Matt Gant is a winemaker from Western Australia, nevertheless beforehand he was based throughout the Barossa, the place he labored for St Hallett and had his private aspect mission generally known as First Drop. He was transferring to make First Drop his full time gig, and collectively together with his partner Claudia (who’s moreover a winemaker) he took a go to to Portugal, the place a risk had come up for him to work with Tim Smith throughout the Alentejo. He was to work at Azamor, the place David Baverstock was consulting. Azamor was based in Badajoz near the border with Spain. João Pires was working there as assistant winemaker.
Matt was struck by how comparable it was to the Barossa, every on the subject of the panorama and likewise how the fruit behaved. And the battle of the Barrosa occurred near proper right here, and the person who named the Barrosa took inspiration from this place, only for the variant spelling to be used as a consequence of a mistake by a clerk in Australia registering the establish.
Andy Brown, who’s the enterprise director for Pedra Alta, had labored with Matt in his St Hallett days, was then working for Liberty Wines. He bought right here proper all the way down to see Matt on the end of harvest and met João, who hails from the Douro. They travelled to the Douro, and as a consequence of an introduction to the Symingtons from David Baverstock, they stayed at Bomfin. As well as they met João’s family and toured spherical their locality, with is Favaios and the Planalto. ‘I fell in love with the Douro,’ says Matt, who returned there in 2011. João and Matt struck up a friendship, and João did traditional with First Drop in 2012, 2014 and 2017.
In 2015 they decided to make a Douro wine collectively from an earlier field-blend vineyard, and they also did this as soon as extra in 2016. Nonetheless that yr Quinta Pedra Alta was put up in the marketplace: it was struggling to advertise its private wines and was selling various grapes after which wine in bulk, which wasn’t sustainable.
That’s the place a childhood buddy of Matt’s bought right here into the picture. Ed Woodward and Matt had attended school collectively in Chelmsford, nevertheless they’d every taken reasonably fully completely different paths. Ed went into service supplier banking after which soccer (he was chief authorities of Manchester United for a decade), and they also talked about getting involved in a wine mission collectively. When Matt came across about Pedra Alta, he impressed Ed to make a switch.
Pedra Alta was a Quinta with an unbelievable historic previous, and the potential for making vital desk wines. It was massively undervalued. They’ve been excited by the prospect of matching the very good web page with most likely the best youthful winemakers spherical: João Pires. So Matt took Ed to the Douro and confirmed him spherical. When Ed observed the Quinta, even supposing it was a a lot greater mission that he’d envisaged, he decided to go for it.
Matt was employed as a director and a information winemaker, and Ed and his partner are the owners. He visits for traditional, after which comes out in April for mixing. The first traditional of the model new possession was 2018.
Matt is no longer involved in First Drop, nevertheless instead has Gant & Co, a winery in Margaret River that focuses on Chardonnay.
Pedra Alta is a 35 hectare vineyard throughout the Pinhão Valley, merely up from Manoella and subsequent door to Quinta da Costa de Pinhão. With vineyards from 200-550 m, there are pretty various climatic zones on the property. ‘It’s unusual to have this type of selection in a single property,’ says Matt. There are diversified sides, an altitude fluctuate and there’s moreover pretty a varietal reduce up. They use 80 tons of their harvest themselves, however moreover promote some grapes – and pretty various have the beneficio, which they promote with the grapes, allowing others to make Port wine with them, elevating the value of these grapes. Their reduce up with the property wines is 70% desk wines and 30% Port. Ultimately, they’d want to make additional Port, which inserts in direction of the grain throughout the Douro the place many producers are planning to make additional desk wines. ‘Port is so distinctive,’ says Matt. ‘It’s what makes the Douro the Douro.’
