2015 Quinta do Vesuvio Pombal do Vesuvio Douro 750 ml

We’ll never forget our first glimpse of Quinta do Vesuvio. Approaching three hours out of the city of Oporto, a twisting train ride took us through stone-terraced vineyards lined with old vines, deep into Portugal’s Douro Valley—and straight to one of the most exciting red wine finds of our trip to Europe. 

The 2015 Quinta do Vesuvio Pombal do Vesuvio shows why the Douro Valley is a first-look option for those in love with the rich red wines of Europe: It’s a deep purple wine, loaded with black cherry and plum fruit, dried herbs, leathery complexity, with a firm yet polished palate. Produced at the most storied estate in one of the oldest wine regions in the world, the Pombal do Vesuvio marries ripe, fruit-forward richness with taut, Old-World charm. 

From our first sip of Pombal, we were in love. And when we heard the price, we were floored. It should be no surprise that the Douro, best known for Port, produces some of the best quality-to-price red wines in the world: It’s studded with terraced old-vine plots renowned for the concentration and depth of their fruit, as well as marquee producers whose ports routinely chase 100 points from critics. But the Portuguese government limits how much Port can be made each year, which means that tons of spectacular red grapes from the same Douro terroir—which could have gone into perfection-pushing fortified wines—are available every year for still wines.

We were escorted to Quinta do Vesuvio by Rupert Symington, whose family not just owns the winery, but belongs to the Primum Familiae Vini of Europe, which includes the Rothschilds, the Antinoris, and the della Rochetta family of Sassicaia. As we hiked up the imposing vineyards of the vast property, we realized how laborious farming the estate’s vertiginous slopes must be, let alone in the summertime heat of the Douro Valley. 

Our climb was well worth it, as it afforded us a breathtaking view of the valley, and much of the estate’s 800 acres. Rupert explained that the vineyards, which grow a mix of indigenous varieties, are planted between 425 and 800 feet, on the sites with the best exposures. Most of the vines are 50 to 100 years old, which results in wines of concentration and intensity, while the schistous soils and cool nights give them a vibrant, taut balance.

Traveling back down the hill while carefully watching our footing, Rupert told us about how Quinta do Vesuvio, after being founded in the 1830’s, was made famous by Doña Antonia Ferreira, who ran the property for almost 50 years until her death in 1896. One of Portugal’s most colorful characters, Doña Ferreira was determined to elevate Portuquese wines, and worked tirelessly to improve what are today among the Douro’s best properties, including Vesuvio. 

In her lifetime, Doña Ferreira never realized her dream of making world-class dry red wine from Quinta do Vesuvio, but today the Symingtons honor her memory with the ripe and savory Pombal do Vesuvio. We drank bottle after bottle back at the historic house with Portuguese chorizo, almonds, olives, and Bacalhau (the salted cod ubiquitous in the Douro), accompanied by some of the most delicious crusty bread we’ve ever had. 

“All of this came off the estate” Rupert told us about the meal. As he filled our glasses with the deep, dark, cherry scented Pombal do Vesuvio, he added, “As did this!” The pairing was as magical as the property, and we couldn’t wait to bring an allocation back to Wine Access members.