other things, for the high-quality of Port and Douro wines since 1933.
Not staying long enough to take part in the harvest itself, I was grateful to at least have the opportunity of experiencing the time-consuming processes leading up to vinification, including the freshly harvested grape delivery, the meticulous hand-selection, the literally double-de-stemming both by machine and by hand, also transfer of the Most to the wine-cellar one floor below.
I was invited to take part in treading the grapes which is something I have always wanted to have a go at, but only the real McCoy and not as part of one of those touristy attractions.
On leaving that morning, the team were enjoying a hearty and hard-earned breakfast, having been on their feet far longer than I admittedly had or was planning to be ;-).
Many thanks to you all for having me, allowing me to join in and I look forward to tasting the 2024 Vintage:
The harvest-year 2024 when I literally -
“PUT MY FOOT IN IT” !
For direct enquiries and further information please contact:
QUINTA DA CÔRTE
5120-491 VALENCA DO DOURO
PORTUGAL
Tel:
+351 964 536 200
or
+351 254 249 890