DOURO’S
NEW LEGACY
This is Menin Douro Estates
Menin Douro Estates
was born from a dream: to produce
great wines from the Douro
and place them around the world.
MENIN, a
tribute
to the Douro
MENIN Douro Estates is an ambitious wine development project with the aim of creating, in the medium term, a portfolio of excellent DOC Douro wines.
Red and white wines, but also port, in a total production that is expected to reach 400,000 bottles in 2025.
We start from the enormous potential of the Douro, the exceptional quality of its terroir and its inspiring landscapes to produce magnificent wines that honor and promote the historical richness of this region. The largest contiguous area of old vineyards in the Douro is an extra gem, which drives and distinguishes us to fulfil this dream.
The forerunners
The passion for Portugal and the Douro on the part of Brazilian entrepreneurs Rubens Menin and Cristiano Gomes goes back a long way. First as an almost second homeland, now as the ideal destination for a unique project that aims to strengthen the historical legacy of the Douro.
Rubens Menin, one of the greatest Brazilian businessmen, with a vast portfolio of businesses, ranging from banking to the largest construction company in Latin America, and Cristiano Gomes, a partner and businessman with a career in the financial area, joined efforts to fulfill their passion.
Rubens Menin | Cristiano Gomes
A REGION OF HUGE POTENTIAL,
WITH SO MUCH STILL TO DISCOVER.
Why
the Douro
Why
the Douro
THE FOCUS ON THE PROMOTION
AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOURO
While the great wine regions of France, Italy and Spain show maturity with little potential for growth, the Douro still has a long way to go to equal them in recognition and prices. The bifurcation from Port wine to fine table wines is still very recent. However, there’s some exceptional wines and an unrivaled diversity of grape varieties and styles. That is why the development and promotion of the region are two pillars of Menin Douro Estates.
The Estates
The estates are located in the Upper Corgo sub-region, in Gouvinhas, a parish of Sabrosa, in the World Heritage Site of the Alto Douro Wine Region.
Costa de Cima has 28ha of vineyards and 10ha of olive groves and woods. It extends from the level of the River Douro (90m above sea level) to an elevation of 240m. It has 11ha of vineyards planted more than 100 years ago, with more than 50 identified varieties, being the largest contiguous area of old vines in the region.
Quinta do Sol has a total of 14ha of vineyards that were completely replanted in 2018/2019 and are located on slopes that reach an altitude of 500m.
Quinta do Caleiro has a total area of 36ha, of which 23ha are vineyards.
Costa de Cima | Sol | Caleiro
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Sabrosa, Portugal
Quinta do Sol
Sabrosa, Portugal
QUINTA DO SOL
Sabrosa, Portugal
Quinta do Caleiro
Sabrosa, Portugal
Map
With a privileged location, an broad riverfront and a multicplicity of altitudes and exposures, our estates are the perfect place for the creation of special wines.
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EXPLORE THE MAP ↓
Heritage
In addition to being a showcase of the Douro's viticultural diversity, our estates preserve buildings that combine the marks of a distant past with the modernity that aspires to an auspicious future.
GET TO KNOW OUR HERITAGE →
GET TO KNOW OUR HERITAGE ↓
Old Vines
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Winery
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Winery
Quinta da Costa de Cima
House
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Chapel
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Chapel
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Gouvinhas train station
Quinta da Costa de Cima
Ruins
Quinta do Sol
Ruins
Quinta do Sol
History
Remnants of the long history of the estates are largely erased or have disappeared, as happened with the Pombaline boundary stones of Quinta da Costa de Cima and Quinta do Caleiro, from the first demarcation of quality wines, dating from 1758.
Even so, one or another testimony of ancient history can be discovered, namely in the coat-of-arms chapel of Costa de Cima, from the first half of the 18th century, or in the ruins of the house and winery of Quinta do Sol or, still, in the water reservoir structure of the Caleiro stream, with shale walls that preserve signs of the ancient technique of planting vines in “pilheiros”.
On the highest altitudes of Quinta do Sol or on the riverside of Quinta da Costa de Cima, we can still find fragments of low and tortuous walls of ancient vineyard terraces, transformed into “mortories” with the invasion of phylloxera in the second half of the 19th century and covered by forests of spontaneous vegetation, which recovered its place.
Timeline
The Quintas da Costa de Cima, Sol and Caleiro, all with centuries-old histories, but with different paths, mobilized thousands of men and women from the neighboring villages, but also from other lands and above all from Galicia, to subdue, plant, build terraced walls, graft, prune, dig, redraft, harvest, make wine...
Anonymous workers who cannot be forgotten when speaking of the construction of the monumental landscape of the Alto Douro Wine Region, as they were the authors of this heroic deed.
However, this story is more easily told through the records of the lives of the landlords, the investments they made, the vicissitudes of harvests and markets, in times of crisis or abundance, of birth, death or resurrection of vineyards, inheritances and transfers of properties, in the unstoppable cycle of life, people, families, vines.
It was at the end of the 17th century that Quinta da Costa de Cima originated, belonging to the Taveira family, from Guiães, who prided themselves on being «one of the first three noble families that the Lord King D. Dinis commanded from the city of Lisbon» to this village [Vila Real]".
