Quinta de la Rosa has been in the Bergqvist family since 1906 when it was gifted to current owner Sophia Bergvist’s grandmother, Claire, as a christening present. One of the first producers in the area to embrace the winemaking revolution in the early 1990s, La Rosa is now known for its premium wines and ‘drier style’ ports. The estate is located in the heart of the Douro’s dramatic Cima Corgo region, with its steep vines, schist soils, and dramatic views. La Rosa’s 60 hectares of vines start on the banks of the river with the majestic Vale do Inferno, whose immense dry stone terrace walls dominate the local landscape rising continually up to an elevation of around 500m, where the Lamelas vineyard sits overlooking the valley and it’s extremely varied topography. It is this topography that makes La Rosa special, as few Single Quintas have such varied terrior, or vines ranging from North to South facing.
The estate’s grapes are category A, the very best the Douro has to offer, and mostly consist of traditional port varieties, including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. These varieties work in harmony with the schist soil to ensure that rich, full bodied wines have remarkable acidity, minerality, and freshness. Similarly, the ports focus on preserving the freshness and minerality seen in the wines, and are known for their distinctive ‘drier’ style which places particular importance on elegance and balance.
Jorge Moreira, one of Portugal’s finest winemakers, has been at Quinta de la Rosa since 2002 and has helped to establish their reputation as one of Portugal’s leading wineries.
La Rosa Branco Reserva comprises of indigenous grape varieties from old vines at altitude – 45% Viosinho, 20% Arinto, 15% Gouveio, 15% Rabigato, and 5% Alvarinho. The wine is partially fermented in stainless steel with the remainder of the fermentation in French oak. It spends a further 6 months in barriques. The result is an elegant wine with more richness than the Branco and excellent minerality.
