Valldo: impressive Douro wines, including some great value options
I first visited Quinta do Vallado back in 2002, and I’ve been back a few times since. The quinta and estate vineyards are found on the border of the Baixo Corgo, next to the Cima Corgo in the Douro Valley. They have expanded to take in vineyards elsewhere in the Douro, most notably in the Douro Superior, and now make an impressive range of wines from the affordable to high-end. The wines are made in a modern, contemporary style but express the Douro really well. I tasted these wines with Francisco Ferreira (pictured above) who heads up production here, and is part of the family who own the Quinta. He’s even a descendent of the famous Dona Antónia Ferreira (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonia_Ferreira )
Vallado Branco 2025 Douro, Portugal
Bright nicely fruity with good density and freshness. There’s a slight saltiness. Balanced pure and restrained. 90/100
Vallado Prima 2025 Douro, Portugal
Moscato. Really fresh and grapey with sweet aromas but a dry, fresh palate. Such precision here. 90/100
Vallado Alvarinho 2024 Douro, Portugal
Estate grapes, and this is the first time they’ve bottled this. 25% barrel fermentation. Lovely apricot and pear notes with nice precision. Has some pithiness. Nice brightness. 91/100
Vallado Reserva Branco 2024 Douro, Portugal
5% old vineyards for the first time and partial malolactic. Linear and focused with bold citrus fruit and fine spicy oak notes (500 litres, 25% new). Refined. 93/100
Vallado Rosé Touriga Nacional 2025 Douro, Portugal
Short press. Pale in colour. Stylish with lovely pear and citrus fruit with a hint of creaminess. Textural. 90/100
Vallado V Rosé 2024 Douro, Portugal
Tinto Cão, used barrels. Pale orange pink. Nice weight with spicy framing to the citrus fruit as well as hints of cherry and aniseed. Good acidity. 93/100
Vallado Tinto 2024 Douro, Portugal
Lovely red cherry fruit. Supple, juicy and pure. Amazing considering they make half a million bottles. Ripe, fresh, balanced with nice balance. 91/100
Vallado Douro Superior Organic 2023 Douro, Portugal
They rented this farm in 2008, and then first made this wine in 2010. Fruity, supple and well balanced. Used oak adds a little spice. Floral and expressive. 92/100
Vallado Lady Baga Superior 2024 Douro, Portugal
20% whole bunch, lower alcohol (12.5%). Fresh, supple and elegant with nice tannins and fresh red fruits. Such drinkability and elegance. 94/100
Vallado Alicante Bouschet 2023 Douro, Portugal
Bold, rich, dark and concentration, with firm but quite textured structure, showing some lushness. Intense and full. 92/100
Vallado Touriga Nacional 2023 Douro, Portugal
|This is from a vineyard near Pocino near the Spanish border, and it spends 18 months in French oak, 25% new. Floral, intense, sleek black fruits, nice density and freshness. Ripe but elegant with nice texture. 94/100
Vallado Sousão 2023 Douro, Portugal
Made in lagar, with much of the fermentation off the skins in an attempt to control the rough tannins this variety can sometimes show. Concentrated and fleshy with nice brightness and lovely fruit intensity. really vivid with a bit of spicy oak framing (30% new oak). 93/100
Vallado Tinta Roriz 2023 Douro, Portugal
Ripe and softly structured with easy berry fruits. Very approachable and easy. 91/100
Vallado Reserva Vinho Velhas 2023 Douro, Portugal
This is partly estate (Baixo Corgo) and also some fruit from Rio Torto (Cima Corgo). Old vines, averaging around 80 years. Complex and tight wound but also showing lovely sweet fruit. Real finesse allied to power. Great concentration but also elegant. 95/100
Vallado Vinha da Coroa 2023 Douro, Portugal
On the top of Vallado where they found differences between this and Granja divided by a road. This is 1956, and has 50% Tinta Roriz which isn’t normal. Pick early and put 20% whole cluster, 60% whole berries. Supple and really bright and elegant with a core of red cherry and berry fruits unobscured by oak (all used barrels). Juicy and linear. Such poise. 95/100
Vallado Vinha da Granja 2022 Douro, Portugal
1929, with 33 varieties, with Roriz, Barocca, Amarela and Touriga Franca making up 65%. Destemmed, robotic punch down, 40% new oak. Taut, concentrated, tannic and dense with lovely red fruits and a nice juiciness. This is grippy and tight wound. Give it time. 95/100
See also:
A report on my first visit in 2002 https://www.wineanorak.com/douro8vallado.htm
And a report on a visit in September 2016: https://www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/portugal/in-the-douro-vallado
