Quinta de Azevedo

Quinta de Azevedo is a historic Minho estate, with 34 hectares of vineyards planted with indigenous varieties that produce elegant white wines with a sense of place. Located in the north of the country, near the Cávado River, the Quinta can trace its origins back to the foundation of Portugal in the 12th century. It was acquired by the Guedes family in 1982, who have renovated the property to preserve its original charm while also embracing a modern approach to viticulture and winemaking.

In the vineyards, they have moved away from traditional pergola systems and planted cordon-trained vines. This allows more air circulation in the vine canopy and sun exposure, resulting in riper and healthier grapes at harvest. Diogo Sepúlveda is at the winemaking helm and makes wines with signature freshness and precision. The grapes are harvested at night, and fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to retain the varieties’ natural freshness and aromatics. Loureiro lends aromas of tropical and citrus fruit to the wines, while Alvarinho brings stone fruit aromas, structure and complexity.

With the 2022 and 2023 vintages, Quinta de Azevedo began producing a range of wines from exclusively estate-grown fruit. Until this point, the Quinta had worked extensively with local growers, while steadily increasing its own holdings to be able to have full control over fruit quality. This transition further shows the Guedes’ ongoing dedication to making the finest Minho and Vinho Verde wines. These ‘Escolha’ and ‘Grande Escolha’ wines, meaning ‘Selection’ and ‘Grand Selection’, are partially aged in large format, used French oak to add texture rather than to mask the delicate flavours of the grapes.

The Alvarinho Escolha and Loureiro Escolha are fermented in stainless steel, with 15% of each blend aged in used French oak barrels for six months. This results in lovely freshness and varietal character, coupled with a creamy texture. The Alvarinho is characterised by vibrant aromas of yellow peach and apricot, while the Loureiro has bright notes of passion fruit, mango, grapefruit and lemon peel.

The ‘Torre’ Grande Escolha, named after the estate’s 16th-century tower, is a step up in intensity. A blend of some of the estate’s best Alvarinho and Loureiro plots, fermented in stainless steel then aged for eight months in large format, used French oak with weekly bâtonnage, it marries intense aromas of stone fruit with a subtle toastiness and has a wonderful texture on the palate.

The ‘Honra’ is the estate’s top wine, only produced in outstanding vintages from Alvarinho and Loureiro plots on schist soils, a rarity in the Minho region that imparts a marked minerality on the wine. Aged for a total of 16 months in a combination of new and second use French oak, followed by a further 14 months in bottle before release, this is a wine of great elegance and complexity, with flavours of honeyed apricot, citrus peel and spice and driven by a crisp acidity onto the long and mineral finish.

Azevedo

The Azevedo Loureiro/Alvarinho holds the Vinho Verde DOC classification and blends estate and grower fruit. It is crisp and refreshing, with notes of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, lime blossom and fresh mango.