Porta Dos Cavaleiros, Tinto
Dão, Portugal 1985 (750mL)
Regular price$58.00
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Porta Dos Cavaleiros, Tinto
The Costa family’s allegiance to Dão is steadfast: In homage to this historic region, they launched Porta Dos Cavaleiros in the 1950s with the sole intention of crafting supremely traditional reds with cosmic aging potential. In order to achieve this immortal quality, the Costas—owners of Caves São João—did something that few have ever had the resources or patience for: They built a private underground wine library of unthinkable proportions and kept it locked away from the public for roughly 60 years.
In 2013, the family finally decided to reveal their perfectly preserved, incredibly priced wares to the public in the smallest of waves. Although only a lucky few have discovered these gems, we’ve had the privilege to offer some of their ancient wines from Bairrada, but never have we seen a sublime, utterly soulful red of this age and caliber from the Dão. Today’s 1985, a harmonious red blend of native grapes, is a paragon of tradition and elegance, and a much-needed return to the golden age of classic Portuguese winemaking. It’s wonderfully affordable, impossibly fresh, and an exemplar of mature, world-class wine. We only have 15 cases to share with our subscribers, so here’s hoping you read this sooner rather than later!
In 2013, the family finally decided to reveal their perfectly preserved, incredibly priced wares to the public in the smallest of waves. Although only a lucky few have discovered these gems, we’ve had the privilege to offer some of their ancient wines from Bairrada, but never have we seen a sublime, utterly soulful red of this age and caliber from the Dão. Today’s 1985, a harmonious red blend of native grapes, is a paragon of tradition and elegance, and a much-needed return to the golden age of classic Portuguese winemaking. It’s wonderfully affordable, impossibly fresh, and an exemplar of mature, world-class wine. We only have 15 cases to share with our subscribers, so here’s hoping you read this sooner rather than later!
Caves São João was originally founded as a traditional Port wine house in 1920, but when geographical boundaries were formed that defined where Port could be made, their production shifted to the polar opposite: sparkling wine. Over the years, they became a flagship producer for Portuguese sparkling and the revenue this generated allowed them to branch out into still wines of various styles. As Caves São João built their brand, they started acquiring other small, tradition-minded estates and exploring new regions. Regions like Dão.
Enter Porta Dos Cavaleiros: Established in the 1950s, this was Caves São João’s answer to producing high-quality, traditionally crafted wines from the region of Dão. Over time, they amassed a tremendous collection that has been perfectly stored in their cavernous cellar back at home base. A masterclass on patience and trust, they continued making and cellaring their wines even when they fell out of popularity—it paid off: there is once again a growing movement for elegant, supple wines. Today, they remain the only Portuguese winery selling library wines of this sheer age to the public.
Because Caves São João has long-standing relationships with myriad growers in the Dão (paying on time and paying well will do that) they have ‘first dibs’ on some of the region’s best grapes every year! In 1985, premium grapes from high-elevation, schist-and-granite vineyards were purchased by Caves São João and shuttled to their nearby cellar. After a multi-week open-top fermentation, the wine was transferred into concrete vessels for 24 months of aging. The final composition was a blend of Jaen, Alfrocheiro, Preto de Mortagua, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), and Baga (Mencía). After bottling in 1988, the wine was laid to rest in their sprawling underground cave, where it matured undisturbed for nearly 30 years.
As is typical with these exquisitely made, decades-old gems from Caves São João, the nose and palate radiate Old World authenticity, pulling notes from classic regions like Bordeaux, Piedmont, and Rioja while remaining distinctly Portuguese in nature. Upon carefully extracting the cork—preferably with an ‘ah-so’ tool—I recommend allowing the wine to breathe, without a decant, in a cool place for 30 minutes. Following, pour into Burgundy stems and prepare yourself for a sensory journey! Ultra-sublime aromas of red cherry, dried brambly berries, plum skin, and currants waft out of the glass, quickly followed by a dazzling array of secondaries that have formed over 35 years of undisturbed aging: loose tobacco, dried rose petal, petrichor, underbrush, black tea leaves, cracked pepper, cigar box, crushed stones, mushroom stock, wild herbs, and a piquant mix of baking spices. The palate is breathtakingly alive, propelled by a swirling mixture of crushed minerals, wild flora, and a sonorous red-fruited core. If you love the luxuries of mature, fine wine then you can hardly do better for such a generous price. Best of all: there’s another decade of life to be had in this wine should you want to continue tracking its astonishing evolution. Enjoy with a succulent, Portuguese-inspired lamb roast. Cheers!
