Is Quinta de la Rosa expanding?

[JacobH]

I seem to be seeing much more wine from Quinta de la Rosa around than a few years ago, and have been wondering whether this is due to an expansion of production by the Quinta or just by better distribution. For example, they now make a range of own-label Ports for Berry Brothers and Harvey Nichols and I’ve seen their wines stocked in Waitrose and some other bigger shops. I’m sure a few years ago it was pretty much impossible to find in the UK.

The Harvey Nick’s Port is rather attractively presented:
which can’t have been cheap or easy to do (especially with the custom boxes it comes in).

Does anyone know if there has been a change there to precipitate this? (Of course I might just be imagining it!).

Apologies for two questions in a row on ; both have been things I’ve been thinking about for a while but haven’t had much chance to post about!

[DRT]

Their website says that all of their products are grown and made on the quinta, so it is difficult to understand how they could "expand" without either incorporating more land into the property or replanting parts of it that were not under vine.

The LBV and 10 yr Tawny appear to be packaged in the same way as the Harvey Nick's example above, which would keep the cost down to a reasonable level as they only need one bottle design and one bottling line. That bottle also seems to be identical to the one Graham are now using for their premium tawnies, so it is perhaps not a bespoke design just for de la Rosa.

Perhaps they have just found a new route to the UK market which has resulted in us seeing more of what they were previously selling elsewhere?

[JacobH]

Their website says that all of their products are grown and made on the quinta, so it is difficult to understand how they could "expand" without either incorporating more land into the property or replanting parts of it that were not under vine.

That’s true, but I was just wondering, since bits of the site haven’t been updated in a while (it shows 2010 News on the front page) whether they’d started doing something else. A bit like Noval used to do (and perhaps still does with its basic Ports).

The LBV and 10 yr Tawny appear to be packaged in the same way as the Harvey Nick's example above, which would keep the cost down to a reasonable level as they only need one bottle design and one bottling line. That bottle also seems to be identical to the one Graham are now using for their premium tawnies, so it is perhaps not a bespoke design just for de la Rosa.

Hadn’t noticed that. That would make it easier to produce. I think M&S also used those bottles for a while.

Perhaps they have just found a new route to the UK market which has resulted in us seeing more of what they were previously selling elsewhere?

Indeed, quite possible. I was wondering which was more likely!

[g-man]

I've tasted that bottle at the winery last year.

though first one was horribly corked.

Second one was okay, albeit not too memorable as I can't recall any notes.

The only thing i do remember from quinta de la rosa was the 92 vp which was a very fine drinker.

[clawhit]

I purchased a case of 94 and was surprised at how good it was - so much so wouldn't mind getting my hands on another as it has been drinking so well

[JacobH]

I was reading a review of a new high-end restaurant, Hix Belgravia, in the Evening Standard a couple of nights ago and saw this:

Another venture of the indefatigable Mr Hix - he is also "ambassador' for Clarence Court eggs - is Tonnix wines from the northern Portuguese vineyard of Quinta de la Rosa, which he and fellow chef Mitch Tonks developed. The label is by Tracey Emin. From the lower slopes of the list, based on the red anyway, it is definitely worth ordering.

The wine list has a Tonnix Red and White both at £29.75.

To get a label designed by the Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy and to have the wines sponsored by Mark Hix means that some serious PR work must be being done by someone.