Farther up - then down - the Douro

We saw further evidence of massive investment in new terraced vineyards for wine (not port) in the high Douro valley as it nears the Spanish border. A steep, north-facing slope there is shared by two of Portugal’s most respected winemakers: Jose Maria Soares Franco (responsible for 'Barca Velha' - Portugal's own 'Vega Sicilia' - for over 20 years) and João Portugal Ramos. They call it The Duorum Project.

Next door, Jean-Michel Cazes – possibly the most able Bordeaux Château owner of his generation – has his new estate. If Monsieur Cazes is interested enough to sink a lot of money in this area, it is certainly a place to watch.

The wines we tried at the Duorum Project reinforced our belief. Duorum is based in a newly built drystone eyrie above the very steep vine terraces and cliffs where eagles do, in fact, make their home. We will be launching our first exclusive project with them, named ‘Altitude by Duorum’, in our June catalogue so look out for it!

Then we made our way by the old winding roads to Pinhão, the beating heart of the Douro wine region. Here the terracing goes highest and with two tributary valleys joining there's the effect of a grand canyon of vineyards. Even at this time when the vines are just bare stumps it is impressive.

The weather is grey and drizzly as we make our way up past the most famous Quinta of all; Quinta do Noval. Then up the valley to tea beside a warm fire – with a warm welcome from  Cristina Van Zeller in her lovely little Casa de Vilarinho de S. Romão, where she does bed and breakfast. Judging by the Guest Book accolades she is very popular with the British. Anne always stays here. Very reasonable and the homemade biscuits, cakes, jams … to die for.

We are joined by my dear wife, Simon, and Andrew; half the Laithwaite's Board are gathered. The others will join us in Oporto tonight. I have always felt it important that from time to time I give those who look after things financial and managerial for the Company a little glimpse of the glories of wine. I'd bring everyone here if I could. And every customer. There's no-one who would not be amazed by a region like the Douro.

Carlos

In the evening we are joined by our favourite 'Portugueses' Carlos and Fernando – they do an act like they're Portugal's Morecambe and Wise but they are peerless wine men. Around Christina's large table there's also the imposing presence of Fernando's cousin Cristiano Van Zeller who used to run Quinta do Noval for the family until, sadly, like several of the world's most glamorous wine estates it was sold to Axa Insurance. Noval is, I'm glad to say,  a very rare example of  Corporate takeover in this area which remains strongly 'family'. I have nothing against insurance Companies personally, as long as they pay up, but I will always be convinced that in matters wine, families do it better. But then I would say that, wouldn't I?   

Cristiano - in a Sunday Times Wine Club rugby shirt

In this part of Portugal the vineyard owners and the Port Shippers seem to be all related to one another. There are many British port families who have been here for generations and are still excessively British, if you know what I mean.  And there is a similar contingent of Portuguese, all speaking perfect English, and as I say, all related.

It is a good evening with a simple hot pot sort of dish called ‘Cozido Portuguesa’. Our wine producer friends took turns to pour and explain their wines. Eg. Cristiano’s 'VZ' white and red and Jorge’s Quinta do Passadouro Reserva '07 which we bought a parcel of last year. It’s tasting great now! All very fascinating.

Climb into a big bed with brass knobs on and sleep like a baby. It is so silent up here at the top of the valley. Just dogs shouting 'goodnight' to each other across the valley. Great Breakfast. Madeira cake with Quince jam. I really do recommend this place.

Passadouro Estate

Then off down the most vertiginous track ever, down the valley to Jorge's little Passadouro estate. The sun is blazing today as we tour the vineyards and taste on the terrace above the laden orange trees. Jorge makes great wine. Just a bit expensive. But we'll see what Anne's powers of persuasion can do. They've all done advanced negotiation courses our buyers; they get blood out of stones as a matter of course.

But clearly the Producers here all love Anne – and she Adores them – but when the topic of price comes up you see them visibly flinch.
 
Then, there is yet more scary driving down then up little tracks to Cristiano's 'new' estate' which he runs with a little band of beauties; wife, daughter and other lovelies. Some steep walking up to another terrace with spectacular views and no less spectacular wines to try.

Then it’s down to Oporto to our hotel in Villanova de Gaia set amidst all the great Port Lodges with that spectacular view across the river to the old town.

Up the Douro

I've not been to the port region for far too long. Forgotten that here are the most spectacular vineyards of all. Even in March before the vines grow their leaves and all is brown rock they still amaze.

