Quinta de Passagem
Starting from the heart of the Douro Valley and following the course of the Douro River upstream, you reach the area known as the Douro Superior, which borders Spain. It was here that the Bergqvist family acquired Quinta de Passagem in 2005, located close to the river, not far from the village of Pocinho. Their partner in this joint venture is Jorge Moreira, a long-standing oenologist at Quinta de la Rosa.
Nine hectares are old vineyards planted with a mixture of indigenous grape varieties bearing rarely heard names: Viosinho, Gouveio, Rabigato and Códega do Larinho for the whites, and Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão and Tinta Roriz for the reds. In 2005 and 2006, 20 hectares were newly planted with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. These relatively young vines are already producing excellent grapes, and with each new vintage, Jorge Moreira succeeds in giving his red and white Passagem even more depth, elegance and expression. Passagem – passage, transition, passageway – is an apt name for a wine from this remote region, where many paths have crossed over the centuries, from prehistoric times (the famous rock carvings of Foz Côa are located here) through the Roman era and the Middle Ages to modern times.
White wines from Quinta de Passagem
Red wines from Quinta de Passagem
from Quinta de Passagem
In oenological terms, the Douro Superior is little known, although it is home to the famous Barca Velha, which caused a sensation in the 1950s and is still considered one of Portugal's finest wines. For Jorge Moreira and Sophia Bergqvist, Quinta de Passagem is certainly an exciting project with a bright future. In any case, every year we can look forward to discovering a new Passagem in red and white, two wines with distinctive individuality.
Producer
Weingut Polz
The family vineyard of Erich Polz is situated in an idyllic field in the middle of hilly Southern Styria, about an hour’s drive south of Graz. The business was originally founded in 1912. In the late 1980s, the brothers took over their parents’ vineyard. Christoph Polz, Erich’s son, became the fourth generation to assume the role of winemaker in 2011.
Massena / Jaysen Collins
Dan Standish and Jaysen Collins were college friends, and in the late 1990s they decided to put their talents together to produce wine. Recently, Jaysen Collins has taken charge of the "Massena" project on his own.The grapes are purchased from growers in Greenock, Kalimna and Koonunga Hill in the northwest Barossa Valley.
Paolo Conterno / Fam. Conterno
The history of the Paolo Conterno winery dates back to 1886. With the founding of Casa della Ginestra in Monforte d'Alba, Paolo Conterno laid the foundation for a family tradition that is now continued in the fourth generation by Giorgio Conterno. The focus has always been on producing wines that authentically reflect their origin, character and vintage.