Quinta do Vallado launches a 19th Century Port to celebrate its 300th anniversary
Quinta do Vallado was first mentioned in official records in the year 1716, which brings the estate now to its 300th anniversary. Such a historic jubilee merits a wine with an equally impressive pedigree:
on 14 November 2016, the two cousins João Ferreira Álvares Ribeiro and Francisco Ferreira, who together own and operate Quinta do Vallado, presented a Port that has been maturing in cask since 1888 – Vallado ABF Very Old Port, in homage to António Bernardo Ferreira, who acquired the estate in 1818.
The grapes for this Port were grown on ungrafted vines, planted before the appearance of phylloxera. The wine has been maturing in 650-litre wooden casks for more than 120 years.
A limited edition
Vallado ABF Very Old Port is packaged in a Walnut Presentation Case, designed exclusively for this occasion. The case contains a hand-blown crystal decanter created by the famous Portuguese porcelain and crystal manufacturer Vista Alegre Atlantis. A chronicle of Quinta do Vallado’s 300-year journey is included, a commemorative book in which the history of the estate, its pioneers, and all historically relevant events are meticulously documented. As part of a limited edition, 933 numbered bottles were produced, 300 of which were released in 2016 to celebrate Quinta do Vallado’s 300th anniversary.
João Ferreira Álvares Ribeiro comments: ‘It fills us with great pride – as well as a sense of humility – being able to bottle this Port. Many courageous and diligent individuals have paved the way for the success that we are now able to harvest. We are well aware that this sense of diligence, this curiosity and courage must be conscientiously maintained, in order to equip the estate to meet the challenges of the next 300 years, and to preserve this valuable foundation for the following generations.’
What the experts say about Vallado ABF Very Old Port:
Jancis Robinson MW, London:
19.5/20 points: ‘Intense, deep and long. A magnificent elixir.’
Justin Leone, Chef Sommelier – Restaurant Tantris (2 Michelin stars) in Munich:
‘What shall a mere mortal, having spent such a brief tenure on this planet, possibly have to remark about a monument such as this?’
Joao Paulo Martins, Revista de Vinhos:
‘Wines like these help write the glorious history of the Douro.’
João Pires MS, Director of Wines at Melco Crown Entertainment in Macau:
‘It took a very long time to achieve this level of perfection.’
A major event in Macau:
For its initial grand appearance, Vallado ABF Very Old Port was chosen to be served at a legendary event in Macau: a joint-venture dinner presented by Michelin and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, considered by many as the ‘event of the year’ in wine and fine dinning.
Studio City Macau © Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Seven Michelin-starred chefs collaborated to create a magnificent dinner at Studio City in Macau:
Alvin Leung, Bio Innovation in Hong Kong (3 Michelin Stars)
Hideaki Matsuo, Kashiwaya in Osaka (3 Michelin Stars)
Bjorn Frantzen, Frantzen in Stockholm (2 Michelin Stars)
Guillaume Galliot, Tasting Room in Macau (2 Michelin Stars)
Tam Kwok Fung, Jade Dragon in Macau (2 Michelin Stars)
Shinji Kanesaka, Sushi Kanesaka in Tokyo (1 Michelin Stars)
Pierre Hermé, one of the world’s most famous master confectioners, served the crowning course of the event: A Brazilian bitter chocolate desert, in perfect harmony with Vallado ABF Very Old Port.
You can see the entire menu and list of wines here.
© Robert Parker Wine Advocate
From left: Nicholas Tse (actor, foodie and television chef), Guillaume Galliot (Tasting Room), Pierre Hermé, Alvin Leung (Bio Innovation), Hideaki Matsuo (Kashiwaya), Tam Kwok Fung (Jade Dragon), Bjorn Frantzen (Frantzen), Shinji Kanesaka (Sushi Kanesaka)
Quinta do Vallado
Established in 1716, Quinta do Vallado is one of the oldest and most famous ‘Quintas’ in the Douro Valley. It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to her descendants.
In the heart of the Douro wine region, only a few miles from the centre of Peso da Régua, Quinta do Vallado spreads along both banks of the Corgo River, a tributary to the Douro River.
For almost 200 years, Quinta do Vallado’s main activity was the production of Port wines, which were commercialized by the Ferreira Port House – part of the Ferreira family. Since last century’s early 90’s, Quinta do Vallado has sold still and Port wine under the estate’s name brand.
Quinta do Vallado now holds over 70 hectares of vineyards near the city of Peso da Régua, and an additional 30 hectares of certified organic vineyards, recently planted at Quinta do Orgal, in the Upper Douro.
The estate’s wine-tourism endeavours are also critically acclaimed as among the most successful in the Douro region. Two small, dazzling Wine Hotels exist today, at Quinta do Vallado (Peso da Régua) and in the Upper Douro, at Quinta do Orgal (Vila Nova de Foz Côa), where guests can enjoy a multitude of wine-related activities.
