Quinta da Pedra Alta, a new Douro star, with consultant winemaker Matt Gant
Website: https://www.qpa.pt/
Matt Gant is a winemaker from Western Australia, but previously he was based in the Barossa, where he worked for St Hallett and had his own side project called First Drop. He was moving to make First Drop his full time gig, and with his wife Claudia (who’s also a winemaker) he took a trip to Portugal, where an opportunity had come up for him to work with Tim Smith in the Alentejo. He was to work at Azamor, where David Baverstock was consulting. Azamor was based in Badajoz near the border with Spain. João Pires was working there as assistant winemaker.
Matt was struck by how similar it was to the Barossa, both in terms of the landscape and also how the fruit behaved. And the battle of the Barrosa happened near here, and the guy who named the Barrosa took inspiration from this place, only for the variant spelling to be used because of a mistake by a clerk in Australia registering the name.
Andy Brown, who is the commercial director for Pedra Alta, had worked with Matt in his St Hallett days, was then working for Liberty Wines. He came down to see Matt at the end of harvest and met João, who hails from the Douro. They travelled to the Douro, and because of an introduction to the Symingtons from David Baverstock, they stayed at Bomfin. They also met João’s family and toured around their locality, with is Favaios and the Planalto. ‘I fell in love with the Douro,’ says Matt, who returned there in 2011. João and Matt struck up a friendship, and João did vintage with First Drop in 2012, 2014 and 2017.
In 2015 they decided to make a Douro wine together from an old field-blend vineyard, and they did this again in 2016. But that year Quinta Pedra Alta was put up for sale: it was struggling to sell its own wines and was selling lots of grapes and then wine in bulk, which wasn’t sustainable.
This is where a childhood friend of Matt’s came into the picture. Ed Woodward and Matt had attended school together in Chelmsford, but they’d both taken rather different paths. Ed went into merchant banking and then football (he was chief executive of Manchester United for a decade), and they talked about getting involved in a wine project together. When Matt found out about Pedra Alta, he encouraged Ed to make a move.
Pedra Alta was a Quinta with an amazing history, and the potential for making serious table wines. It was massively undervalued. They were excited by the prospect of matching the amazing site with one of the best young winemakers around: João Pires. So Matt took Ed to the Douro and showed him around. When Ed saw the Quinta, even though it was a bigger project that he’d envisaged, he decided to go for it.
Matt was hired as a director and a consultant winemaker, and Ed and his wife are the owners. He visits for vintage, and then comes out in April for blending. The first vintage of the new ownership was 2018.
Matt is no longer involved in First Drop, but instead has Gant & Co, a winery in Margaret River that focuses on Chardonnay.
Pedra Alta is a 35 hectare vineyard in the Pinhão Valley, just up from Manoella and next door to Quinta da Costa de Pinhão. With vineyards from 200-550 m, there are quite a few climatic zones on the property. ‘It’s rare to have this sort of diversity in a single property,’ says Matt. There are varied aspects, an altitude range and there’s also quite a varietal split. They use 80 tons of their harvest themselves, but also sell some grapes – and quite a few have the beneficio, which they sell with the grapes, allowing others to make Port wine with them, raising the price of these grapes. Their split with the estate wines is 70% table wines and 30% Port. In the future, they’d like to make more Port, which goes against the grain in the Douro where many producers are planning to make more table wines. ‘Port is so unique,’ says Matt. ‘It’s what makes the Douro the Douro.’
