A new harvest, a new chapter in this story of the past, present, and future
Legado is more than just a wine. It is a tribute, a dream come true, and a celebration of the best the Douro has to offer. The 2018 vintage has just hit the market and, like those that came before it, promises to immortalize knowledge, memories, and an extraordinary year.
With each new vintage, we are reminded of the origins of Legado, a wine by Fernando Guedes, who was captivated by the magnificent pre-phylloxera terraces of Quinta do Caêdo, in Ervedosa do Douro. A timeless, truly breathtaking setting. A force of nature that endures the passage of time. A place that made it possible to create a wine capable of paying tribute to the stories, knowledge, and adventures passed down by his father—the founder of Sogrape—and passed on by him to subsequent generations.
For Fernando da Cunha Guedes, President of Sogrape, “Each new vintage of Legado is a fresh breath of life in the passing on of a unique legacy. It is a solemn moment, filled with joy and pride, that perpetuates my father’s vision, his knowledge, and his passion. Because we inevitably remember him—his character and dreamer’s spirit. It is, without a doubt, a wine brimming with symbolism.”
There are 8 hectares of vineyards over 100 years old, planted on very small terraces, with a very low average yield. As for the grape varieties, there are more than 25 different ones, all of them properly identified, and they reflect ancestral planting techniques. Conditions such as these require an annual visit by horses with plows for the customary tilling of the soil, aerating the upper layers and eliminating weeds and other pests—a completely organic practice. As a rule, the manual harvest takes place in two to three phases, depending on the vineyard’s different exposures. There is no shortage of special attributes, which is why it is called Legado.
Since its first release in 2008, the focus has been on what the vineyard provides—without demands, without expectations, and without standards of perfection. Luís Sottomayor, who proudly signs this wine, waits only for nature. “It’s a wine with a distinctive character, where the Douro’s personality is clearly evident,” comments Sogrape’s head of winemaking in the Douro. Regarding the new vintage now hitting the market, “Legado 2018 is marked by harmony and an extraordinary elegance, the result of a very cold but extraordinary year. In a nutshell, it is intriguing, alluring, and mysterious. It reveals itself over time,” he concludes.
Quantity produced: 1,816 bottles