In the last five years the valley has seriously moved into making wine as well as port. Maybe 1/3 of production is now Douro wine. I sold Douro red wine in the 80's but it was then hard to find … and, if I'm honest, not all that good. But clearly, given these incredibly steep vineyards (think of, say, the Langdale Valley with every inch of slightly less-than-vertical slope, neatly terraced and planted with vines right to the top) there was always great potential.

Today there are stunning wines and there's masses of interest, not so much in port as in the wines – both red and white.  Clever investors like Jean Michel Cazes of Ch. Lynch Bages are pouring money into new vineyards; old vineyards are being 'converted'; and skilled port winemakers are learning a whole new set of skills.

They're loving it. Why wouldn't they? They have both the pleasure of grand old traditions AND a whole new category to create.

Fly to Oporto and now it’s just two hours up the motorway to the upper Douro Valley, Douro Superior, near the Spanish border (where the river is then called the Duero). It used to be seven hours up the old valley roads. Or three by train as we used to swank it when Taylor’s would have a private carriage hitched on the back, loaded with hampers and wine for groups of our customers.

Today, by the way, there are cruise ships on the river, including that great barge The Queen used during her jubilee river pageant. It’s here, now. I'm looking at it. But the train is looking threatened, sadly. One of the most spectacular train rides anywhere might just get the chop.

The new road avoids the winding valley and heads across a sort of moorland dotted with what looks rather like works by Henry Moore. Between these huge, eerie, voluptuous feminine shapes, where there is a bit of something like soil, are vineyards. Mostly white, for this is a cooler region at about 500 metres. A nice estate here called Quinta do Porrais makes a stony dry white which is having a lot of success with the more adventurous customers at the moment. Stony minerality is a characteristic of this region's wine, and that style is gaining ground over the juicy-fruit styles of southern Portugual.

Minerality!!! +++. Some wines we tried – but did not quite have the courage to buy – tasted half wine, half rock. Maybe should've bought one. Some customers love strong character wines that give you a bit of a slap! Maybe next year.

We then find our way down into the valley of the great river and Quinta do Vale Meão, where the first 'great' Douro red, 'Barca Velha' was born … though it is no longer made there.  It is just SO remote. The farm was built – as were many famous Quintas – by the remarkable Dona Antonia Ferreira in the nineteenth century. She overcame the disadvantage of a dissolute and spendthrift husband to amass the greatest collection of vineyards and create the biggest wine company in the valley. In those male-dominated days she must've been quite something. 

We arrive as darkness falls, for a quick cellar tour and long tasting with the lady's Great, Great, Great Grandson; 'Xito' - short for Francisco. He still speaks of her a lot, in awe. The fault line on which the estate sits causes the river to do a huge meander which encloses the estate almost like an island. It also blesses the place with a wide variety of soils; granite, schist, cobblestones and Lord knows what more. Thus every patch of vines here produces a different style. Add in the big variety of grapes types – eg. the Tourigas; Nacional, Roriz, Francesa or Franca, Barrocca and many more including some new and very promising Syrah – things get very complex. Wonderful. (Syrah might help tame some of the toughness out of the Touriga wines, but I hope the won't overdo it and internationalise these unique wines)  

With our tireless buyer Anne we worked through everything. Hopefully we'll end up with something spectacular. But the deal's not yet done. Dinner by the fire (chilly night), sound sleep in a bedroom full of family pictures, and wake to brilliant sun.   

Xito takes us in a mud-caked Land Rover past laden orange trees, ancient olive trees and almonds up into the steep, wild part of the farm. The track is barely visible among the white broom, clouds of buttercups, iris and many other wildflowers I can't recognise. There's lavender and cork oaks, pistachio trees and ample evidence of wild boar. There are foxes … just loving the red-legged partridge. And 'illegal sheep' … not supposed to be here in this Garden of Eden.

From the summit by one of Dona Antonia’s many chapels we look over a wild landscape of misty hills and winding rivers, almost unchanged since Wellington and his Portuguese allies fought through here long ago.

A Bordeaux Quickie

Harvest

28 hour trip. Sun at Southampton to sleet at Bordeaux.  But first touches of green here and our two plum trees a mass of purple.

To Le Chai. Mark talks me through a tasting of current work- in- barrel. 

New barrels arrive at Le Chai

The Garage White which we used to make in … our garage, of course, is back and tastes as good as ever. No … better! JMS clearly remembers the recipe. It’s a wine made with grapes from three southern French vineyards and has, as Mark says, had more love, care and delicious new oak lavished upon it.

There's a lovely oaked chardonnay destined for America not UK, sadly. The great new vintage La Voute gorgeously rich and out-Burgundying Burgundy. And a cracking new Midi multi-varietal roussanne, marsanne, grenache and such from Quatre Pilas.

