Excellence Award for new São José do Barrilário wines
The structure, complexity and unmistakable Douro character of the Reserva range, launched in September 2024, won over the panel of tasters at Paixão pelo Vinho magazine.
The new São José do Barrilário Reserva Branco 2022 and Reserva Tinto 2022 wines, launched in September 2024, were awarded the Prêmio Excelência by Paixão pelo Vinho magazine, winning over the panel of tasters during blind tastings thanks to their structure, complexity and unmistakable Douro character, dominant traits in the Pacheca Group’s Douro references.
The business group accompanied the opening of the Douro Wine Hotel & SPA, in Armamar, with the launch of the São José do Barrilário wine brand, assuming the objective of creating unique, excellent wines, which stand out for their freshness and authenticity of the terroir. The auspicious debut of the Reserva line has earned widespread critical acclaim, now winning the first prize from a specialist publication.
“This is a particularly gratifying recognition, in line with the extremely positive reviews we have received from our customers in these first months of launching the range. We set out to create authentic, structured wines full of identity, marked by attention to detail and uncompromising respect for the terroir”, highlights the management of the Pacheca Group.
With the signature of the winemaking duo of the group’s main unit, Maria de Serpa Pimentel and João Silva e Sousa, the wines in the São José do Barrilário Reserva range are obtained from grape varieties with an average age of 20 to 40 years, planted in schist soils, between elevations of 50 and 600 meters. They spend long periods ageing in French oak barrels, vats and casks. After being bottled, they spend a minimum of six months in the bottle before being released onto the market. They are produced in Lamego, in the Quinta da Pacheca winemaking centre.
The São José do Barrilário Reserve Red Douro D.O.C. 2020 – 60% Touriga Francesa, 15% Sousão, 15% Touriga Nacional and 10% Tinta Roriz -, is a wine with a deep dark red colour and an intense aroma of red and black fruit (strawberry, plum, blackberry and cassis), wrapped in notes of delicate wood. In the mouth it is intense and fresh, with fruits and tannins present, but well polished, as well as notes of black pepper and spices. It comes from the 14 hectares of vineyards at the São José do Barrilário Farm, totalling 28 hectares of the property.
The São José do Barrilário Reserve White Douro D.O.C. 2022 – 70% Viosinho, 30% Gouveio – has a greenish citrus colour and aroma of fresh fruits, such as apricot and citrus fruits, and orange blossom. In the mouth, it is very fresh and elegant, with good volume and a long, persistent finish. The grapes come from a vineyard at altitude in Parambos, Carrazeda de Ansiães.
About the Farm São José do Barrilário
Acquired by the Pacheca Group in 2017, the farm located in Armamar underwent a deep and dedicated revitalization process, reopening to the public in August 2024. The project, signed by architect Henrique Gouveia Pinto, involved the construction of a five-star hotel, the Douro Wine Hotel & Spa, with 31 accommodation units (27 rooms and four suites, with areas between 28 and 50 square meters), an outdoor infinity pool, a panoramic spa, a restaurant and a wine shop, as well as the conversion of the mansion into a privileged stage for holding events, the restoration of the chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph and the launch of the São José do Barrilário wine brand.
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