17th CENTURY
Throughout the 1730s, Francisco José Taveira de Macedo, a knight of the Order of Christ, and his wife, Maria Quitéria da Cunha Pimentel, from the aristocratic Calçada House of Provesende, invested in the construction of the houses at Quinta da Costa de Cima, the whose chapel, invoking St. Francis, linked, in December 1737, one of its vineyards. It was even in one of these houses that the first Douro demarcation commission gathered.
Costa de Cima and Caleiro are included in the first demarcation of the Douro, being classified as properties that produced the best “factory wines” – Port Wines.
Quinta do Caleiro is owned by João Manuel Pereiro da Silva e Sousa Mourão, a young nobleman, knight of the Royal Household who serves as sergeant-major in the district of Vila Real. By that time, the estate produced, on average, 15 barrels of wine per year.
Quinta da Costa de Cima produces 50 barrels of wine, 44 of red, approved for first quality shipment, exportable to Great Britain, and 6 of white. Quinta do Caleiro produces 37 barrels of wine, 31 of red wine (approved as top quality) and 6 of white wine.
The average annual production of Costa de Cima had dropped to 6.5 barrels in 1810. In 1811 José Taveira Pimentel de Carvalho e Menezes took over management and invested in replanting and regular farming. In the 1820s, production increased, in many years exceeding 60-70 pipes per year.
Around this time, Quinta do Sol was created by Tomás Homem de Sousa Quevedo Pizarro, a noble knight of the Royal House.
It was equipped with houses and winery, increasing production over the first few years, from 36 barrels in 1821 to 161 in 1825.
Quinta do Caleiro is inherited by João Manuel Pereira da Silva and Sousa Mourão de Almeida Morais Pessanha, having gone through a period of growth to an average of 100 barrels by mid-century.
João de Almeida Morais Pessanha held important military and political positions, being commander of the national battalion of Vila Real, president of the Chamber of Sabrosa and member of the Chamber of Peers (he was appointed Peer of the Kingdom in 1842).
From the 1850s onwards, plagues, first powdery mildew and then phylloxera, provoked a deep crisis in the Douro.
Death of João de Almeida Morais Pessanha, who left Quinta do Caleiro and other properties to António de Almeida de Morais Pessanha.
In the entire parish of Gouvinhas, the harvest only yields around 20 barrels. At Quinta do Sol, the ruins of the old mansion recall those times of crisis.
From that time on, a titanic effort was made to recover the Douro vineyards, with the planting of American rootstocks and the grafting of regional grape varieties.
Costa de Cima was already one of the estates with the highest production of wine in the parish of Gouvinhas, yielding 50-100 barrels per year. Quinta do Sol, on the other hand, remains abandoned or without significant wine production.
This year they are both sold to Manuel Pinto Hespanhol, whose viticultural investments led to an annual production of around 150 barrels of wine.
In the 1950s, Quinta do Caleiro was mortgaged and later acquired by a member of the Pinto Pizarro family, who, living in Brazil, did not alter the state of abandonment of the estate.
In 1972, Quinta da Costa de Cima and Quinta do Sol were acquired by Mário Joaquim da Rocha Braga.
In 1995, Quinta do Caleiro was acquired by José Manuel Alves Teixeira, who invested his savings in converting the vineyards and renovating the houses.
After the death of Mário Braga in 1999, the sons began a process of rationalizing assets, for sustained growth.
In 2018 they sold the Gouvinhas properties (eight items, including Quinta da Costa de Cima and Quinta do Sol) to the investors Rubens Menin and Cristiano Gomes.
Rubens Menin and Cristiano Gomes join to Quinta da Costa de Cima and Quinta do Sol the Quinta do Caleiro, with 36 hectares.
“It was a long process of recovering centuries-old vineyards that were abandoned and with many flaws. We are replanting with exactly the same 54 varieties that are there, reinforcing the sustainability of our terroirs and protecting the diversity of grape varieties that reflect the identity of the Douro. It would be much easier to rip everything off, but that's not what we're aiming for. We want to invest all our efforts in preserving the old vines of the region”.
Cristiano Gomes
Administrator
Winery
The Menin Douro Estates winery has been in operation since 2021. It will open to the public in 2023.
This four-storey building, part of which is underground, rises in Quinta da Costa de Cima, where it works by gravity in accordance with the tradition of the old Douro wineries. Its contemporary architecture combines harmoniously with the existing buildings and the landscape of the Quinta.
Equipped with advanced winemaking technology, it has an installed capacity for the production of 400,000 bottles per year.
A PRECISION
WINERY
Technology
At Menin Douro Estates we use the most modern technologies in viticulture and enology. In addition to the immense initial reconversion work of 14ha, in 2018 / 2019, there is a permanent effort to recover the oldest vineyards. At the same time, the annual budbreak is strictly controlled in order to allow a high concentration in each vine, at the expense of a significantly lower production, naturally privileging quality.
