Quinta do Infantado is a family-owned estate in Portugal’s Douro Valley, established in 1816. It became the first quinta in the region to bottle its own Port, in 1979, rather than sending the wine to Vila Nova de Gaia. At the time, regulations prevented producers from exporting Port unless it had passed through Gaia, so Infantado initially sold its wines within Portugal. The estate was also an early adopter of organic farming, beginning in 1990.
Based in Covas de Douro, in the Cima Corgo near Pinhão, the estate farms 46 hectares of vineyards. João Roseira leads the business, with his cousin Álvaro Roseira overseeing winemaking. Recently, the family has also launched a négociant range bottled under the Infantado name. Port accounts for around 60% of production, and the wines age in the estate’s old cellar.
The Ports were presented at a tasting organised by the estate’s new UK importer, Graft Wine. For now, Graft imports the Ports rather than Infantado’s table wines.
Wines tasted
- Quinta do Infantado White Port NV — Made from Gouveio, Rabigato, Viosinho and Moscatel Galego. Powerful and complex, with orange peel, mint, spice and a lively, tannic edge. 94/100
- Quinta do Infantado Ruby Port NV — A rich, fruit-forward Port with sweet cherry and plum, pepper spice and refined weight. João Roseira describes it as his “Beaujolais Villages” Port. 93/100
- Quinta do Infantado Late Bottled Vintage Port 2021 — The driest Port the estate has made, with 50 g/l of sugar. It balances sweetness with structure and shows dried herbs, spice and pepper. 94/100
- Quinta do Infantado Vintage Port 2015 — Made from old vines, this is powerful yet fresh, with precise black-cherry and blackberry fruit. 95/100
- Quinta do Infantado 10 Year Old Tawny Port NV — A complex, spicy and floral Tawny with cherry, aniseed and white pepper. It retains plenty of fruit and has a touch of grip. 94/100
- Quinta do Infantado 20 Year Old Tawny Port NV — Pale in colour, aromatic and floral, with a fine texture and notes of cherry, almond and oak spice. 95/100
More information is available on the Quinta do Infantado website.