Quinta de Cidrô is located in São João da Pesqueira which is one of the most highly regarded wine producing areas of the Douro valley. Throughout the last 20 years, Cidrô has been transformed into an experimental-model vineyard for the entire region. In virgin soils, cutting edge techniques were applied to plant 140 ha of the best varieties.
In the most privileged location, international varieties perform equally well as the local grapes. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Noir, and the adaptable Cabernet Sauvignon are some of the foreign varieties that here express their best qualities when vinified by the extensive winemaking know-how present at the Company.
According to historical facts, the first vines planted in Quinta de Cidrô were in the late 19th century, at around the same time the quinta’s palace was built by the hand of its owner, the Marquis of Soveral.
The quinta was maintained in the Soveral family for many years under Luis de Soveral, Portuguese Embassador at St. James’ court and personal friend of King Edward VII of England, until later being passed on to the Vicount of Asseca.
Real Companhia Velha purchased this magnificent Quinta in 1972, and since then has carried out a vast rehabilitation program in the house and in its vineyards, through modern tecniques of vertical plantation applied in great scale.
At the time of the acquisition, the property had around 60 hectares of vineyard, and since then Real Companhia Velha began an ambicious project to develop the quinta in 3 strands: increase vineyard area through the purchase of neighbouring parcels; the plantation of new vines and the refurbishing of the palace’s interior and exterior.
The quinta’s innovative style of vertical plantation and the excellent quality of the wines produced result in it being considered the “experimental model” for the Douro. It is one of the largest continuous vineyard surfaces in the region.
Quinta de Cidrô is one of the most singular properties in the Douro valley due to the excellence and viticultural potential of its terroir, in which is shown for the quality of white and red Ports and Douro wines that have been produced ate the estate over the last two centuries.
Due to its high altitude and mild climate, Quinta de Cidrô has shown the capacity to produce white wines of great quality, having become on of the Company’s experimental fields for indigenous and international white varietals, as well as red grapes of elegant character.
Its magnificent landscape, extended through wavy slopes, is entirely populated by beautiful vineyards, planted vertically on a continuous surface of 140 ha. The harvest is done manually, by the same team which carries out daily tasks, from where we can identify some of the oldest workers of the Company.
Its location in the heart of the Douro, on the border of the Cima Corgo with the Douro Superior, in one of Douro’s most beautiful areas, has views over the iconic hermitage of S. Salvador do Mundo, the Douro river, the famous Valeira damn and majestic schist mountains.
Quinta de Cidrô is a property with very particular characteristics in comparison to traditional terraced vineyards in the Douro valley, by revealing a very different approach to viticulture, other than the classic mountain viticulture.
The vineyard occupies most of the area of the quinta in a continuous form, extending through its gentle slopes (inferior to 30% gradient), located at altitudes between 450m and 600m. This plateau allows full sun exposure, mainly Northeast facing.
As in much of the Douro Region, the Vineyard benefits from a climate with two well-defined seasons, but with much milder temperatures compared to those observed at the Vineyards of Aciprestes or Carvalhas. Due to its altitude, the climate of the Vineyard of Cidrô presents a moderate level of aridity and daily summer temperatures rarely exceeding 32ºC. However, the water deficit during summer is significant.
Meteorological values recorded at the Vineyard:
• Annual average temperature = 13.8ºC
• Average temperature (April to September) = 18.1ºC
• Annual precipitation (30-year average) = 700 mm
• Sum of temperatures above 10ºC (April to September) = 1,523ºC
They typify what is common in the Douro Demarcated Region: schist soils with a coarse texture, very stony, lacking fine elements, extremely low fertility, very low organic matter content, acidic or highly acidic (pH <6), with poor structure, and in most cases, "prepared" specifically for vine cultivation. However, the land leveling process prior to the deep plowing work is, in the case of this Vineyard, less challenging compared to, for instance, the Vineyard of Aciprestes.
Total Vineyard Area: 140 Hectares
At the Vineyard of Cidrô, the vines are planted vertically on the steepest slopes. In 1993, a reconversion of the old vineyards was initiated, as they were not yielding good quality, marking the beginning of what would later be called the "Fine Wine Division" project of Real Companhia Velha. That year, varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Semillon (Boal do Douro) were planted. After 1996, new plantings followed, based on new techniques and cultivation practices defined by the Viticulture Technical Team within the project.
The plots were reorganized to be varietal-specific, with higher planting densities, and the use of noble varieties from polyclonal selection. Taller trellises, drip irrigation systems, and grass cover composed of a mix of grass and legume species with good reseeding capacity were adopted. Today, these plots produce raw material responsible for authentic commercial successes under the "Quinta de Cidrô" brand – Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Alvarinho, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Touriga – which have brought renewed vitality to the wines produced in the region.
Vineyard area by variety (excl. Old Vines) (W = White | R = Red):
• Touriga Nacional (R) 23.53 ha
• Sauvignon Blanc (W) 18.71 ha
• Chardonnay (W) 23.99 ha
• Alvarinho (W) 12.54 ha
• Alicante Bouschet (R) 6.45 ha
• Cabernet Sauvignon (R) 6.43 ha
• Sémillon or Boal (W) 5.33 ha
• Viosinho (W) 4.29 ha
• Pinot Noir (R) 2.67 ha
• Verdelho (W) 2.13 ha
• Cercial (W) 2.03 ha
• Riesling (W) 1.3 ha
• Moscatel Roxo (W) 1.28 ha
• Viognier (W) 1.27 ha
• Fernão Pires (W) 1.14 ha
• Gewürztraminer (W) 5.77 ha
• Rabigato (W) 1.49 ha
• Arinto (W) 2.0 ha
• Nebbiolo (R) 1.0 ha
• Códega do Larinho (W) 0.99 ha
• Samarrinho (W) 0.99 ha
Old Vines: 8 ha
The vine composition consists of a mix of red varieties – predominantly Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz – and white regional varieties such as Malvasia Fina, Moscatel Galego, Síria, among others.
