Nicolau de Almeida Quinta do Monte Xisto Oriente 2021

Cellar for up to 20 years or more. Decant for an hour or more before serving.

Monte Xisto Oriente is a red Douro blend, with a pungent bouquet of red cherry, raspberry, nutmeg, and leafy forest floor. It is composed of two lesser-known Portuguese grapes: Tinto Cão and Tinta Francisca, which were harvested from vineyards facing the east and the rising sun, hence the name, Oriente.

Nicolau de Almeida and Sons was founded in 1993 by João Nicolau de Almeida, a member of a famous wine family. His father Fernando is credited as the creator of Barca Velha, one of Portugal’s most famous table wines. Together with his two sons, João farms a 10-hectare plot of land on the left bank of the Douro River, where vines grow on a mineral-rich schist soil.

With each sip of Oriente, you can discover rich flavours of cassis, cherry and blackberry, supported by silky tannins and fantastic acidity. It strikes a perfect balance between density, freshness and fruit flavours, evolving into a long, spicy finish. A great wine to start exploring Portugal’s hidden depths. The grapes spent 18 months ageing before release, and in the right conditions, the wine can age for much longer in the bottle. Enjoy this Douro red with a charcuterie board, grilled red meat, or a Traditional Portuguese dish.