Tinto Cão, Liceiras, Quinta da Romaneira 2020
James Suckling 92 (2024)
Mix any six bottles and you pay the Any 6+ price at checkout — no code needed.
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Why this wine
Tinto Cão is one of the Douro's great Port grapes but is almost never bottled on its own, so a single-parcel varietal from a 1757 estate is a genuine rarity. Romaneira's modern winery and Christian Seely's stewardship give it real polish; this is for anyone curious about what the Douro can do beyond Touriga Nacional.
At a glance
- Grape
- Tinto Cão
- Region
- Douro, Portugal
- Alcohol
- 14.00%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannins
- Medium
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Medium (5-10 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Red Meat, Cheese, Barbecue
How it tastes
Deep ruby, with a bouquet of dark berries laced with subtle spice and a hint of oak. The palate balances fruit against fine tannins with a smooth, textured feel, and the finish is long and graceful — 100% Tinto Cão.
The producer
Quinta da Romaneira dates from 1757 and is one of the largest estates in the Douro, with 412 hectares and three kilometres of river frontage, of which 86 hectares are planted on steep terraces; Christian Seely led the group that bought it in 2004 and built a new winery the following year. This single-parcel wine comes solely from the Liceiras vines, facing south to south-west at 149–194 metres on laminated schist, hand-picked because nothing else is possible on these slopes. Winemaker Carlos Agrellos fermented it in conical stainless steel tanks at 25–27°C with gentle pump-overs four times a day, then aged it for 11 months in seasoned 225-litre French oak. 2020 was a wet spring followed by 28 consecutive days above 35°C after veraison; the Tinto Cão was the last fruit in, picked on 25 September.
Food and drinking
Roast lamb, beef with a red-wine sauce, wild boar or game stews, and aged hard cheeses. Decant for an hour and serve at 16–18°C. Drinking well now and will develop for a further eight to ten years under its natural cork. Suitable for vegetarians; not suitable for vegans.