From Quinta da Valeira, perched high above the eastern end of the Douro River, come lively and fresh-flavoured wines which express the airy freshness, elegance and beauty of the quinta.
Situated between 400 and 500 metres above sea level, Valeira catches every passing breeze, making it cooler than many vineyards in this hot eastern end of the Douro Valley. The schist soil is a winemaker’s dream, allowing rain to penetrate deep into the hillside to water the roots of our vines, but retaining the sunny warmth of the day well into the evening to create a more moderate and gentle microclimate to ripen our grapes to perfection.
Quinta da Valeira is a biologically diverse and beautiful landscape, with almost 10 hectares of mature vines over 27 hectares of land. Just over half the vineyard is planted with Touriga Nacional. Possibly the finest of the Port grape varieties, Touriga Nacional is profoundly aromatic and complex, with intense flavours that can vary from fruity to floral to mineral, depending on conditions. Naturally high levels of tannins and good acidity are the foundation for well-balanced and long- lived Ports.
The balance of the vineyard is divided between three more classic Port grapes. Touriga Franca brings additional complexity to our wines, with red fruit and exotic floral notes as well as good acidity. Tinta Francisca adds a lively freshness into blends and Sousão is known for complex earthy flavours, acidity and intense colour. To complete our range of Ports we use white grapes and organic red grapes from neighbouring Quinta da Trovisca, which shares the altitude and airiness of Valeira.
Cláudia Quevedo grew up in S. João da Pesqueira and Coimbra, and studied Enology at the University in Vila Real. When she finished her degree in 1998, she spent six months at Barros & Almeida in Vila Nova de Gaia. The Douro called her back, however, and in 1999 she returned to S. João da Pesqueira in time for the harvest. She has been making wines from the family vineyards ever since.