In the heart of the Dão Wine Region, close to Viseu, thirteen hectares of vineyards lay down a slope that overlooks the river blessed by the sun. That is the place where the Costa Barros de Figueiredo family has been perfecting, for five generations, the art of producing some of the most famous Dão wines. Quinta do Vale das Escadinhas, the name given to the estate, produces the Quinta da Falorca and T- Nac wines, enthusiastically recommended by Robert Parker, Sarah Ahmed and many other important international wine critics.
Among mountains and valleys, slopes and hills, on a cold and rainy land in the winter and dry in the summer, arise some of the best Portuguese wines. Amid them, the Quinta do Vale de Escadinhas wines stand out by their freshness and elegance which has drawn the enthusiasm of the great wine lovers since the beginning of their production.
The vine varieties of the region grow in four different vineyards: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro Preto, Tinta Pinheira and Jaen, among the red, and Encruzado and Malvasia among the white. Thirty years ago they have been replanted while deep renovations took place in the cellar so that the wines produced there would benefit from the best winemaking techniques.
Nowadays the Estate’s portfolio is built around two major brands: Quinta da Falorca wines (the name of one of the vineyards) and T – Nac. These coveted high quality Dão wines are frequently mentioned in international magazines.
Some years ago the English Critic Sarah Ahmed has integrated one of them, the Falorca T - Nac 2007, in her 50 best wines of Portugal list. One hundred percent Touriga Nacional, perfumed, with cherry and raspberry, it is a well-structured wine with great longevity.
Quinta da Falorca Lagar Reserva Tinto has earned the rare punctuation of 95 Parker points. Blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro, it ages for 18 months in new French oak barrels, exhibits red ripe fruit with subtle minerality and has a very intense and persistent finish.
In the Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira we can appreciate the violet reflections, the complex and rich red fruit aromas with hints of eucalyptus and spices. It has a balanced structure with firm tannins, good acidity ending in a long and persistent finish.
Modern expression of the Dão wines, the T-Nac surprises by the manifestation of the intense Touriga Nacional aromas. A lively floral bouquet distinguishes this wine with good structure, complexity, body and a live acidity that is a noble feature of the region.
Thanks to the work of five generations of the family Costa Barros de Figueiredo and to the vast investments that have been made thirty years ago in the 13 hectares of vineyards and in the cellar of the main house, Quinta do Vale das Escadinhas can be proud of its portfolio that immortalizes this extraordinary terroir of the Dão Wine Region. With the wisdom that gathers the safety of experience and the stamina of modernity, it comes as no surprise the fact that the Quinta da Falorca and T- Nac wines embellish the tables and cellars of the most demanding oenophiles all over the world.
