2022 Wine & Soul Pintas

The 2022 Wine & Soul Pintas is one of the Douro Valley’s modern icons: a powerful yet supremely refined red built for those who love depth, character and longevity. Sourced from 84-year-old field-blend vines in the Pinhão Valley, this micro‑cuvée captures the soul of traditional Douro viticulture in a distinctly contemporary, polished style. With only a few thousand bottles made and a 97/100 score from Robert Parker, it stands out as a benchmark wine for the region.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2022 Pintas shows an opaque, inky purple core with a deep ruby rim, hinting at its concentration and youth. The nose is intense and layered: blackcurrant and blackberry compote, ripe plum and cassis are woven with earthy undertones, graphite, warm spices and a subtle floral lift. As it opens, nuances of dark chocolate, mocha and sweet tobacco emerge, supported by well-integrated French oak. On the palate, this is a muscular yet impeccably balanced Douro red. Dense black fruit – blackberry, black cherry and cassis – is framed by a firm mineral backbone and vibrant acidity, giving the wine remarkable focus and precision. The texture is pure velvet, with powerful but beautifully ripe, supple tannins that coat the mouth without ever feeling harsh. Notes of dark chocolate, espresso, licorice and a faint savory, schist-driven minerality carry through to a long, warm, persistent finish. Still a “baby,” the 2022 Pintas will reward patience: it can be enjoyed now with extended decanting, but will evolve gracefully for 15–20 years or more in a proper cellar.

Production
Pintas comes from a tiny, steep, terraced vineyard in the Vale de Mendiz near Pinhão, in the heart of the Douro. The vines are around 84 years old and planted on poor, schistous soils typical of the region, with a classic Douro field blend of more than 30 indigenous grape varieties growing together in the same parcel. Yields are naturally very low, contributing to the wine’s concentration and intensity. Harvesting is done by hand, with careful bunch selection in the vineyard and at the winery. The grapes are traditionally foot‑trodden in granite lagares to extract color and tannin gently yet thoroughly, preserving freshness and aromatic complexity. Fermentation is followed by 20 months of maturation in French oak barrels, around 30% new and 70% second-fill, which lend structure and subtle spice without overwhelming the wine’s vibrant fruit and terroir character.

Food & Serving
This is a commanding Douro red that shines alongside richly flavored dishes. Think grilled or roasted red meats, dry-aged ribeye, lamb racks with rosemary, venison or other game with robust, reduced sauces, and slow-braised dishes like oxtail or beef cheeks. It also pairs beautifully with mature hard cheeses such as aged Manchego, Serra da Estrela, or well-aged cheddar and Comté. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight both its power and finesse. Decant generously – 2 to 3 hours is ideal in its youth – to allow the wine’s initially tight structure to unfold into its full, elegant, layered expression.

Producer
Wine & Soul was founded in 2001 by the husband-and-wife team of winemaker Sandra Tavares da Silva (also known from Quinta do Vale D. Maria and Quinta de Chocapalha) and oenologist Jorge Serôdio Borges (formerly at Niepoort and now at Passadouro). Their vision was to craft expressive, terroir-driven wines from old vines in the Douro, highlighting the extraordinary heritage of field-blend vineyards that had long been overshadowed by Port production. Starting with a tiny 2-hectare estate in Vale de Mendiz, they quickly gained both national and international acclaim; Pintas, in particular, has become one of the region’s reference wines, regularly receiving top scores and helping redefine the Douro as one of the world’s great regions for ageworthy, complex dry reds. Today, Wine & Soul is widely respected for its meticulous vineyard work, minimal-intervention winemaking and its role in elevating the reputation of Douro table wines on the global stage.

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