THE WINES
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Branco 2023 Douro, Portugal
11.5% alcohol. 59% Rabigato, 41% Gouveio, no malolactic, from the highest point of the vineyard. Gouveia gives tropical fruit and front palate weight, and thrives in cooler vintage. Rabigato has high acidity and thick skins, and does well in hot vintages. Lovely brightness here with a stony quality and fresh lemon and pear fruit, as well as a slight salinity. A fresh, textural wine with real purity and a nice grapefruit twist on the finish. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Blue Steel Branco 2023
11% alcohol. This name is provisional as it hasn’t been decided on, but this is Rabigato (old puncheons) and Donzelinho (in stainless steel and a Galileo concrete sphere). It’s tight, pure and linear with lovely acidity and lemon and lime fruit. Taut and mineral with nice stony detail. Bright and electric with good acid drive. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Clarete 2022 Douro, Portugal
11.5% alcohol. This is a field-blend-style mix of red and white varieties, made in an old style that has been brought back to people’s attention in the Douro by Tiago Sampaio’s Renegado. Pale red in colour, this is sweet, refreshing and textural with red cherry and red currant fruit with a nice citrus twist and some green hints. This has a bit of structure, too. Stony, fine and nicely crunchy. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2020
14.5% alcohol. 61% Touriga Nacional, 21% Touriga Franca, 16% Tinta Barocca, 2% Sousão. Touriga Franca is the Shiraz of the Douro and likes heat. Touriga Nacional brings in the florals, but can defoliate in hot years. Supple and ripe with nice focus to the blackberry and black cherry fruit, and lovely density. This has fine spices supporting the sleek, ripe fruit, with some subtle olive and herb notes, as well as some chalkiness. Good balance. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Cruz 2022 Douro, Portugal
13.5% alcohol Again, Cruz is a working name, not yet finally decided on. This comes from two blocks at 350 m elevation which is the sweet spot for reds on their property. One is Touriga Franca dominant, the other mainly Touriga Nacional, and they are co-fermented in a lagar and also large vats. Then the wine is aged in a 3500 litre foudre. Deeply coloured and concentrated with good structure and floral blackberry and black cherry fruit, with some grippy dark fruits on the palate as well as good structure and acidity. A rich, complete wine of real intensity. So tannic, this will need time. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Melhor 2020
This is the best expression of the vintage from the Quinta. It’s 89% Touriga Nacional, 9% Touriga Franca and 1% each of Tinto Cão and Sousão. 20 months in 500 litre new French oak puncheons and old French oak barrels, with 0.5% new American oak. Bold, rich, spicy and fruity, this is so multidimensional with sweet blackberries and spice, showing some floral detail. Concentrated berry fruits combine with notes of olive and iodine, backed up by firm tannins. Serious stuff, in a rich style. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta No 10 10 Years Old Tawny Port
19.5% alcohol. Rich, warm and sweet with cherries and strawberries, and a nice woody spiciness. There’s a touch of dried herb and raisin, too. Fresh and fine with nice layers, finishing with nuts and gingerbread. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Vintage Port 2020
19.5% alcohol. Concentrated and dense with lovely black cherry and blackberry fruit as well as good acidity and tannin. Structured and concentrated with lovely finesse and power, showing sour cherries, aniseed, olives and spice on the finish. 95/100
Older notes:
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Branco 2020 Douro, Portugal
Linear with nice pithy notes, as well as some liqourice and nuts. Citrus and pear fruit dominate, showing nice purity. 89/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Branco 2018 Douro, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. 52% Rabigato, 48% Gouveio. This is bright and fruity, with a lovely citrus core and some stony, savoury notes as well as focused, bright fruity characters. There’s nice pear and citrus fruit, but it also has fresh acidity and a mineral, savoury finish. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 5 Branco 2020 Douro, Portugal
Lively, intense and mineral with a juicy quality to the citrus fruit. Taut and compact, with some energy. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Branco Reserva 2019 Douro, Portugal
Fermented in puncheon. This is concentrated and nicely poised with some nuts, spice and citrus. Very refined with well integrated oak. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Branco 2018 Douro, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. Viosinho in new French oak, Fernao Pires in old French oak, and Rabigato and Gouveio in stainless steel. This is complex and layered with grapefruit and lemon notes, as well as some crystalline character. This reminds me a bit of a very fine white Bordeaux, with well-integrated oak. Such a multidimensional white with really good balance. Finishes with fine spices. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 6 Rosé 2021 Douro, Portugal (tank sample)
