Winemaker Notes
Big and full on the palate supported by impressive velvety structure. There's flesh, weight and depth, all rounded off by an incredibly long finish. The dark fruit comes through again, giving a crisp sensation underpinned by nice mineral tautness
The Esteivera vineyard in the Douro Valley takes its name from the native shrub "Esteva" ("rock rose" in English), which grows only on the best shale soils, conducive to the cultivation of the vine. Due to its location, not far from Pinhão, the vineyard enjoys a very good set of conditions within the Douro Valley's extremes of temperature and rainfall, as well as ferruginous and locally-altered, fractured soils of varying depths. The name Pinteivera comes from a combination of Pinhão and Esteivera.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
From Rhône producer, M. Chapoutier, this is a new venture. The style is elegant while also powerful and complex. It brings out strong minerality, black currant fruit and tense acidity, resulting in a wine for aging. Drink from 2016.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and spicy, with a concentrated core of damson plum, molten chocolate and dark cherry flavors, showing notes of tar and mocha. A firm, dense and rich-tasting Douro red that should age well. Best from 2014 through 2018.
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Decanter
Intense, generous aromas and flavors of herbal, spice and violet-tinged blackberry and dark cherry fruit, boasting well integrated tannins and alcohol. Ageing gracefully and with plenty left to give.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Pinteivera is, yes, a Chapoutier Touriga Nacional in Douro. It was aged 12 months in French oak. The winery says that it increased the vatting period to 4-5 weeks, longer than typical. That results in a rather soft, grapy and aromatic wine with intense floral notes. For some, indeed, this may be overkill, too perfumed and too dramatic. It then projects wild herb nuances as well. It is so powerfully fragrant that it is almost funky in its own, perfumed way. It doesn’t project much mid-palate concentration, but it is easy to drink and with air it proves its balance is actually quite fine. The tannins are mostly ripe, but note that it does tighten a bit with air. There is a feeling of liveliness around the edges that makes this rather sunny. Ultimately, this sensually constructed wine is made to drink well young, but is likely to hold well in the mid-term. It improved with air, demonstrating its structure as well as giving me time to get used to the intense aromatics, but I won’t be surprised if some find it to be a bit too much. Drink now-2023.
No name is more closely associated with the greatness of the Rhone valley than Chapoutier.
The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier's great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l'Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed — rightly — that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers’ already legendary estate.
A visionary and pioneer in biodynamic winemaking, his restless energy and unconditional commitment to quality have produced tremendous success, with the most 90+ point ratings of all Rhône producers and 16 "100 point" rated wines.
Sothis Gin is distilled from grapes and plants grown near the vineyards. This family domaine is cultivated using biodynamic practices in which plants play a central role. In their wild state they offer M. Chapoutier a better understanding of the soils. When used in vine treatments they help to nourish plant life and support plant growth. They have selected a few of these plants in order to offer a new perspective of their terroirs, the story of a gin originating from the Tain l’Hermitage vineyards and their floral heritage. They have been honing this recipe for many months under the watchful eye of Sothis, the star and also the ancient Goddess who teaches us that cultivating the land is a means of moving closer to the stars.
Gaining great popularity for its bold but beautifully aromatic dry red wines, Touriga Nacional is the noblest variety in Port wine. Most likely originating from the Dão region, today it grows throughout the Douro Valley as well. Somm Secret—As many as 80 grape varieties can be used to make Port wine, each contributing something unique to the resulting blend. Touriga Nacional adds great color, tannins and aromatics.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.