Quinta das Maias Tinto, Gouveia, Dao

Quinta das Maias Tinto is a red wine from the Dao wine-growing region of Portugal. Quinta das Maias itself has been owned, since 1997, by Quinta dos Roques, a very famous Dao wine estate, and their wine is made at the Roques winery by the same wine-making team.

This prestigious property consists of 12 hectares of old vine vineyards located at a higher altitude than Roques in the foothills of Portugal’s highest mountain range, the Serra de Estrela, some 42 miles from the Roques winery. The estate at Gouveia is named after the Maias or May flowers, also known as Weaver’s Broom, which surround the vineyards and now adorn the label.

The estate is predominantly planted with the Jaen (also known as Tinta Mencia), Touriga Nacional, Tinto and Tinta Roriz red grape varieties. White grapes are represented by Malvasia Fina, Encruzado, Verdelho and Cercial.

Quinta das Maias Tinto is a blend of 65% Jaen and the rest is a mix of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro and is not oak-aged. The soil is mainly composed of sandy, granite soil and is poor quality, meaning the vines have to work hard, and the vineyards are located at around 680 metres above sea level. Over the last 5 years, the Quinta das Maias has been working on converting to organic viticulture.