Ramos Pinto

“2014 Harvest started earlier than previous years. Overall, it was possible to produce fresh wines, very fruity and expressive."

CLIMATE Overall, 2014 recorded rainfall within the average of the previous years, except during the July-September period, during which the level of precipitation almost doubled.The overall average temperatures were significantly lower than in 2013, except for the April-July period, during which they were well above the usual for the time.

VEGETATIVE CYCLE The bud burst occurred in March, in the usual period, and flowering began in May.In general, maturation began two weeks earlier than usual.

DOURO WINES The rainy winter and a very hot beginning of spring were followed by a humid summer with few heat spikes. The harvest began on the 4th of August, 9 days earlier than in 2013, and was completed on the 7th of  October. This year, grape/must yields seem higher. In terms of quality, white wines are expressive and vibrant, with good acidity and maturation, particularly in the case of the grape variety Rabigato. Regarding reds, we had relatively high alcohol levels and obtained a more expressive wine with a more potent fruit.

PORT WINES The Port wine harvest began on the 27th of August and lasted until the 1st of October. The harvest was interrupted several times due to intense rain but, miraculously, there was no rotting. It was a difficult harvest to manage, but with stunning results, nevertheless: colourful wines with rich aromas and, above all, a freshness of mouth, unusual in the Douro.Touriga Nacional was clearly the best Port variety in 2014, in both the Douro Superior (Quinta da Ervamoira) and Cima Corgo (Quinta do Bom Retiro and Quinta da Urtiga).

"2014 was the year of the climatic twists."

Founded by Adriano Ramos Pinto in 1880, Casa Ramos Pinto rapidly became noted, at the time, for its innovative and enterprising strategy. Associated with quality bottled wines, it began operating on the Brazilian market in the early 20th century and quickly became responsible for half of the wine exported to South America, whilst it was still conquering generations of loyal customers in Portugal and Europe. These were the natural results of a forward thinking strategy, based on the modernisation of selection, batching and ageing circuits, the continuous wine research and the special care which Adriano Ramos Pinto devoted to the packaging and promotion of his wines.
The Ramos Pinto wines have therefore become a reference of quality.

From the very onset was born a unique collection of art objects, which are displayed today in the recently opened Museum Area - Casa Ramos Pinto.
The taste for culture instilled by Adriano Ramos Pinto in the working philosophy of Casa Ramos Pinto, is still alive today. In 1997, Casa Ramos Pinto created the Ervamoira On-Site Museum, aimed at environmental, oenological, archaeological and anthropological research of the Vale do Côa. Researchers also have at their disposal the Historical Archives in Vila Nova de Gaia, with a precious collection of documents on the production and export of wines from the late 19th century.

Aware that the quality of its wines were confined to the earth of the wine producing Douro, Casa Ramos Pinto meticulously studied this Demarcated Region, and eventually became the owners of a number of estates with very special characteristics. The objective was to ensure the control and quality of the whole production process. By perfecting its wines, Ramos Pinto created unique nectars with its own signature.

In 1990, Casa Ramos Pinto became part of the Roederer Group, whose history has identical characteristics. So, the qualities that gave fame to Casa Ramos Pinto took on an international dimension.

A personal touch and autonomy are two of the key factors, which give its wines that unique and distinct characteristic and through these Casa Ramos Pinto has outlined the development of its work for the future.
Casa Ramos Pinto has always understood that the quality of its wines begins in the earth of the Douro region and therefore took ownership of a number of estates, carefully selected in the Demarcated Region.
It was the first step in a wine-producing career which has invested in a philosophy of self-supply, the purpose of which is to, in the short term, guarantee total production of the grapes used in port and still wines.
The pursuit of excellence is evident in the effective quality of the wines it produces and the continuation of a pioneering tradition in the areas of research, which for decades has guided its production strategy.

To this intention of oenological quality was added the original artistic sensitivity inherited from Adriano Ramos Pinto, who considered that the appreciation of a good wine was primarily a cultural act embedded in European tradition. This sensitivity is still alive in the magnificent décor of the offices, in the works of art commissioned, in the publication of careful editions and in their practice of sponsoring the arts. In 1997 Casa Ramos Pinto, with this tradition in mind created the Ervamoira On-Site Museum. It has given researchers the opportunity to study its collection of documents and Historical archives; it supports research projects in the field of History and Art History and recently opened the Museum Area - Casa Ramos Pinto that is devoted to the history of the company and the art of marketing.

