Encruzado 2019, Quinta dos Roques, Dao

Light straw perfectly clear; with an elegant bouquet of fruits and a slight touch of resin. On the
palate the first impression is of freshness but immediately we recognise the great structure and
complexity of the wine. The finish is very long and persisten

The leading (small) estate in the Dao revolution. At around 450m, Quinta dos Roques lies in the Dao heartland, just outside Abrunhosa do Mato.

Luis and Luisa Lourenco lead this family estate, producing a wide array of meticulously assembled wines, where both traditional blending, and avrietal offerings both excel. The Touriga Nacioanl here is often cited as Portugal’s finest, while Quinta dos Roques Encruzado is regularly rated as one of the country’s leading dry white wines.

The year 2019 proved to be very balanced allowing the production of good grapes.
A dry and mild winter was followed by a less rainy spring than usual, with the exception of April
when it rained a little bit more, which favoured the absence of diseases in the vineyard and
allowed a good flowering of all the grape varieties.
The summer months had high temperatures, normal for the season (and without the excess seen
in 2018); two days of light rain in August and another two in September allowed for hydric
rebalance in the vineyards which in turn led to a balanced maturation and a perfect health
condition of the grapes.
The harvest, which began on September 10 and lasted until October 4, was relaxed with dry and
sunny weather.
The grapes showed a homogeneous ripeness, good health, good concentration with sugars and
acidity in great balance.
White wines, very aromatic and elegant, present an invigorating freshness. Reds with good
concentration and structure lead to a good evolution potential.