Aside from the great port wines of the Douro valley, great table wines are also gaining popularity. The Pombal do Vesuvio, in English meaning Dovecot, is surrounded by some of the finest parcels of Touriga Nacional in the Douro Superior region. It is a wine made entirely from grapes grown on the Quinta do Vesuvio estate. These grapes also make up one of the most renowned port producing names: Quinta do Vesuvio. Quinta roughly translates to mean farm or plot of land. In a wine context, it is classed as Single Estate. The Pombal is Vesuvio’s answer to Bordeaux’s Super Seconds. It holds all of the qualities of the Grand Vin but is styled as such to be both accessible in youth and later life, and at a price point that won’t break the bank either.

This is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 45% Touriga Franca and 5% Tinta Amarela, it is of a port-style minus any sweetness with just 0.6 grams per litre of residual sugar. Dryer than most Sauvignon Blancs!

This is a wine of depth. Deep crimson colour with aromas of liquorice and bramble and a scent of violets. Weighty and broad with good concentration on the palate, simultaneously full-bodied and silky. Ripe fruit, fresh and focused; damson and black cherry flavours. Well sculpted tannins with a fine mineral edge combine with seamless integrated wood which affords superb balance to the wine. Good length on an elegant finish.