Both Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz are made up of steep vineyards planted on terraces called patamares. While they are difficult to maintain and costly to cultivate, these terraces are designed to find a balance between retaining sufficient water for the vines, whilst allowing the excess water to run-off without damaging the vineyards with erosion and landslides. The terraces have a slight lean towards the hillside to allow rainwater to seep into the soil. They are also inclined lengthways so water can run off the ends (rather than over the sides) and be channelled into drainage ditches.

There are two rows of vines per terrace and most of the vineyard work is done by hand. This includes the harvest which lasts around three weeks from mid-September. With such labour-intensive work and some of lowest yields per hectare of any wine-producing area, the Douro is likely the most expensive region to make wine.

While the traditional method in the Douro was to plant a mix of grape varieties within the same vineyard in order to reduce the risk of disease, the different vines do not ripen at the same time, which makes it virtually impossible to pick each one at the optimum moment in the harvest. As a result, we grow our vines in single varietal blocks of vineyard which allows us to pick each one at the perfect level of maturity.

With the objective of preserving diversity within our vineyards, all our new plantings are from massal selections, with the vines grafted on-site onto rootstock that is adapted to warm and dry conditions.

While Touriga Nacional is the most famous indigenous Douro grape variety today and known for delivering quality wines, it was not widely planted until the latter half of the 20th century due to its very low yields. However, as an early ripening grape that is resistant to high temperatures and dry conditions, it performs exceptionally well in the Douro – and with the impact of climate change being felt in other wine regions, Touriga Nacional is now a registered Bordeaux grape variety. Its aromas are very floral and intense, and its structure is rich and velvety with a very soft finish. It forms a key component of Chryseia.

Touriga Franca is the second key element that makes up Chryseia. It is a late-ripening variety that delivers wines with fruity and balsamic aromas with a rich structure and very good ageing potential. It produces less alcohol than the Touriga Nacional and the blend of the two creates a wonderful harmony that we have worked hard to perfect for the last two decades.

Our two vineyards are farmed under the Integrated Production Management protocol. This certification ensures a strict policy of minimum intervention and limited treatments in the vineyard. Our use of precision viticulture management tools means that vine disease can often be predicted and tackled with preemptive action, requiring less intrusion in the vineyard and resulting in a more balanced ecosystem. This approach has led to a visible increase in the diversity of the flora and fauna in our vineyards.