Petit Verdot, Mirante, Quinta da Romaneira 2020
James Suckling 94 (2024)
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Why this wine
Varietal Petit Verdot is rare anywhere, and rarer still from the Douro, where it is usually a blending grape; this single-parcel bottling shows what it can do on schist. Romaneira is a serious, historic estate, and this is a cellar-worthy red for those who like their wines dark and structured.
At a glance
- Grape
- Petit Verdot
- Region
- Douro, Portugal
- Alcohol
- 15.00%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannins
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Medium (5-10 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Red Meat, Barbecue, Cheese
How it tastes
Very deep, inky purple, with an intense nose of ink, wild berries and spice. The palate is tightly structured but polished, with real volume, well-integrated oak and a streak of freshness running through the dark fruit to a very long finish — 100% Petit Verdot.
The producer
Quinta da Romaneira was established in 1757 and is one of the Douro's largest estates, with 412 hectares and three kilometres of river frontage; Christian Seely led its purchase in 2004, a new winery followed in 2005, and every wine is made only from estate fruit. Mirante is a single parcel of vines facing south to south-east at 252–296 metres, on laminated schist that drains freely and forces the roots deep, keeping yields low; the slopes are so steep that picking is by hand. Winemaker Carlos Agrellos fermented the fruit with selected yeasts in stainless steel for eight days, put it through malolactic, then aged it for 12 months in 225-litre French oak, 30% new. 2020 was a wet spring followed by a brutally hot July and August, with harvest starting on 10 August and finishing on 25 September after the rain returned.
Food and drinking
Built for rich food: roast beef, braised short rib, venison, a char-grilled steak, or a hard aged cheese. Decant for an hour or two and serve at 17–18°C. Drinking well now with air, it has the structure to keep improving for another five to eight years. Suitable for vegetarians; not suitable for vegans.