THE WINES
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Branco 2023 Douro, Portugal
11.5% alcohol. 59% Rabigato, 41% Gouveio, no malolactic, from the easiest degree of the vineyard. Gouveia supplies tropical fruit and entrance palate weight, and thrives in cooler traditional. Rabigato has extreme acidity and thick skins, and does successfully in scorching vintages. Lovely brightness proper right here with a stony top quality and up to date lemon and pear fruit, along with a slight salinity. A recent, textural wine with precise purity and a nice grapefruit twist on the tip. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Blue Steel Branco 2023
11% alcohol. This establish is provisional as a result of it hasn’t been chosen, nevertheless that’s Rabigato (earlier puncheons) and Donzelinho (in stainless-steel and a Galileo concrete sphere). It’s tight, pure and linear with fairly acidity and lemon and lime fruit. Taut and mineral with good stony component. Vibrant and electrical with good acid drive. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Clarete 2022 Douro, Portugal
11.5% alcohol. This could be a field-blend-style combination of pink and white varieties, made in an earlier mannequin that has been launched once more to people’s consideration throughout the Douro by Tiago Sampaio’s Renegado. Pale pink in coloration, that’s sweet, refreshing and textural with pink cherry and pink currant fruit with a nice citrus twist and some inexperienced hints. This has just a little little bit of development, too. Stony, efficient and correctly crunchy. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2020
14.5% alcohol. 61% Touriga Nacional, 21% Touriga Franca, 16% Tinta Barocca, 2% Sousão. Touriga Franca is the Shiraz of the Douro and likes heat. Touriga Nacional brings throughout the florals, nevertheless can defoliate in scorching years. Supple and ripe with good focus to the blackberry and black cherry fruit, and fantastic density. This has efficient spices supporting the shiny, ripe fruit, with some refined olive and herb notes, along with some chalkiness. Good stability. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Cruz 2022 Douro, Portugal
13.5% alcohol As soon as extra, Cruz is a working establish, not however lastly chosen. This comes from two blocks at 350 m elevation which is the sweet spot for reds on their property. One is Touriga Franca dominant, the other primarily Touriga Nacional, and so they’re co-fermented in a lagar and likewise big vats. Then the wine is aged in a 3500 litre foudre. Deeply coloured and concentrated with good development and floral blackberry and black cherry fruit, with some grippy darkish fruits on the palate along with good development and acidity. A rich, full wine of precise depth. So tannic, it’s going to need time. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Melhor 2020
That’s the simplest expression of the traditional from the Quinta. It’s 89% Touriga Nacional, 9% Touriga Franca and 1% each of Tinto Cão and Sousão. 20 months in 500 litre new French oak puncheons and former French oak barrels, with 0.5% new American oak. Daring, rich, spicy and fruity, that’s so multidimensional with sweet blackberries and spice, exhibiting some floral component. Concentrated berry fruits combine with notes of olive and iodine, backed up by company tannins. Extreme stuff, in a rich mannequin. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta No 10 10 Years Outdated Tawny Port
19.5% alcohol. Rich, warmth and sweet with cherries and strawberries, and a nice woody spiciness. There’s a contact of dried herb and raisin, too. Latest and efficient with good layers, ending with nuts and gingerbread. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Basic Port 2020
19.5% alcohol. Concentrated and dense with fairly black cherry and blackberry fruit along with good acidity and tannin. Structured and concentrated with fairly finesse and power, exhibiting bitter cherries, aniseed, olives and spice on the tip. 95/100
Older notes:
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Branco 2020 Douro, Portugal
Linear with good pithy notes, along with some liqourice and nuts. Citrus and pear fruit dominate, exhibiting good purity. 89/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Branco 2018 Douro, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. 52% Rabigato, 48% Gouveio. That’s shiny and fruity, with a phenomenal citrus core and some stony, savoury notes along with focused, shiny fruity characters. There’s good pear and citrus fruit, nevertheless it moreover has up to date acidity and a mineral, savoury finish. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 5 Branco 2020 Douro, Portugal
Energetic, intense and mineral with a juicy top quality to the citrus fruit. Taut and compact, with some vitality. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Branco Reserva 2019 Douro, Portugal
Fermented in puncheon. That’s concentrated and correctly poised with some nuts, spice and citrus. Very refined with successfully built-in oak. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Branco 2018 Douro, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. Viosinho in new French oak, Fernao Pires in earlier French oak, and Rabigato and Gouveio in stainless-steel. That’s superior and layered with grapefruit and lemon notes, along with some crystalline character. This strikes a chord in my memory just a little little bit of a very efficient white Bordeaux, with well-integrated oak. Such a multidimensional white with truly good stability. Finishes with efficient spices. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 6 Rosé 2021 Douro, Portugal (tank sample)
