“Oh my God, this company is older than my country” – The US ambassador on a visit to Real Companhia Velha in the 1970’s.
Real Companhia Velha is the oldest wine company in Portugal, having recently celebrated 265 years of constant trading since 1756.
In the mid-18th century, there was a crisis with the port market due to a reduction of exports, extreme low prices & the situation being worsened by the fact the trade was dominated & controlled by British merchants.
With the support of a number of personalities including the King D. José I, the Portuguese Prime Minister Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Melo, aka the Marquis of Pombal, a decision was made to create a chartered company. Its aim was to break the monopoly of the English Trading Post, to balance supply & demand, to ensure the quality & authenticity of the product & to protect it from disloyal competition by wines from other parts of the kingdom. All of this with royal approval & it soon became one of the Portuguese state’s greatest sources of income. This was the origin of Real Companhia Velha.
Since 1960, Real Companhia Velha has been run by the Silva Reis family, who have dedicated their efforts to the production of both port & Douro wines, focusing on the study & development of the Douro terroir & sustainability.
The 3rd generation of the family has Pedro Silva Reis Junior as the resident winemaker, Pedro Silva Reis, his father, as the Master Blender (for over 40 years) & Tiago Silva Reis developing the market to show a company that combines innovation with tradition in the 5 Quinta’s they own, which are considered some of the best in the Douro Valley.
Vineyards
The Dandy white is made primarily from one of the Douro’s most exciting grapes, the Samarrinho – a very old grape varietal that has been subject to a recovery project after being close to extinction. Real Oporto look to pick the Samarrinho quite early for its freshness and sharpness as well for its delicate and unique aromatic profile. On the other hand, the Cerceal offers texture and volume.
Vinification
Grapes are handpicked and transported to the winery in 150kg crates. After going through a manual sorting process, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed on a pneumatic press. After a 24h decanting process, the must is fermented in stainless steel vats, at a 14-16ºC. The wine ages in the stainless steel vats for 6 months until bottling.
Tasting Notes
Yellow straw-like in colour, this wine offers a very fresh aromatic profile with notes of white fruit and grated stone, combined with delicate citric aromas. On the palate, it matches its nose profile, showing lightness and a vibrant, textured style with good acidity and a lingering finish. Fun and easy!
Great by itself and when food pairing think of seafood, shellfish, grilled fish, sauté vegetables and curries.
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