Quinta Do Judeu Reserva Tinto 2017

Quinta do Judeu, which dates from 1932, takes its name from the Roman-Jewish statue that keeps watch from its roof. The small, modern and immaculately kept winery sits below the home of owner and winemaker André Marinho Pinto and his family. Red wines are still foot trodden in traditional lagares like the family's ancestors used to do.

The breathtakingly scenic estate spans 27 hectares across three vineyards on the steep slopes of the Douro river, planted solely to Port grapes and with vines ranging in age from 10 to over 90 years old. Included in the vineyards are some old varieties that are extremely rare and of the last plantings of their kind.

The terraced, vertiginous slopes that characterise the Douro region are composed of tough schist and granite — mean, harsh soils to make the vines work harder for nutrients — and the three different locations of the vineyards allows André to get the best balance for the final blendings, taking into account the different soil types and micro-climates within each vineyard.