Page 45 - Code de Vino, #17/23, a/w 2018

44 Feature Story Code de Vino #17
Boas Quintas
(The Dão Valley).
Quinta da Giesta Wines
Author: Maria Svetova
Boas Quintas is one of the leading wine producers in Portugal focusing on quality
wines with a regional character. It is a multiregional project showcasing areas around
the country, while the head winery, Quinta da Giesta, is located in the Dão river valley
in eastern Portugal (to the south of Douro Valley).
Mr. Nuno Cancela de Abreu is a winemaker and owner of the company. He has many
years of experience in the field of wine education in Portugal. As a professor, he had
a considerable influence on the training of an entire generation of specialists and was
at the head of initiating new innovations to help Portuguese winemaking develop
without losing what made it unique. As a winemaker, Mr. Cancela de Abreu shows
that this concept brings amazing results which go well with the attractiveness
of Portuguese wines in terms of price and quality.
As head of the NCA Consultores consulting company, Mr. Cancela de Abreu
has greatly influenced the establishment and reorganization of Portugal's
traditional winemaking on a new level of quality.
Code de Vino #17 Boas Quintas (The Dão Valley). Quinta da Giesta Wines 45
Dão Region In the past, Dão wines were not as elegant because they were
excessively aged in old barrels. Today, with shorter aging in
The Dão wine region (Vinho Regional Terras do Dão) includes new oak barrels or even without any oak aging, the natural
DOC Dão and DOC Lafões. It is a hilly and mountainous qualities of these wines can be revealed much better, especially
region of the Dão river valley, with Lafões as a subregion. in terms of aromas. The best red wines can contain no less
An old wine region, it is defined by narrow vineyard terraces
than 50% Touriga Nacional, the leading grape of the region.
preserved in the central part of the region as a world The usual local blend contains Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz.
heritage site.
Encruzado stands out among the white varieties of the region.
Dão wines, both red and white, are characterized by Private vineyards have been owned by families for many
a balance of various constituents, including acidity, generations, and some land plots are quite small. Over 30,000
alcohol content and concentration of flavor. private winegrowers are registered in the region, and together
These elements combine to make a truly elegant wine.
they produce more than one-half of all grapes for DOC Dão.
Cooperatives play a crucial role in the development of local
This region was almost made special for winemaking — winemaking by gradually modernizing production and
one cannot imagine any better conditions. The Dão Valley introducing advanced technologies. But the main factor
is surrounded by the mountain peaks of Caramulo, Buçaco,
Nave and Estrela, which protect the vineyards from cold driving Dão winemaking quality are the efforts of private
winemakers, among whom Nuno Cancela de Abreu stands
winds, summer rain clouds from the Atlantic, and even out as the head of Boas Quintas and the Quinta da Giesta
continental storms from Spain. family farm.
Yet the Dão region is also full of contrasts within its mountain
walls: the warm west meets the coolness of the north and
east, while the hills merge with deep valleys, forests and
mountain slopes. Winters are cool and humid, and summers
are usually sunny, hot and dry. At the end of summer,
it quickly cools down during the day, allowing the grapes
to ripen slowly. This also ensures a complex bouquet
of flavors and elegant aromas are developed.
Vineyards are located up the high hills (400–500 meters
on average, but sometimes reaching 800 meters above sea
level), with slate and granite soil types. Vineyards need to face
the sun to achieve ideal ripening, which gives Dão wines
a natural balance of bright, mineral acidity combined
with stunning aroma, character and intensity.