Meet the men who laid down these principles.

Winemaker: João Nicolau de Almeida

João Nicolau de Almeida was born in Oporto, Portugal in 1949. Educated in Oporto, he earned a degree in Enology and Agricultural Chemistry at Bordeaux University. Later in 1976 he joined the family firm, Ramos-Pinto, as winemaker and managing director.

Combining his love of the Douro region and his passion for enology, João Nicolau began an exhaustive micro-vinification study of single grape varietals. This study established the five major varietals that were were officially adopted by the regional authorities: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cao. 

In the mid-seventies, Nicolau de Almeida and his family further developed the study by leading the way with modern viticultural practices. As part of his research on the singular varieties planted in the Douro vineyards, he selected the plant material and then organized the vines by varietal blocks, planting the vines up and down the rolling hills rather than on the region’s typical horizontal terraces. By planting vertically, Nicolau de Almeida was able to achieve greater vine density while also increasing vineyard management efficiency. The vertical planting method has since been adopted by other port houses and is used almost exclusively at Ervamoira. 

Nicolau de Almeida is truly a pioneer of the Douro Valley, in addition to carrying on the family tradition of making world-class Ports, he also set a new standard for Portuguese red table wines with the creation of Duas Quintas. The two vinho tinto, a "regular" bottling and a reserva, have captured the attention of wine lovers and opened the door for further exploration of the robust, elegant wines from this incredibly beautiful, rugged region where the love of wine has been cultivated for centuries. 

Ramos Pinto Port Wines are prepared in the vinification centre of Quinta do Bom Retiro. In the case of LBV and Vintage, the grapes are trodden in the traditional lagar as this age-old technique allows for the juice of the fruit to be extracted more efficiently and less violently. After having concluded the first steps of vinification, the wines are transported to the historical wine cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia, where they undergo a long ageing process.

At Casa Ramos Pinto the know-how is kept a secret but we will make an exception for you. Visit the Ramos Pinto Wine Cellars.

Museum of Ervamoira

On November 1, 1997, Porto Ramos-Pinto inaugurated the Museum of Ervamoira in the presence of Portuguese dignitaries, artistic luminaries and port wine representatives. 

The museum, created with the help of the Portuguese government, was built in honor of an unexpected archaeological discovery that saved one of the Douro region’s finest port vineyards from destruction. 

Ramos-Pinto’s Quinta da Ervamoira vineyard had long been producing grapes for the house’s award-winning ports when the Portuguese Electricity Authority decided to build a dam at the site in 1991. The vineyard would be partially submerged, destroying the area’s delicate macroclimate. 

Despite months of public appeals to save the valley by winemaker João de Almeida, all hope for saving the vineyard seemed lost -- until an amazing event occured. In 1995, archaeologists discovered engravings, pictures and bones on the rock faces at Ervamoira found to be Europe’s finest collection of open-air Paleolithic art, dating back to 26,000 B.C. Unfortunatly, despite this discovery, the Portuguese Electricity Authority persisted with their plans for a damn. 

It wasn’t until 1996 that the rock art (and thus, Ervamoira) was rescued from flooding when the Portuguese government gave in to an international campaign to preserve the drawings. 

Public interest in the carvings prompted the opening of the Foz Côa Archeological Park at the site on August 10, 1996, covering one mile from the river Côa mouth upstream. The park has already attracted thousands of visitors, including the King of Spain, Don Juan Carlos, and Jorge Sampaio, President of the Republic of Portugal. 

In the year following the opening of the park, the 18th century estate master’s house at Ervamoira was fully restored to display the area’s archaeological treasures. The Museum of Ervamoira was inaugurated with great fanfare in early November 1997, attended by the Portuguese Minister of Culture, several state department heads and Jean-Claude Rouzaud, president of Champagne Louis Roederer and owner of Ramos-Pinto. 

The museum is dedicated to preserving the region’s anthropological heritage and features natural history exhibits, a computer research room for visitors and a wine tasting room. 

In committing itself to the protection and promotion of the Portuguese cultural heritage, the House of Ramos-Pinto remains faithful to the traditions started in 1880 by its founder, Adriano Ramos-Pinto.