JMS - vintage 2012

Reds, there's the Red Garage; not as wild a brute as I remember it. Quite polished and handsome in fact. But still the same blend of Syrahs from the same vineyards as before.

The boys are bursting with ideas and excitement. I want to bottle it all. I'll try!

Jean-Marc and Mark at the tasting table in Le Chai

Mark also let me try his new wine; really his nothing to do with Laithwaite's. I told him to make just what he wanted. It’s called The Hurricane and is as he says the purest expression of Maury mountain Grenache he could manage. All hand done in a tiny cellar with his mate Jean-Charles and family. Bottled last week. Have bought every bottle. It’s Laithwaite's now! Call your Laithwaite's Advisor fast!

Then a quick chat with Lydia, the local artist working on a Castillon region poster for us. It’s to show the incredible number of 12th-, 13th- and 14th-Century Châteaux in our little district. From the time this was all ruled by English Kings and Queens and rather prone to warfare. The poster is to go with a beautiful map we've just had done that shows the vineyards of the key wine estates here. Never done before. Also shows how the better part of St Emilion and Castillon share the same limestone plateau and that there is no sane reason for the political line that divides them. Battle on, Castillon.

Chat with Libby and Mark, about to be torn apart; he off to India and then New Zealand for the vintage (forecast to be spectacularly good after a blazing summer there). She to New York to arrange our first New York Vintage Festival on 5th Avenue! Bit of a change from St Genes!

Anne Marie pouring a beer in Le Comptoir de St Genes

In the evening was the main event. The restaurant at Le Comptoir de St Genes has re-opened after its hols and Anne Marie wanted An Event. She'd seen my iPad doodles that Libby got blown up on big canvases so wanted to do a 'vernissage' and have them on her walls for a few months. 

I said you're kidding but no, she said please. Could never resist girls saying please so the show was on. Along with eight tables showing all our wines from La Clarière, Verniotte, Presbytère Colombe, Le Chai and – big success – Barbara's English Wyfold fizz.

 

Anne Marie sold me four pictures! So now I have a safety net if the wine business goes wrong!

Home happy to bed. Until the crown fell out … eating French bread! So now I really look like a crazy old painter. And I'm going round some rather smart Châteaux tomorrow. Unable to smile! Problem.

Barbara Deserves This

Barbara has always put herself – and been put by others – behind her husband … err, me! I can feel guilty about that. We did build Laithwaite's very much together. So when the BBC South cameras came to her vineyard yesterday, I made my excuses and left.

So I don't know what was said or filmed. But I do hope they broadcast it tonight.

I hope the real story comes across. I hope they don't give the impression Barbara and Cherry are just playing at this English Sparkling thing. For this is not Marie Antoinette toy farming. I hope they get across the story of two ladies who put in long, hard hours in tough conditions. With just a little co-opted family/friends’ help. Maybe Sir Wiggo works harder on his bike but he is young and in his prime. We are not.

I write this, collapsed in a battered old garden chair they keep in Wyfold vineyard. (The sum total of the vineyard's 'facilities'.) I am tending the bonfires of the last cuttings of 2012, The Vintage That Never Was. I am utterly exhausted by my efforts to keep up with B as she rushed to get the last of this burning done before the weather worsened.

There are two very hot fires; hers and mine! They need to be hot because now it is Pissing Down with rain and my waterproofs have failed totally. 

But I can't move. I sit here, wondering if Blackberries work in the rain.

We've always worked differently, B and me. Faced with a wall I would always try and find some clever-clogs, fancy way round it. B would always just put her head down and run at it. Till it broke.

Eg. Burning vine cuttings; I had young farmerboy Lee knock me up a fancy bonfirebarrow out of an old barrow and an oil drum. 

But B just picks up the heavy wet bundles of sticks and trudges the rows; up and down, up and down, hundreds of times, to her fire at the end.

She just left, all done, and all done in, and looking like a drowned rat (yes, I told her so! I never learn, stupid man). Off to the next job.  

I just sit thinking. Anticipating a hot bath.

I do hope the BBC broadcast tonight (BBC South Ch 964 on the Sky listings); they have a habit of changing things at the last minute. We'll be at the Laithwaite's Wine Bar in the centre of The Affordable Wine Fair in Battersea so we'll miss it.

So do watch for us, and see what you think. I am encouraging B and Cherry – now they are this year's top-scoring English fizz vineyard – to have an open day this summer. They are nervous. Write back and say you'd love to come, will you? Then I can cook sausages on any leftover cuttings – vine ember grilled sausages are just the best.

Roll on summer. But do let it stop raining.