Barão de Vilar – Vinhos, SA is the most recent company of Port wine, established in January 1996 from a small stock of wine bought by Fernando Luis van Zeller and given to his sons Fernando and Álvaro.
The company’s institutional name recovers a noble title granted by the Queen of Portugal D. Maria II to Cristiano Nicolau Kopke, the 1st Baron of Vilar, back in 1836, which remains, by legacy, in the family’s rightful heir possession. Before Barão de Vilar – Vinhos SA was built, the van Zellers were owners of Quinta do Noval, one of the most iconic and renowned estates of the Port Wine business sector and from where comes the mythical "Vintage 1931 Nacional”, considered one of the two best wines of the world in the 20th Century by Wine Spectator magazine.
Port Wine is a fortified wine that results from the interruption of the fermentation process by adding brandy, hence keeping the residual sugar of the grape. Port is produced exclusively in the Wine Region of the Douro, in the North of Portugal and it can be divided into three distinct categories: white, tawny and ruby, having recently emerged a new one - rosé.
WHITE
White Port is made exclusively from white grapes harvested in the Douro Wine Region, and assumes different styles, according to its degree of sweetness - the description of dry, medium-dry or sweet, being the last one called Lágrima. It is a young port wine, kept in wood casks where it ages for at least 3 years. It features a pale hay color.
TAWNY
Tawny Ports are red wines that age in wooden casks and show different shades depending on their age. Colors may vary between intense red gradually mellowing to a golden-brown color. With time "in-wood”, Tawny’s also increase in aromatic complexity, intensifying the aromas of dried fruits (walnuts and almonds), wood, coffee and chocolate, amongst others. The most common references are Tawnys with Indication of Age and Colheitas. A Tawny Port always represents a blend of several batches, with different lengths of time in casks, and whose age average (10, 20, 30 and 40 years) stated on the label, grants that lot its special and unique characteristics..
RUBY
Ruby Ports are young wines, fruity, with a deep red color and intense flavor of red fruits, namely berries. Within Ruby Ports one finds the categories LBV (Late Bottle Vintage) and Vintage, upper-quality wines with unique characteristics. Vintages are wines produced with grapes harvested in a single year and bottled two years after the vintage. It ages in bottle where it can be kept for several decades. LBV is also a wine from a single harvest , but it is only bottled between four and six years after the harvest, and one can leave it to age in bottle or drink it while still young.
Barão de Vilar Tawny Port
Origin:
- Cima Corgo & Douro Superior regions
Grape Varieties:
- Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão
Vinification:
- Stainless steel vats
- Grapes must not distemmed
- 1 day pre-fermentative maceration and 2 days fermentation
Tasting Notes:
The Barão de Vilar Tawny Port is a blend of selected young ports matured in small oak vats called "pipas". As a result, they gradually mellow to an ambar, Tawny colour. Its aroma combines ripe with dry fruits with cinnamon.
Ready to drink, this top quality Tawny goes perfectly with less-sweet desserts. It can also be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif, slightly chilled.
Alcohol: 19,5%
PDF Download technical sheet for Barão de Vilar Tawny Port
Barão de Vilar Porto Reserve
Origin:
- Cima Corgo & Douro Superior regions
Grape Varieties:
- Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão
Vinification:
- Stainless steel vats
- Grapes must not destemmed
- 1 day pre-fermentative maceration and 2 days fermentation
Tasting Notes:
This amazing Ruby Reserve is characterized by its softness, with a perceived fruity character. Blended from reserve wines selected for their intense fruity character and deep color, it is aged in wooden casks of around 600 liters for 4 years before bottling.The aging in bottle can slightly improve the wine.
Ready to drink, it forms an excellent accompaniment for simple and classic desserts but it also can be enjoyed on its own, slightly chilled, as an aperitif.
Alcohol: 20%
PDF Download technical sheet for Barão de Vilar Porto Reserve
Barão de Vilar LBV Port
Origin:
- Porto DOC
Grape Varieties:
- Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca
Vinification:
- Grapes must not distemmed
- 1 day pre-fermentative maceration and 2 days fermentation
Late Bottle Vintage is a blend from full, rich and fruity wines of a single year which has been specially chosen for ageing. The Barão de Vilar LBV was foot trodden in granite "lagares" and stored in large oak vats called "tonels".
Tasting Notes:
The special characteristics of this LBV are its richness, depth of flavor and powerful, attractive bouquet. In order to retain as much character and depth as possible, it has been bottled in the same way as a Vintage Port, without any stabilization. As a result, the port may throw a little deposit.
Food pairing - cakes with red and black fruit jams, cheeses, ice-cream, tiramisú and as a digestif with full flavor cigars. Can be left open for a couple of days. Alcohol: 20%
PDF Download technical sheet for Barão de Vilar Late Bottled Vintage
Barão de Vilar 10 Years Old
Origin:
- Cima Corgo & Douro Superior regions
Grape Varieties:
- Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão and other indigenous grape varieties
Vinification:
- Stainless steel vats
- Grapes must not distemmed
- 1 day pre-fermentative maceration and 2 days fermentation
Tasting Notes:
This superb old Tawny port patiently matured for 10 years in seasoned oak casks, acquiring a softened mellow texture with an intense complex nose which complements the appealing raisiny fruit. Ready to drink, makes a delicious dessert wine and is the perfect finish for any meal. Serve slightly chilled in warm weather.Goes very well with sweet desserts, mince pies, cakes, milk chocolates, walnuts, nuts, créme brûlée, Roquefort and as a digestive with cigars. Can be left open for a couple of weeks. Alcohol: 20% PDF Download technical sheet for Barão de Vilar 10 Y/O Tawny Port