Latest and linear with fairly citrus drive. Has redcurrant and raspberry character too: truly fairly focus with a juicy watermelon finish. 90/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Clarete 2020 Douro, Portugal
Tinta Barocca co-fermented with Rabigato, full bunch, plus Touriga Nacional fermented with pressings of Donzelino. Lighter-style pink with supple, juicy cherry and raspberry fruit. Reveals good acid and just a little little bit of development, however moreover some peachy richness. Lovely stability proper right here. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Tinto 2019 Douro, Portugal
Latest, juicy, supple and expressive with fairly weight. Juicy and efficient exhibiting cherries and plums, with a stony edge. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
14% alcohol. This could be a mixture of 42% Touriga Nacional, 31% Touriga Franca, 22% Tinta Barocca and 5% Sousão. It is aromatic with floral black cherry fruit along with some blackberry and a stony edge, with some gravel and dried herbs. The palate is supple and glossy with up to date cherry notes and a grainy development, ending dry nevertheless with some supple inexperienced notes complementing the fruit. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Tinto 2017 Douro, Portugal
50% Touriga Franca, 44% Touriga Nacional, 5% Tinta Barocca, 1% Fernão Pires. 13.5% alcohol. This could be a fruit-driven, balanced expression of the Douro with supple black cherry and blackberry fruit. There are some efficient pure notes proper right here with just a little little bit of tarry, tannic grip. There’s a citrus discover, with some orange peel and grapefruit pith, along with juicy pink cherry and berry fruits. It’s up to date and pretty elegant with big drinkability. Holds up somewhat effectively on day two and even improves just a little bit. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
Good focus proper right here: sweet blackberry and cherry fruit with just a little little bit of spicy development and successfully built-in oak. Pretty polished with good fruit focus. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2017 Douro, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. That’s 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousao, 13% Touriga Franca. This reveals fairly focus with dense black cherry and blackberry fruit, along with some very good floral overtones. Concentrated and textural with refined inexperienced hints (a Touriga character) with some olive and spice, along with a contact of tar and spice, along with shiny black cherry fruit. That could be a formidable Douro pink, with various Touriga character and good weight and texture. Modern-styled nevertheless balanced and delicious. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Rio 2018 Douro, Portugal
That’s Touriga Franca grown by the river. Lovely focus proper right here: ripe fruit with good weight. Ripe, spice-laden and opulent cherry and plum fruit with some blackberry and a stony, mineral undercurrent. Generous and ripe with good stability and a contact of iodine. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Alto 2018 Douro, Portugal
92% Touriga Nacional, 7% Sousão and 1% Fernão Pires, from a high-up north-facing plot. Concentrated, generous, ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit with good freshness and component. Grainy development and a mineral streak present. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Melhor Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
Good focus proper right here: vivid, intense, sweet blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. Big fruit depth and good development. Very stylish. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 5 Tinto 2015 Douro, Portugal
Very supple and efficient. Elegant and simple with juicy pink cherry fruit, a contact of pepper, and precise restraint. Reveals focus and purity. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 4 Tinto 2016 Douro, Portugal
Supple, juicy and linear with good freshness. Mineral and stony with cherries, plums and good weight and development. Reveals sweet fruit however moreover excellent stability. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 1 Tinto 2015 Douro, Portugal
Floral and expressive with juicy pink cherry fruit on the nostril. The palate is supple, ripe and linear with some polish and gloss, however moreover some freshness. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 3 Tinto 2016 Douro, Portugal
Ripe and sweetly fruited with good lushness along with notes of tar, minerals and spice. Pretty black friuits proper right here, ending strongly. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta White Port Pedra No 3 NV Douro, Portugal
18% alcohol. Correctly packaged in a 500 ml bottle with a Vino-Lok closure. This could be a very up to date, pure expression of white Port. It’s shiny with good sweet lemon, pear and melon notes, along with a contact of waxiness. There’s moreover some orange peel character, and a contact of almond, too. A really good occasion of white Port. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Alta No 10 Ten Yr Outdated Tawny Port NV Douro, Portugal
19.5% alcohol. Correctly packaged in a up to date bottle, that’s sweet, mushy and mellow with raisin, pink cherry and strawberry fruit along with some melon notes. Sweet and generous with good depth, and some woody complexity on the tip. A elegant mannequin. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Basic Port 2018 Douro, Portugal
Very ripe fruit mannequin that’s rich and berryish with the give consideration to sweet fruit. Pure and fascinating. 92/100
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