QUINTA DAS CARVALHAS, 'TINTA FRANCISCA'
DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL 2015
Portugal. Despite being well-known for their delicious Ports, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you stopped there. Drive just an hour and a half inland from the oceanside town of Porto, from which Port takes its name, and you'll reach the Douro Valley. With every successive mile, things move a little slower, and once you reach the small Portuguese town of Pinhão, you know you're in the thick of it. This is the heart of the Douro and home to the oldest vines, the steepest vineyards, and arguably the most prestigious estate, Quinta das Carvalhas.
With centenarian vines, Quinta das Carvalhas is the flagship property of the oldest wine company in Portugal, Real Companhia Velha. The land here is wild, with Grand Canyon-scale slopes covered in vines jutting out from the Douro River below. As you move up in elevation, slopes become too steep to farm and terraces are mandated, creating an amphitheater of jaw-droppingly beautiful, terraced vineyard slopes. The Carvalhas estate covers the entire hillside facing the Douro River and part of the slopes on the right bank of the Rio Torto Tributary near the town of Pinhão; the oldest vines are around a century old.
The Carvalhas estate vineyards are a treasure trove of indigenous Portuguese varietals, typically blended together in classic Ports and reds. Today's Tinta Francisca is a single-varietal rarity, a complex and layered wine that perfectly embodies the impossibly steep, hand-farmed centennial vines, and 2,000 years of winemaking history in Portugal. The grape Tinta Francisca is known for its intense aromatics, and is often used in blends to add a perfumed and elegant character. Produced and bottled as a single-varietal wine, the 2015 Carvalhas Tinta Francisca boasts stunning floral aromatics interwoven with notes of raspberry, orange zest, baking spice, and cedar. After five years in the bottle, the tannins have smoothed and the acidity remains in perfect balance with the power of the fruit profile; the wine will continue to shine over the coming 5-10 years. We’re offering Concierge prices up to a staggering 30% off, bringing each bottle below $35 on order of 6+. Don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy this remarkable single-varietal red from one of Portugal’s legacy estates!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in 8-12 weeks. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in NM, NY, TN, or WI. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
