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Winery: Alves De Sousa

Country / Region: Portugal / Duoro

Date Winery was established: 1990s

Alcohol / Volume: 12.5% / 750ml

Grape Variety: Touriga Nacional & Tinta Roriz

First Vintage Released: 2005

Good to Know: Domingos Alves de Sousa and his father Edmundo and grandfather had been winemakers in Duoro as a family tradition. Domingos, having graduated Civil Engineer, had first abandoned the tradition in 1987 as he carried out a model work of land consolidation and restructuring of the vineyard. The wine growing activity has evolved and become more interesting. A turning point in 1988, affected by recession, where wine growers were struggling. It required technical and professional training. Domingos then attended courses so he may learn the ways of viticulture and oenology which helped him restructure the vineyards to become his very own producer-bottler. He built a winery in Quita Gaivosa where he vinified the production from remaining farms.

As the varieties have been experimented and studied, Domingos Alves de Sousa learned the best wines to produce from Douro and launched his wines in market mid-1992. The first wine: Quinta do Vale da Raposa white 1991 immediately captivated connoisseurs. This was the start of his journey that has led to today.

The 2025 Vale da Raposa Rosé highlights the innovative spirit of Tiago Alves de Sousa in Portugal’s Douro Valley, where rosé is crafted not as an afterthought, but as a serious, terroir-driven wine. Equal parts Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), the 2025 vintage benefited from a balanced growing season that permitted gentle, complete ripening while preserving vibrant natural acidity. Cool-fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats without oak contact, this vintage captures pristine varietal freshness, bright fruit expression, and the granite-and-schist minerality unique to the estate’s steep Douro plots.

In the glass, the 2025 Vale da Raposa Rosé shows a pale salmon-pink hue with an inviting nose of wild red berries, fresh raspberries, floral rose petals, and zesty pink grapefruit. The palate is crisp, focused, and mouthwatering, delivering concentrated flavors of sour cherry, orange zest, and strawberry that glide into a dry, clean, mineral-driven finish. Its bright acidity and vibrant profile make it a versatile pairing for grilled prawns or octopus, seared ahi tuna, Portuguese cod (bacalhau) salad, summer goat cheese crostini, or lightly spiced Asian dishes.