The new winery was designed to work by gravity, avoiding pumps and protecting the potential of the wine, and is equipped with the most advanced winemaking equipment, without giving up traditional methods such as treading presses. It is an iconic building, which began to vinify in 2021.
Enology
A philosophy of sustainability, quality and long term.
The enology team is formed by Tiago Alves de Sousa, consultant enologist, João Rosa Alves, production director and Manuel Saldanha, resident enologist.
A talented, irreverent team with award-winning merit recognized among peers.
Tiago Alves de Sousa
Graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from University of Trás-os-Montes (UTAD), was distinguished in 2003 with the Fundação Eng. António de Almeida prize and the merit scholarship of the Fundo de Apoio ao Estudante, which is awarded to the best degree student.
After several harvest internships complemented with training courses in Enology and Viticulture and a period at the Viticulture Institute of the Catholic University of Piacenza (Italy), in 2002 he joined the Alves de Sousa team, where he is currently technical director and responsible for export markets.
For a few years he accumulated functions with a PhD in Viticulture (which he concluded with the highest classification) at the Department of Phytotechnics and Rural Engineering at UTAD, where he has been, since 2020, on the faculty of the Enology degree.
In 2021, he accepted the invitation to be a consultant winemaker at Menin Douro Estates, where he actively participates in the process and creation of our wines.
Awards:
- Enologist Revelation Award 2022 (“Passion for Wine” magazine)
- Enology Award 2020 – Douro + Sustainable (IVDP)
- “National Enologist” Award by Ord. Honor. Sta. Maria Ossonóba
João Rosa Alves
Graduated with a degree in Enology from University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and a postgraduate course in Viticulture and Enology at FCUP (Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto). To complement his training, he carried out an executive program of Managing Wine Business at PBS (Porto Business School).
Throughout his journey, he carried out internships in different places such as Rozés SA, Alves de Sousa, Quinta do Vale Meão, Châteu Graud Larose and Quinta do Vesúvio. This was complemented with training in “Sensory Analaysis: A tool for monitoring winemaking” at the ISVV (institut Des Sciences De la vigne et du vin) and with level 3 in the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.
He was resident winemaker at Quinta do Tedo from 2016 to 2018 and is the current winemaker and production director at Menin Douro Estates.
Awards:
- Enology Award 2022 – Douro + Sustentável (IVDP).
Manuel Saldanha
Manuel Saldanha graduated with a degree in Enology from University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro.
He carried out internships during his academic career at Adega Anselmo Mendes, at Quinta da Canameira and, finally, at Adega Horta Osório, where he has been working since 2013.
In 2021, he also joined the Enology team at Menin Douro Estates, after the acquisition of Horta Osório Wines by the Menin Wine Company.
He has been complementing his training with some programmes, having completed the Wine & Spirits Education Trust – Level 2.
Wines
The DOC range includes Reserva and Grande Reserva wines, red and white, and Vintage Port. When quality allows it, D. Beatriz is produced, the star of the range of reds. In specific plots, also whenever there is exceptionality, special series are launched.
DOURO`S NEW LEGACY
RESERVA RED 2018
DOURO’S NEW LEGACY RESERVA is a wine that presents an intense ruby color, very fine aro- mas of sour cherry, cassis and dark chocolate, where at the same time, it manifests balsamic and cherry nuances, nutmeg and peppermint.
MENIN
VINTAGE PORT
Opaque ruby colored wine with violet hints. On the nose it is very intense, with notes of black fruit, blackberries, black currant jam, ripe wild red fruit and a slight balsamic to transmit freshness .
MENIN
GRANDE RESERVA WHITE
MDE GRANDE RESERVA WHITE was born from a selection o parcels of the ARINTO variety. In the aroma, it presents very fine notes of citrus fruit, white fruit, nuances of the aging in oak barrels and plenty of minerality.
MENIN
GRANDE RESERVA RED
MDE GRANDE RESERVA RED is a wine with a deep ruby color. The aroma highlights all the freshness of red and black fruit, with plenty of nuances of black currant, blackberry, berries and balsamic notes to give balance to the set.
MENIN
RESERVA WHITE
MENIN RESERVA WHITE is a wine of citrine yellow color and medium intensity. The aroma is very elegant, with floral notes of white flowers, white-fleshed fruit (pear), green grapefruit and barrel spices reminiscent of brioche and white pepper.
MENIN
RESERVA RED
MENIN RESERVA 2019 is a wine that presents a ruby color, a full aroma of fresh fruit, with notes of wild red fruits, blackberries, plums, in perfect harmony with the spicy nuances conferred by the aging in barrels.
The Douro is precious,
much beyond wine.
With unique characteristics, our olive oil is also a product of great quality.
Olive Oil
This unique terroir, which gives rise to the most renowned fine wine in the world, is the same that provides the production of sweet olive oils with a high aromatic complexity. Like our wines, Menin olive oil is a distinct product, captivating at the table and memorable on the palate.
OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN
DOURO PREMIUM
Extra virgin olive oil produced from the varieties that come from centenary olive trees of the Quintas da Costa de Cima and Sol. Harvesting is carried out manually, so it is possible to preserve the structure of the tree.
