FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, THE WINES FROM QUINTA DO CRUZEIRO HAVE HAD AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION IN THE BLENDS OF FONSECA VINTAGE PORT WINE.
The long connection that Fonseca has with Quinta do Cruzeiro is thought to have begun around 1870. Their wines have been an essential component in Fonseca's Vintage Port blend since 1912. The property is situated near the village of Vale de Mendiz, on the eastern bank of the river Pinhão, in the heart of the original demarcation of 1756. Quinta do Cruzeiro obtained the status of a fief in 1761, the maximum classification then granted to a Port wine vineyard.
The estate's vineyard terraces cascade down the slopes of a steep buttress rising into the Pinhão valley. Overlooking the ridge and overlooking the vineyards are the traditional farmhouse and winery.
The Pinhão River meanders at the base of the property through a fragrant wooded gorge that defines the lower limit of the quinta. Most of Quinta do Cruzeiro's 47,000 vines are planted in the part of the foothills that has southern and western exposure. Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz, which produce their best results in full sun, are the main varieties in this part of the vineyard, alongside smaller proportions of Tinta Amarela, Touriga Nacional and other classic port varieties.
In contrast, the north-facing terraces provide ideal conditions for Tinta Barroca, which prefers a cooler, shadier environment. The lower, more sheltered terraces, which are closer to the still air of the river, are the warmest, while those at higher elevations, some 70 meters up, are cooled by the breeze. The soils of the Pinhão valley are relatively fertile compared to the rocky, more arid soils of the eastern Douro. As a result, the vines at Quinta do Cruzeiro maintain their vigor and produce balanced wines with excellent acidity, even in hot, dry years.
The Pinhão River meanders at the base of the property through a fragrant wooded gorge that defines the lower limit of the quinta. Most of Quinta do Cruzeiro's 47,000 vines are planted in the part of the foothills that has southern and western exposure. Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz, which produce their best results in full sun, are the main varieties in this part of the vineyard, alongside smaller proportions of Tinta Amarela, Touriga Nacional and other classic port varieties.
In contrast, the north-facing terraces provide ideal conditions for Tinta Barroca, which prefers a cooler, shadier environment. The lower, more sheltered terraces, which are closer to the still air of the river, are the warmest, while those at higher elevations, some 70 meters up, are cooled by the breeze. The soils of the Pinhão valley are relatively fertile compared to the rocky, more arid soils of the eastern Douro. As a result, the vines at Quinta do Cruzeiro maintain their vigor and produce balanced wines with excellent acidity, even in hot, dry years.
The vines at Quinta do Cruzeiro produce balanced wines with excellent acidity.
In 1973, Fonseca decided to purchase Quinta do Cruzeiro from its owner, Luís António Carneiro, in order to ensure the historical connection that this farm had with the company. The purchase was followed by a major reconversion carried out under the supervision of Bruce Guimaraens, the director of Fonseca properties. Although most of the property was redesigned and replanted during this period, a substantial area of old vines located near the house was left intact and is still producing today.
The old vineyard area was later enlarged with the acquisition of a small, traditional property known as Soalheira, situated near the road between the main gate of Cruzeiro and the village of Vale de Mendiz.
Its large south-facing terraces are planted with a controlled blend of Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca grape varieties. By the 1970s, traditional terrace construction in the Douro region had long ceased to be viable. In addition, the rising costs made it necessary to foresee a certain degree of mechanization, and for this, terraces with better access were needed. The solution was found in the construction of the so-called patamares, that is, wide platforms that follow the contours of the hillside and are separated by high slopes. Quinta do Cruzeiro was one of the first properties to apply this technique, becoming a pioneer in the wave of vineyard reconversions along the Douro, which began in the 1970s and continued until the following decade.
The reconversion also involved correctly matching each varietal to its ideal location within the vineyard, making each terrace have a single varietal suited to the specific growing conditions of the terrace. In the Douro, there can be substantial variations in altitude, exposure, and orientation, even within the same vineyard. Correct location of the grape varieties is essential to get the best results from the terroir. Although planting single-varietal blocks was not something new, as it had already been done for research purposes (Dick Yeatman, president of Fonseca from 1949-1966, planted the first single-varietal blocks in 1927), the truth is that it had not yet been practiced on a large scale. Again, Fonseca was a pioneer in this area.
The techniques and philosophy of vineyard systematization ended up evolving later (see Quinta do Santo António). However, the experience acquired at Quinta do Cruzeiro in the early 1970s established the basis for Fonseca's experience and leadership in this field.
The wines from Quinta do Cruzeiro are produced according to well-tested traditional principles. The grapes are selected and harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small boxes to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition. As at all Fonseca estates, grape varieties are harvested and fermented together to ensure that the wines are harmonious and complete. The winery, with its wooden beam roof, is equipped with five granite lagares, each with a capacity for 10 barrels (about 5,500 liters). Here, the grapes are crushed and foot trodden to release the tannins, color and aroma from the skins before the fermenting juice is fortified and becomes Port wine, which is then left to rest until the spring of the following year.For over a hundred years, the wines of Quinta do Cruzeiro have had an important contribution in the Fonseca Vintage Port blends. The wines of Cruzeiro have also been an essential component in the Guimaraens Vintage Port wines, which were launched in 1930 and are produced in years when easier and earlier maturing Vintage Ports are produced. Above all, these wines boast a deep, concentrated fruitiness so typical of many of the vineyards in the Pinhão Valley, but reaching, particularly in Cruzeiro, more vibrant and crisp fruit notes.
“ For over a hundred years, the wines from Quinta do Cruzeiro have had an important contribution in the Fonseca Vintage Port blends. “
Fonseca Porto
For over a hundred years, the wines from Quinta do Cruzeiro have had an important contribution in the Fonseca Vintage Port blends.
In the Vintage Port blend, the Cruise provides the dense core of black fruit and tannins.
This is then enveloped by the rich and juicy jammy flavors and velvety texture of the wines from Panascal, and is also overlaid by the exotic and intoxicating aromas of the Santo António quinta. The fusion of the wines from these three different properties explains the characteristic multidimensionality found in Fonseca Vintage Port wines and their ability to continue to emanate opulent and complex aromas, which are the hallmark of the Fonseca house style, throughout decades of bottle aging.
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