Altitude by Duorum 2014

José Maria Soares, the man behind Portugal’s finest red wine, Barca Velha, has teamed up with oenologist João Portugal Ramos on a project in the Upper Douro they’ve called Duorum, meaning ‘from two’. They bought 300 hectares close to the Spanish border, next door to Bordeaux’s Jean-Michel Cazes’ estate. Just five years on they are enjoying extraordinary international success with their magnificent property, pieced together from the vineyards of 60 growers. Altitude is a blend of native Portuguese grapes from two different areas of the Douro (appropriate to the name) and many top class vineyards, the wine aged in barrel for 12 months. Full bodied, well balanced and long, serve on the finest occasions with a rich red meat casserole or roast.