An ever-renewing passion
Fernando Guedes affectionately remembers an old plot at the Quinta do Caêdo vineyard in the Douro; a plot that has held a special place in his heart from an early age. It was love at first sight and the dream of producing wine from those grapes has grown steadily stronger ever since. A single harvest wine, Legado 2012, is the fruit of this long-held passion. Fernando Guedes' shared his passion for this cherished spot at Quinta do Caêdo - a vineyard dating back over a century – with the winemaking team and, in 2008, the first Legado wine was borne.
A living testament to the knowledge and endeavour handed down from generation-to-generation, Legado (or 'Legacy') immortalises a story that traces back to the unrivalled beauty and nobility of the Douro Valley, where it all began.
Legado 2012 is the fifth single harvest of a wine that, from the start, has sought to be unique and worthy of the values that it represents. It stems back to the audacious visionary who founded Sogrape - Fernando Van Zeller Guedes – and pays tribute to the recognised knowledge of the viticultural and winemaking teams of a company that has become an undisputed global reference.
Legado 2012 was vinified at the Quinta da Leda winery, in the Douro Superior, by winemaker Luis Sottomayor. “Through its class and complexity, Legado 2012 reveals the profile and consistency of its predecessors. It accurately portrays the place where it was born: a century-old single estate”, states Luis Sottomayor. The winemaker underlines, once again, how its production – from the vineyard to the winery – was passionately and closely followed by Fernando Guedes, who was tireless in his pursuit of the highest standards.
In the year of Sogrape's 75th anniversary, the release of Legado 2012 pays homage to a brilliant past, while projecting a future worthy of its heritage.
2012 Viticultural Year 2012 was characterised by a winter with very low temperatures and practically no rainfall. This was followed by a spring that was both drier and warmer than usual, with the exception of a particularly rainy April. August and September were especially arid and hot, which permitted a very balanced maturation; the resulting grapes were of excellent quality and, in turn, produced exceptional wines.
Tasting Notes Legado 2012 has a deep ruby colour. Its aroma has excellent complexity, with a strong minerality, spicy notes of cinnamon, ginger and black pepper, and balsamic hints of cedar wood and tobacco box. Complementing its shrubby notes are dashes of salinity and perfectly integrated touches of high-quality wood. On the palate, it is elegant yet powerful: with a notable freshness allied to silky, well-integrated tannins of high quality that give this wine great harmony and a strong personality. Its finish is extremely persistent, complex and harmonious.
Because the wine is born in the vineyard Upstream from Pinhão, in Ervedosa, Quinta do Caêdo was acquired by Sogrape Vinhos in 1990. Of the 24 hectares of vineyards spread across both banks of the Caêdo creek, 8 hectares were notably home to an old vineyard. Reminiscent of an amphitheatre, this unparallelled spectacle on the steep banks of the Douro is not one to inspire indifference. It is a fascinating landscape and one that inspired Fernando Guedes to create a wine that would symbolise the passing of the torch to future generations.
It is said that the best wines are born in the vineyard and, therefore, every care should be taken to retain Nature's delicate balance. In the old vineyard of Quinta do Caêdo, a plantation for more than 100 years, the harvest is undertaken manually: the trails of a tractor nothing more than a figment of the imagination. Vineyards like this do exist: vineyards with their own personalities that need to be loved. In this spirit, viticultural expertise is combined with man's audacity and animal physicality (mules) to reach a common goal. In 8 hectares, with many vines producing only one or two grape clusters and production averaging less than 0.5kg per vine, this communion and balance is even more important; each individual step contributing to a collective harmony.
Quinta do Caêdo, Douro Region
The old vineyard that fascinated Fernando Guedes faces west and is blessed with high levels of sun exposure and abundant light. Its grape varieties, which were also those used in years gone by, include the classic Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. However, recent investigation has also helped classify a number of other varieties, such as: Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta da Barca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Donzelinho.
