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Douro DOC section

The Symington family is known for their long and distinguished history of producing premium Vintage Ports in the Douro, under such labels as Graham's, Warre's, Dow's and Quinta do Vesuvio. As a natural extension of their interest in and dedication to making Port, the Symingtons began producing Douro DOC table wines seriously in 1999, applying their skill and expertise to ensure that the results reflect their tradition of making the worlds finest wines. Today seven members of the Symington family are involved in the business, personally managing all aspects of winemaking from the vineyard to the final bottling of the wines.

The Symingtons have developed strong partnerships with other producers from the Douro to produce widely acclaimed Douro DOC wines under brands such as Chryseia, Quinta de Roriz and Altano.

Chryseia - consistently regarded by the specialized press as one of the Douro's best wines
Chryseia is the result of a successful marriage of Bordeaux winemaking expertise with the great vineyards of the Upper Douro. In 1989 the leading Bordeaux winemaker Bruno Prats, of Cos d'Estournel fame, associated himself with the Symington family, leading Port producers for over a hundered years, to produce a first class red wine from the Douro DOC region. Fruit is sourced from vineyards normally associated with fine Vintage Port and the bunches hand selected prior to vinification in small stainless steel fermenters, in the classic Bordeaux style, followed by prolonged skin contact. Barrel ageing takes place in new French oak barrels of 350 and 400 litres for a period of between nine and twelve months.

Quinta de Roriz Reserva and Prazo de Roriz (red wines) are produced from grapes of one of the Douro's best vineyards, Quinta de Roriz. This estate is now jointly owned with João van Zeller (a cousin of the Symingtons through Beatrice Atkinson). Through most of the 19th century demand for its Port in the British market was very high. The two families are determined to reinstate the Quinta's historically pre-eminent position.
Both of these Douro DOC red wines appear frequently in the leading wine magazines with outstanding classifications.

Altano is produced exclusively by the Symington family. Its Reserva, Red and White wines are quickly attaining worldwide recognition and becoming increasingly popular in important markets such as the UK and the United States.

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