Quevedo, the Oscar’s and a port wine young gun

When I reported on my visit with the dynamic Douro Boys last September (see here), a wag queried “boys.”  As I said then, the “boys” may be pushing their 40s (plus, plus!), but they exemplify all that’s cutting edge and dynamic about the Douro.  There’s much to admire in the youthful spirit that lies behind their envelope-pushing winemaking.  And let’s face it, we all have a vested interest in being young at heart  – it keeps us on our toes which, in this competitive world, is no bad thing.  There’s bound to be an eager young pretender snapping at your heels, like Oscar Quevedo of Quevedo, for example, (pictured), who I mentioned in last week’s in depth regional report about the Douro’s dynamism and increasingly diverse portfolio (click here to read it).

The Quevedo label was conceived in 1991, when Oscar’s parents decided to pick up where previous generations had left off and make wine.  In that year they built a winery and, the following year, they started to make port and wine, sourcing fruit exclusively from 100 hectares of family land located in the Cima-Corgo and Douro Superior, planted to Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Barroca.  Quevedo’s sister, Claudia (ex-Barros), makes the wines while Oscar, a former banker, is the brains behind the marketing.

He’s a demon blogger/tweeter and makes no bones about the fact his aim is to attract younger consumers because “the thirty years-old consumer has been forgotten and Quevedo wanted to find him.” Ahem Oscar, I’m sure you also meant her, being a modern man and all that…So anyway, the style is “easy-drinking” and, though I don’t think it lends itself so well to the tawny and colheita ports (where the tertiary characteristics of aged stock really comes into its own), it works very well for their other fruit-led ports and red wines.  Below are my highlights:

Quevedo Oscars 2008 (60% Touriga Nacional/40% Tinta Roriz) – aged for just 3 months in 2nd year old oak barrels, this Douro red table wine is as smooth and easy going as the man himself.  It’s also as technically savvy, having been developed in conjunction with social media gurus Catavino. Oscar’s back-label invites consumers to interact with Quevedo via Twitter, Youtube or his blog. Very round, soft and juicy, with blackberry and plum, it’s a good introduction to the Douro and, at around £8, soundly priced.  To be stocked by Naked Wines from September 2010.

Quevedo White Port – golden, with a fruity, demerara sugar-edged nose and palate, this is round, surprisingly fruity and well balanced, with around 110g of residual sugar. £11.25 here

Quevedo Rosé Port – very floral, fresh, elegant and long with rose petals and delicate red berry and cherry fruit.  To be stocked by Naked Wines from September 2010.

Quevedo Ruby Port – a floral nose and palate with cassis and chocolate.  Not the most concentrated of styles but again, elegant and smooth in its delivery.  Well done and I prefer it to some of the bigger producer’s “yoof market” styles.  £10.96 here

Quevedo 2007 Vintage Port – very floral, with lifted violets, black berry, currant and cherry fruit.  It has the house’s signature elegant style, so it’s on the drier style, with a nice bit of grip too.  Presentation, of course, counts given the target market and this is sold in an attractive half bottle.  I must say, I like the shift towards smaller formats for fortified wines.  £19.24 (half bottle) here.

The blog is a fun mix of lively debate and interesting insights about making and marketing port and Douro wine, so I recommend checking it out.  You might be surprised to discover that it’s not the only port producer’s blog out there – here are some others: Graham’s, Churchill and Taylors.