Our place

We are the only Quinta with three of these quality markers still on our land today. We believe this is an integral part of our identity, and that is why it is reflected in our logo.

We are the new owners of this land and feel strongly that it is our mission to create and share our personal interpretation by producing the wines we believe offer the best expression of this unique land. This is what we call terroir: a combination of a place and its people.

On a visit to Pedra Alta you’ll see for yourself the 35ha of terraced vineyards, the schist soils, the small parcels of different soils, the myriad of indigenous grape varieties (some 30+ years old) and the steep slopes that start with a breath-taking view at 550m and rush down to the river at 230m. These are the natural tools we possess that contribute everything to the quality of fruit, and to the balanced and fresh wines and Ports that João and Matt create.

Quinta da Pedra Alta is located in the heart of the Douro Valley, in the Cima Corgo sub-region. The Douro is a world heritage UNESCO site that is guaranteed to take your breath away.

He is very well-known in the wine industry in Portugal because he created the Douro Wine Company which demarcated the Douro wine region for the production of Port. His mission was to ensure that only quality wines were exported and he also needed to build revenue from the trading of Port to rebuild Lisbon following the earthquake of 1755.

He demarcated the region by placing rectangular shaped granite stones around the best parcels of land. There were a number of categories depending on the quality of the grapes. The highest quality and the 'real' Port wine was called Vinho de Feitoria, which was exported to the UK. Other lesser quality wines were sent to Brazil and other markets. All the markers at Quinta da Pedra Alta are engraved with the word ‘Feitoria’ and a date. They were also each given an individual name to identify their location.

At Quinta da Pedra Alta, we are the only vineyard with three Feitoria markers still in place today. According to historic documents, the placement of all the stones on our land happened on 25th April 1761.

Each of the stones was given an individual name to identify its location. Our stones are called: Marco do Carvalhal, Marco do Caminho da Costa and Marco da Muda.

With thanks to the Museu do Douro and Natália Fauvrelle for the information.

Read more in 'Marcos da Demarcação'. You can buy here 

At Quinta da Pedra Alta, we are lucky to have six granite lagares where we can all get involved in crushing the grapes.

The lagares are a tradition that has lasted for centuries, because it quickly extracts the flavours and colour from the grapes and is a gentle process, which avoids the risk of breaking the pips and causing green and unwanted flavours

The fermentation in lagares allows the winemaking team to control how much body, tannins and aromas are extracted and will remain in the final handcrafted product.

With the Douro River running through the heart of the region, the slopes rise steeply and dramatically above the banks of the river.

The wine region follows the course of the river down from the Spanish border to a point near the town of Mesão Frio, about 90km up-river from the city of Porto (Oporto). Here the Serra do Marão rises up, protecting the region from the influences of the Atlantic Ocean.

We are in the Cima Corgo, known as the heartland of fine port production and also the source of many of today’s fine unfortified wines. It includes the towns of Pinhão, Alijó and Tua.

OUR SOILS

Soils are generally poor, obliging the roots of the vines to grow deep into the hillside. It is very common to find old vines in the Douro with roots of more than 2m. Schist is everywhere in the soil and used for the slate stakes that form part of the trellis system

OUR VINEYARDS

Whilst new Douro vineyards are often planted 'ao alto', ie vertically on the slopes, Quinta da Pedra Alta only has terraced vineyards. On some terraces there is just a single row of vines, accessible only by the people who work on the land. Harvesting with a machine is totally impossible in our landscape. We rely entirely on local people who know and understand the complexities of each parcel of vines.

OUR VINES

Our 35 ha of vineyards sit between 230 and 550 metres above the sea level and are planted on different faces of the hills. This combination of variation of altitude and exposure to the sun helps to give perfect balance and complexity in our wines.

OUR GRAPES

On our terraces you will find vines which are more than 30 years old, alongside more recent plantings. We grow only indigenous and traditional Douro grapes that are blended to produce our range of still wines and ports.

From Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, to Tinta Barroca and Tinto Roriz, without forgetting Sousao and Tinto Cão for the reds. And from Gouveio and Rabigato, to Malvasia Fina, but also and Viosinho and Donzlinho for the whites.