The wines of Quinta de la Rosa, Douro, Portugal
Revieiwing the wines of one of the Douro's top estates

Apartado 16, 5085 Pinhão, Portugal
Tel: +351 254 732 254
Website: www.quintadelarosa.com
E-mail: sophia@quintadelarosa.com  

Quinta de la Rosa is a beautiful Quinta, a short distance along the river from Pinhão, in the Cima Corgo subregion of the Douro. The Berqvist family, who at the time owned the Feueheerd Port shipping company, bought the property in 1906 as a christening present for Sophia Bergqvist’s grandmother, Claire. And while the shipping company was sold in the 1930s, La Rosa was kept by the family.

 

The modern story of La Rosa as a producer of Port and table wine begins in 1988. This is when Sophia and her father Tim Bergqvist decided to start making wines and Ports to market under the Quinta de la Rosa name. The wines were consistently good, but not great, until young winemaker Jorge Moreira joined in September 2002. Jorge also makes his own excellent Douro wines under the name Poeira, but is full time wine maker at La Rosa.


Sophia Bergqvist


Jorge Moreira 

La Rosa has 55 hectares of vines in the Cima Corgo, importantly with a range of different elevations: 7 ha is at 100 m, 10 ha at 150 m and the rest between 250 and 450 m. The higher you go, the cooler it gets.


Imposing terraces at La Rosa 

A recent development has been the planting of new vineyards in the Douro Superior, at Quinta de Bandeiras. This is a 100 hectare property not far from Pocinho, and opposite the famous vineyards of Vale Meão, which used to be the source for Barca Velha. The wine made from Bandeiras is a joint venture between the Bergqvists and Jorge Moreira, called Passagem. 


Bandeiras


Looking from Bandeiras over the river to Vale Meão

Of recent vintages, Jorge Moreira explains that 2007 and 2008 were both quite different. ‘I prefer the austerity and minerality of the 2008,’ he says. 2009 is looking good: ‘It’s a commercial vintage with lots of fruit, smoothness and a good mouthfeel.’ He’s not too happy with 2010, where there was too much production and the grapes didn’t ripen well, lacking definition of flavour.

 

THE WINES

Date of tasting give in month/year format in brackets

douROSA Branco 2010
Lively and focused with good acid. Pithy with grapefruit notes, some citrus fruit and good acidity. 88/100 (06/11)

douROSA Branco 2009
Very fresh, bright and a bit mineral. Nice, focused citrus fruits here. 88/100 (10/10)

Quinta de la Rosa Branco 2010
A portion is oak fermented. Some nutty notes as well as minerals, citrus and grapefruit. Very lively and bright with good acidity. Subtle oak influence. 90/100 (06/11)

Quinta de la Rosa Branco 2009
Nice nose is gently toasty and quite mineral, with peach and pear fruit. The palate is generous and fruit-driven with precision and breadth. 90/100 (10/10)

Passagem ‘The Crossing’ Branco 2010
Textured, rich and bold with melon, herbs and grapefruit notes. Hint of structure, too. A bold, dense, textured white of real interest. 91/100 (06/11)

Passagem 'The Crossing' Branco 2009
Some subtle peachy richness on the nose. Bold, rich and quite concentrated with nutty notes and a bit of spiciness. Full flavoured. 90/100 (10/10)

douROSA Tinto 2009
Fresh, supple and lively with nice berry fruits. Spicy twist on the finish. Very appealing. 88/100 (06/11)

douROSA Tinto 2008
Lovely vibrant, expressive cherry fruit nose is pure and restrained. The palate is fresh and expressive with good acidity and some minerality. Very stylish raspberry and cherry fruit. 90/100 (10/10)

Quinta de la Rosa Tinto 2008
Nicely aromatic with lovely bright fruit. Vivid cherries and berries. Good acidity and nice spicy tannins here, in a wine showing purity and definition. 92/100 (06/11)

Quinta de la Rosa Tinto 2008
Expressive nose of pure, bright cherry fruit with some spicy warmth. The palate is a bit violetty with lovely freshness and good acidity. Lovely fruit. 91/100 (10/10)

Quinta de la Rosa Tinto 2007
Very bright, pure and elegant with sweet dark cherry and berry fruits. Brooding. The palate is supple and rich with spicy dark fruits. Intense and well proportioned. 92/100 (10/09)

Quinta de la Rosa Tinto 2005
Lovely vivid, fresh dark fruits on the nose. The palate is smooth and quite elegant with fresh bright fruit. It’s sweetly fruited yet still fresh. 90/100 (10/07)

Quinta de la Rosa Reserva 2008
Lovely definition on the nose. Fresh with nice dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit, as well as some spiciness. The palate is dense and structured with some firmness and spiciness. Mineral, tarry, dense and backward. 94/100 (06/11)

Quinta de la Rosa Reserva 2008
Vibrant, intense nose of raspberry, cherry and blackberry fruit, with some spiciness. The palate is refined and quite structured with some freshness and a bit of oak evident. Rich and quite expressive. 93/100 (10/10)

Quinta de la Rosa Reserva 2007
Violetty, aromatic and intense with generous fruit on the palate. Quite serious and meaty. 94/100 (10/10)

Quinta de la Rosa Reserva 2005
Aromatic, fresh and balanced dark fruits nose with lovely freshness and spiciness. The palate is concentrated and full with great balance between the sweet fruit and the spicy tannic structure. Lovely balance. 93/100 (10/07)

Passagem ‘The Crossing’ 2008
Lovely ripe blackberry, cherry and raspberry fruit aromatics. Fruity and full. The palate has delicious bright, pure, lively berry fruit with a nice tarry, herby edge. Lovely purity and definition here. 94/100 (06/11)

Passagem ‘The Crossing’ 2008
Lovely aromatic, meaty, floral nose showing vibrant dark cherry and plum fruit. The palate is ripe, pure and expressive with a nice meaty edge. Lovely stuff. 93/100 (10/10)

Passagem ‘The Crossing’ 2007
Spicy, meaty, dense and vibrant with lovely elegance and freshness. Expressive dark cherry and berry fruits to the fore, with nice purity and good structure. 94/100 (10/10)

See also:

Photos from Quinta de la Rosa
An earlier report on Quinta de la Rosa (2006)
An even earlier report (2004)

Published 07/11 
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