Our wine from the Dão is from the Quinta do Covão in the stunning village of Sandomil, with its fluvial beach in the river Alva and its old Roman bridge, nestled in the Beira Alta subzone, near the city of Seia. The vineyards of the Quinta are scattered along the slopes of the Estrela mountain range, deeply in a continental climate with high altitudes where cool nights follow warm sunshine. This climate, combined with granitic soils and fresh river water, is ideal for growing grapes with high acidity and making wines that can be cellared.
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Wine Description
Reviews / Scores / Notes
92 Points (2020 vintage review) -John Gilman, View From the Cellar
“2020 Dão Branco- Lúcia Ferreira (Mary Taylor Selections) The 2020 Dão Branco from Lúcia Ferreira is crafted from a cépages of twenty-five percent Encruzado, thirty-two percent Malvasia Fina, nineteen percent Bicoal and fourteen percent Gouveio. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The 2020 version is drinking beautifully today, delivering a refined bouquet of white peach, fresh lime, a touch of casaba melon, white soil tones, gentle floral tones and a hint of beeswax in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil undertow and grip and a long, well balanced and very classy finish. This is an excellent wine that still has years and years of life ahead of it. 2023-2040+. 92.”
-John Gilman, published by View From the Cellar. Suggested drinking: 2023-2040+
91 Points – Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, winemag.com
“A blend of mainly Encruzado and Malvasia, this wine is smooth, creamy and full of bright apple and kiwi flavors. It has full fruit and a hint of spice. Drink now.” – Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, December 1, 2022.
2020 Dão Branco: “35% encruzado, 32% malvasia fina. 19% bical, 14% gouveio. From Quinta do Covao in Beira Alta; native yeasts. Boy, this has aged well. Wow, stony. Smell the granite. Classic, timeless. Seems like it will never grow Maintains total integrity and granite basis while taking on more depth and breadth./ Yes, stony on the palate too. Even with the malvasia component, this is much more about terroir than about fruit. It does have a fruity soft spot though. Not at all an austere palate. Well balanced and surely meal worthy Well balanced, and laying just right, texture wise. A unique wonder. 16.8.”
– David Scheer, Village Corner, Ann Arbor, MI
Vintage Notes:
2018: The 2018 season was marked by extreme weather that affected the vegetative cycle. October was very dry, while winter and spring were cold and rainy with an elevated risk of disease, leading to more intense work in the vineyard. Summer was fairly warm and dry, which led to a loss in production. Despite a shortage of grapes due to the prevalence of diseases, the grapes that entered the winery were very healthy and produced very fresh wines of great quality.
2019: The year was unusually dry. Spring was slightly warmer than normal, and the flowering stage took place at the end of May. The harvest was carried out between September and October, with temperatures above normal and less rain than usual. The rainy end of the year partially replenished the soil reserves. The result is a wine of great aromatic intensity with notes of pear, pineapple and citrus fruit, alongside floral tones and hints of minerality. On the palate, it is very fresh, fruity notes again well to the fore – harmonious and balanced.
Quinta do Covão has belonged to the Gomes Ferreira family since the seventies.
Located in Sandomil, Seia, near the Serra da Estrela mountain, Quinta do Covão estate is a privileged area to produce high-quality grapes.
With a total of 50 ha, respecting the methods of integrated production, taking all care to the environment, following the traditions and culture of the vine and knowledge in Portugal. The vineyards are situated at an altitude between 300 and 500 meters and comprise the best varieties of the Dao region, such as Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Tinta Roriz produced in terraces and Encruzado, Bical, Cercial, Malvasia Fina and Verdelho produced in flat areas.
Lúcia Ferreira started producing wine about 10 years ago, doing her own Quinta do Covão red and white as we know it today.
