Kopke is one of the best known wine companies in Portugal and the oldest Port House. Founded by German diplomat Nicolau Kopke in 1638, Kopke eventually became part of the Sogevinus group in 2006.
Independent and privately owned, Sogevinus was created in the 1990s and comprises an exclusive and highly individual portfolio of Port wine houses. The group produces an average of 8.8 million bottles of wine per year and owns 430 hectares in the Douro Valley with 248ha under vine.
The company owns four Douro estates - Quinta do Bairro, Quinta de São Luiz, Quinta do Arnozelo and, most recently in 2020, Quinta da Boavista.
Sogevinus is committed to sustainable practices that seek to preserve the unique terroir of the Douro Valley.
After Tokaj, the Douro is the second oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Boundaries were established in 1756 and there are three subregions - Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. The valley is also a UNESCO World Heritage site!
Following a rebrand last year, Kopke's Douro DOC still wines are now named after their original home, Quinta de São Luiz, which is where their wines are still produced today.
Quinta de São Luiz is located near Pinhão in the subregion of Cima Corgo on the left bank of the river. It covers 125 hectares, of which 90ha are planted with vines, some of them over 100 years old. It's an immensely diverse terroir with the plunging valleys allowing vines to be grown from an altitude of 70 metres next to the river, right up to 600 metres on the ridges.
Gabriela Coutinho, Marketing Director explains the re-brand: "There have been three driving forces behind the re-brand of the Kopke Douro DOC wines. The first is to build an independent Portuguese still wine brand for our DOC Douro wines, without losing the prestige and know-how inherited from the Kopke brand. Secondly, to highlight the terroir of these unique wines and communicate the home of Kopke, which has Quinta de São Luiz at its heart. Finally, we want to build a reputable brand for the long-term with a relevant value proposition for today's consumer."
For many years, the tradition at Quinta de São Luiz was to paint the stone walls white. These white walls are pieces of history that are cherished to this day and underline the Douro landscape in a unique way.
With plenty of investment in the vineyards and winery, Kopke is now paying homage to its impressive vineyard heritage, beautiful slopes and traditional buildings by painting the stone walls white again. As well as labelling the DOC Douro wines São Luiz, the new strapline 'Douro sublinhado', meaning Douro underlined, also highlights and encompasses this vision.
There are four wines in the Quinta São Luiz range, launched last September in the UK - Colheita Branco, Colheita Tinto, Reserva Branco and Reserva Tinto. They are all blends of native Portuguese grape varieties. These wines are great any time of year, particularly with food, the Reserva wines showing more depth and complexity. Retailing in the UK, generally at between £12 and £18, they are available from various good independent wine shops and also on Ocado.
So for late spring, I've chosen the two Colheita wines as my 'Tipple of the Month' - a double recommendation for white or red wine lovers, as we hopefully begin to enjoy the warmer weather!
Grapes, grown on schistose soil at an altitude of 250-600 metres above sea level, are sourced from the sub-regions of Cima Corgo and Baixo Corgo. There are four varieties in this blend - 30% Arinto, 20% Viosinho, 35% Gouveio and 15% Rabigato. ABV is 13% and the wine is best served at a temperature of 10-12°C.
Quinta São Luiz Branco Colheita 2020 retails for around £12. You can find it at Cambridge Wine and on Ocado.
Colour: light, bright straw.
Nose: very aromatic with floral, citrus and tropical fruit notes.
Palate: dry with lemon and green mango notes, good acidity, a slight touch of dried herbs and a hint of bitter orange pith on the clean, refreshing finish that balances the medium-full body,.
Food pairings: very versatile with many types of food, including salads, fried or grilled fish, seafood and vegetarian risottos and also light white meat dishes.
Grapes, grown on schistose soil at an altitude of 250-350 metres above sea level, are sourced from the sub-region of Cima Corgo. The blend consists of 35% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 25% Tinta Roriz and 15% Tinto Cão. Half of the blend is aged in used 225-litre oak barrels to add texture and complexity, with the remainder in stainless-steel vats. ABV is 13% and the wine is best served at a temperature of 14-16°C.
Quinta São Luiz Tinto Colheita 2019 retails for around £12. You can find it at The Secret Bottle Shop and on Ocado.
Colour: dark red with a slight tinge of purple.
Nose: notes of cherry, violet, cedarwood, spice and a hint of coffee bean.
Palate: medium-bodied with notes of red berries, cherry compôte, cloves and nutmeg plus a touch of sweet liquorice, good acidity, velvety tannins and a long, fresh, elegant finish.
Food pairings: a good pairing for roast beef or lamb, venison dishes, hard cheeses and spicy lentil bakes.
