Since the end of April, a wave of flowering and fruit set has been underway across our 14 hectares composed of 9 vineyard parcels and 24+ local grape varieties at Quinta do Tedo.
Wet Spring conditions keep our Viticulture Manager Angelo Ribeiro and vineyard team on high “mildew alert”, but the sun finally showed up this weekend and should stick around for a few weeks, bringing dryer, warmer weather.
Our terraced hillsides are painted 50 shades of varietal-specific green - Touriga Nacional flaunts a cooler green behind vibrant green Tinta Cão, as you can see in the below photo of our Tedo River-side micro-parcels.
As our upcoming 2024 harvest “loads”, we are excited to share with you some fruits of our 2018 and 2021 harvests, with two new (and much-anticipated, considering we sold out their prior editions!) product launches.
Taste our new Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) 2018 and Douro DOC Reserva 2021 for yourselves, in our Quinta do Tedo Tasting Room or delivered straight to your homes across the EU, USA and UK via our Shop Online or traditional order forms, and make the most of the last days of our Spring Promo*.
*Add one extra bottle of Douro DOC Rosé to your order of any 11 or more Quinta do Tedo bottles and mention code SpringNL2024 at checkout to receive it free! Valid until 31/5.
LBV 2018 - 6.500 bottles
Harvest notes:
After nearly 20 months of drought, starting in 2017, and a cold and dry 2018 Winter, abundant Spring rain (more than twice Douro’s average rainfall, for March through May!) relieved the vineyards (although the extremely dry soils took time to re-humidify to absorb and retain the water).
A few aggressive Spring storms and hail (abnormal in Douro, and proof of the erratic impact of climatic instability) hit vineyards in Pinhão and other sites upriver closer to the Spanish border; Tedo Valley was spared.
Lower than average temperatures delayed the vines’ vegetative cycle by ~2 weeks and rain during bud-break and flowering decreased grape yield from the get-go. Timing our organic treatments had to be on point to combat humidity-related diseases.
What we lost in quantity, we gained in excellent quality, after temperatures picked in July, and hot, dry, summer conditions set in for ideal maturation. August 2018 was recorded as the hottest month since the last ~90 years.
We started harvest in mid-September, the results of which showcase more red than black fruit with lifted freshness. Touriga Franca, resistant to August’s heat waves, shined especially bright.
Tasting notes:
To the eyes - Deep ruby with red rose reflects from 5+ years of aging in large 4.000-7.000 liter, conical, neutral French oak foudres.
Through the nose - Blueberry, blackberry and cassis with some cistus rock rose and lavender florals, typical of the Touriga Nacional included in the blend. Some blood orange peel, dried black fig, black pepper, black liquorice, tobacco and the iconic and lifting menthol freshness and wet schist rock minerality that our Quinta do Tedo LBVs are well-known for.
On the palate - Vinous and very elegant, lifted and balanced, with a harmonious play between fresh black cherry and cassis, dried prunes and black figs, and an almost saline black liquorice component. Fine tannins, great tension and length.
Ready to drink now, with dark chocolate or red berry desserts, aged goat’s cheese, or even Kobe beef steak or duck magret with a berry coulis, or age 10+ years (thanks to our choice of light filtering and a driven, natural cork closure).
Douro DOC Reserva 2021 - 5.500 bottles
Harvest notes*:
2021 was a cooler- and wetter-than-average year, yielding beautifully aromatic, fresh and elegant Douro DOC wines, full of fruit and complexity, thanks to ideal growing conditions for slower maturation.
Besides one scorching week in August, summer was mild, with cool and windy nights which warded off the higher risk of disease that came with abundant precipitation that year. Tedo dodged a freak mid-June hail storm that pillaged some of our neighbors’ harvest yields and quality.
Harvest started earlier than usual, on August 31, and lasted through mid-September.
*Feel free to dive deeper into our 2021 harvest notes via our September 2021 blog post: http://www.quintadotedo.com/kays-blog-bouchard/harvest-2021.
Tasting notes:
To the eyes - Dark plum with a crimson rim; very seductive.
Through the nose - Wild blackberry, plum and raspberry coulis with elegant bergamot (typical of the noble Touriga Nacional variety dominating the blend) with green, almost foresty, freshness thanks to 2021’s cooler and wetter growing conditions. A cracked black pepper kick, with masterfully toasted French new oak nuances.
On the palate - Concentrated bright plum and blackberry on first impact, which stretches out in the toned mid-palate built up with 18 months of aging in small used and new oak Burgundy barrels. The finish is tight, leaving small black and red berries lingering alongside the elegant and vanilla-y perfume of fig leaf, with youthful yet refined tannins.
Composed power and Douro classicism to enjoy now, paired with a juicy steak, mushroom and/or veal ragout or wild boar saucisson, or strong cheeses like aged Gouda, Cheddar, Manchego or Stilton, or let unwind with 10+ years aging in your cellar.
We look forward to hearing what you, our dear Tedo Fans, think of our novelties!
Bom proveito ~ Odile & Kay Bouchard