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Location: Almendra, Douro
Website address: www.carm.pt
This collection of dramatic vineyards (115 Hectares) and olive groves (300 Hectares), established by Celso Madeira over the past 50 years, take us to a part of the Douro
region that has been until recently the preserve of a few but committed and gritty farmers.
This is extreme climate and terrain with expansive scenery.Where there is Schist and some rainfall (450mm) things grow though and the Madeira family does it all according to
organic principles. Celso has passed the baton to his two sons, Rui (Winemaking) and Filipe (Marketing), who at their state-of- the- art winery, are making some pure fruited,
expressive and cultured wines to charm us with.
From their first estate Quinta do Côa comes a Tinto full of ripe black fruits, and warm spice, topped only by the concentrated and compact Reserva Tinto. The
barrel fermented Côa Branco oozes subtlety and light minerality. From their other vineyards is crafted the Vinha do Côa, blending different plots
and grape varieties for an expressively fruited silky red.
The CARM Reserva Branco has a stone fruit seam with bags of subtle persistent flavours. Not least is the Rosé which exudes fresh red fruits with a serious edge.
Rui also makes and bottles the Castello D’Alba Branco harnessing the intensity of old vines Codega around Freixo.
For older vintage information please contact us or consult the producer’s website
Quinta do Côa Branco
Current Vintage: 2009
This has loads of dried apricot ,honeyed and smoky flavours, but is searingly fresh and elegant.An oasis of freshness in the heat of the Douro.
Quinta do Côa Tinto
Current Vintage: 2008
The heat and sub-Saharan nature of the Coa Valley and Douro Superior in general would easily lead one to expect the reds from Quinta do Coa to be huge fruit bombs, but this is
rarely the case. Very finely grained fruit and wood tannins provide the structure for a lovely purity of fruit character – mulberries and
cherries, and good length.
Quinta do Côa Reserva Tinto
Current Vintage: 2007
This deep red wine is made from selected Touriga Nacional grapes from our best vineyards in the Douro Superior.
The intense varietal aromas emerge, ripe plum, blueberries and floral hints. It has richness, concentration of plumy fruit flavours, which combined with fine tannins from new
French oak barrels give this wine an excellent and long mouthfeel.
Lastly we must extol the virtues of this family’s world class Organic Olive Oil
There is a Portuguese saying that goes: Everything the Douro produces is good, except “that which speaksâ€. Of course “that
which speaks†always has the last word in making good things! Vineyards & Olive groves have populated DOURO SUPERIOR region for Millenia. Wine & Port have
taken centre stage further west but in the Upper Douro olive trees still out-number vines. This is a wild, beautiful and unpopulated area of Northern Portugal. About 40 years
ago Celso Madeira, a globe trotting engineer, began buying olive groves and vineyards around the town of Almendra, to add to his family’s ancestral small
holdings. He has now retired here amongst a staggering total of 200 Hectares of olive groves and 65 Hectares of vineyards which are all organically grown. The only fertilisers
used are sheep droppings !!! Celso is also the “stone-man†of the Douro, collecting shapely granite boulders wherever he can, and to his
wife’s despair, depositing them in the front garden! A large hole was dug for a pool, she thought, but alas it was just to receive another load. Celso and
his two sons Rui and Filipe, have set up a company (CARM) to develop the produce of their farms. Wine and Olive Oil are made with equal passion and enthusiasm. Managing
Director Rui Madeira believes that climatically the Douro Superior provides the ideal conditions for producing quality grapes and olives. Low rainfall, cold winters, dry
summers, are Schistous soils, rocky and generally poor, which make yields low. Wines :ClassÃco, Reserva and Premium, Quinta do Côa (single vineyard
organic) Winemaker: Rui Madeira Olive Oil: CARM Grande Escolha, Quinta das Marvalhas.
For further details go to www.carm.pt
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