Quinta de Reis

For four generations, seven plots of vineyard have belonged to one single family in Silgueiros, near Serra da Estrela, Dão Wine Region. The ancient knowledge, passed on through the blood ties together with the exemplary technical education of Jorge Reis, a distinct doctor that surrendered to winemaking, have resulted in the consecration of one of the wines of the Estate as “the best of Dão”.

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Seven little estates, like seven sisters are gathered in 15hectares of land very close to Serra da Estrela, in the region of Silgueiros, Dão Wine Region. Among them stands out Quinta de Reis, 430 meters above the sea level, the largest and more varied in the production of indigenous or traditional vine varieties. Among the red varieties we have Touriga-Nacional, Tinta-Roriz, Jaen and Alfrocheiro; among the white ones we have Malvasia-Fina, Encruzado and Bical.

The owners are lead by Jorge Reis, the former director of an hospital, so devoted to winemaking that has studied it deeply in Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu to maintain the four generation wine tradition of the family.

In 2003, with his diploma, he started the renovation of the ancient cellar that he embellished with contemporary technology; rooting the ancient techniques through knowledge and the respect for nature – a legacy from this region. And the results soon started to show.

The small portfolio would soon become a reference for the wine lovers of a remarkable terroir. From 2006, the year when Revista de Vinhos distinguished the red DOC as one of the best of Dão, to 2016, when the 2011 red was awarded with a silver Medal in concours Internacional de Lyon, the path of this producer has been improving.

João Paulo Martins, the great Portuguese critic, widely praises these wines that are organized in a brief selection of reds (DOC, Reserva, a Touriga Nacional varietal and a blend premium called Wine Note) and an even briefer selection of whites composed by a blend Colheita and an Encruzado.

The Guia de Vinhos de Portugal 2016 highlights the Touriga Nacional that deserves a high score of 17. It praises the concentration of aromas and the richness, the floral side of the vine variety and the well balanced ripe fruit, leading to an elegant tasting.

The same punctuation is attributed by Revista de Vinhos to the white Reserva, stressing the 2012 harvest due to the relation between the floral aroma with the persistent mineral background and the “powerful” proof of mouth of a “soft, structured, intense and full of flavor wine”.

This enchantment of the critics and wine lovers is shown in forums, contests and wine magazines. The reunion in blend of the sumptuous Dão vine varieties, the meticulous choice of those that match a monovarietal, the singularities of the manual winemaking, the deep respect for the terroir contribute to spread the name of Quinta de Reis and the sub-region of Silgueiros that is honored through the superior portfolio of the Estate.

To Jorge Reis, that has replaced the apparatus of medicine for the ancient passion for wine making, it seems now evident that this was a sure bet. For us that are acquainted with and love the wines from his seven plots of blessed land from Dão, there are no doubts: they are the best of the elixirs in which a spirit can find solace, joy and pleasure.