Fresh and linear with lovely citrus drive. Has redcurrant and raspberry character too: really lovely focus with a juicy watermelon finish. 90/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Clarete 2020 Douro, Portugal
Tinta Barocca co-fermented with Rabigato, whole bunch, plus Touriga Nacional fermented with pressings of Donzelino. Lighter-style red with supple, juicy cherry and raspberry fruit. Shows good acid and a bit of structure, but also some peachy richness. Lovely balance here. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Tinto 2019 Douro, Portugal
Fresh, juicy, supple and expressive with lovely weight. Juicy and fine showing cherries and plums, with a stony edge. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
14% alcohol. This is a blend of 42% Touriga Nacional, 31% Touriga Franca, 22% Tinta Barocca and 5% Sousão. It is aromatic with floral black cherry fruit as well as some blackberry and a stony edge, with some gravel and dried herbs. The palate is supple and bright with fresh cherry notes and a grainy structure, finishing dry but with some supple green notes complementing the fruit. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra a Pedra Alta Tinto 2017 Douro, Portugal
50% Touriga Franca, 44% Touriga Nacional, 5% Tinta Barocca, 1% Fernão Pires. 13.5% alcohol. This is a fruit-driven, balanced expression of the Douro with supple black cherry and blackberry fruit. There are some fine herbal notes here with a bit of tarry, tannic grip. There’s a citrus note, with some orange peel and grapefruit pith, as well as juicy red cherry and berry fruits. It’s fresh and quite elegant with massive drinkability. Holds up really well on day two and even improves a little. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
Nice concentration here: sweet blackberry and cherry fruit with a bit of spicy structure and well integrated oak. Quite polished with nice fruit concentration. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Reserva Tinto 2017 Douro, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. This is 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousao, 13% Touriga Franca. This shows lovely concentration with dense black cherry and blackberry fruit, as well as some amazing floral overtones. Concentrated and textural with subtle green hints (a Touriga character) with some olive and spice, as well as a touch of tar and spice, as well as sleek black cherry fruit. This is an impressive Douro red, with lots of Touriga character and nice weight and texture. Modern-styled but balanced and delicious. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Rio 2018 Douro, Portugal
This is Touriga Franca grown by the river. Lovely concentration here: ripe fruit with nice weight. Ripe, spice-laden and lush cherry and plum fruit with some blackberry and a stony, mineral undercurrent. Generous and ripe with nice balance and a hint of iodine. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Alto 2018 Douro, Portugal
92% Touriga Nacional, 7% Sousão and 1% Fernão Pires, from a high-up north-facing plot. Concentrated, generous, ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit with nice freshness and detail. Grainy structure and a mineral streak present. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Melhor Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
Great concentration here: vivid, intense, sweet blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. Massive fruit intensity and good structure. Very stylish. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 5 Tinto 2015 Douro, Portugal
Very supple and fine. Elegant and effortless with juicy red cherry fruit, a hint of pepper, and real restraint. Shows focus and purity. 95/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 4 Tinto 2016 Douro, Portugal
Supple, juicy and linear with nice freshness. Mineral and stony with cherries, plums and good weight and structure. Shows sweet fruit but also superb balance. 94/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 1 Tinto 2015 Douro, Portugal
Floral and expressive with juicy red cherry fruit on the nose. The palate is supple, ripe and linear with some polish and gloss, but also some freshness. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Prova No 3 Tinto 2016 Douro, Portugal
Ripe and sweetly fruited with nice lushness as well as notes of tar, minerals and spice. Pretty black friuits here, finishing strongly. 93/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta White Port Pedra No 3 NV Douro, Portugal
18% alcohol. Nicely packaged in a 500 ml bottle with a Vino-Lok closure. This is a very fresh, pure expression of white Port. It’s bright with nice sweet lemon, pear and melon notes, as well as a touch of waxiness. There’s also some orange peel character, and a touch of almond, too. A really nice example of white Port. 91/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Alta No 10 Ten Year Old Tawny Port NV Douro, Portugal
19.5% alcohol. Nicely packaged in a modern bottle, this is sweet, soft and mellow with raisin, red cherry and strawberry fruit as well as some melon notes. Sweet and generous with nice depth, and some woody complexity on the finish. An elegant style. 92/100
Quinta da Pedra Alta Vintage Port 2018 Douro, Portugal
Very ripe fruit style that’s rich and berryish with the focus on sweet fruit. Pure and appealing. 92/100
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