It was a Portuguese-French merger from the very beginning. Casa Rozès, which is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year, was founded in Bordeaux in 1855 by Ostende Rozès. His son Edmond created the “Porto Rozès” brand in 1930, but during the war the company withdrew from Portugal and did not return until 1956. In 1974, the family sold the company. After a few stops, it finally passed into the hands of the newly founded luxury group LVMH in 1987. A year earlier, and this is where the story gets a little complicated, the famous São Pedro das Águias (SPdA) abbey in the Douro Valley, with its quinta in a state of disrepair, was purchased by the Vranken champagne house. São Pedro das Águias was to make port wine history, as it was the first house to ship its port wines directly from the Douro Valley. Before Portugal joined the EU, only merchants based in Vila Nova de Gaia were allowed to do so.
A complicated history
Although owner Paul-François Vranken lost the property in 1996 due to divorce, he retained the trademark rights to SPdA. Vranken then bought Rozès from LVMH in 1999 and merged it with SPdA in 2002. Already the key figure at that time: António Saraiva. Saraiva had studied in Bordeaux and became an oenologist of SPdA in 1988 and its general manager in 1998. After the takeover of Rozès, he became head of S PR Vinhos, as the merged company was called, until it was renamed Rozès in 2005. Rozès did not originally own any vineyards, but Vranken acquired quintas in the region early on. The crowning glory was Quinta do Grifo in the remote Duoro Superior region on the border with Spain. It owns two dozen hectares of A-class vineyards, the highest classification in the Duoro region, which ranges up to F. In 2005, Quinta do Grifo was merged with two other quintas to form the Terras do Grifo brand. This is where the group’s dry white and red wines come from.
The white wines of Terras do Grifo
The whites, all made from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties, kick things off. Malvasia Fina comes into play in the high-quality cuvées from the Reserva onwards, and Arinto in the Grande Reserva. A very good introduction is Essência 2024, which is only available in magnums. Fresh, light, bone-dry and slightly salty, it is an ideal wine for fish (88p.). Uncomplicated, with sufficient density and acidity, the Branco 2023 also offers excellent value for money (86p.). The Reserva 2022 (88 points) is more sophisticated, with subtle yeast on the nose and delicate creaminess.
I found the Grande Reserva 2019 less harmonious. Very ripe grapes and heavy oak aging: this wine aims for French “Grand Vins,” but lacks precision (89–90p.). In contrast, the Vinhas Velhas 2020 shows real class. The wine comes from seven grape varieties grown in mixed vineyards here. Pale yellow with green reflections, still almost sparse in its aromatic expression, but very precise and with fine minerality (94p.).
The red wines of Terras do Grifo
The Douro DOP red wines from Terras do Grifo are also produced exclusively from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties. First and foremost, of course, are Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. Depending on the cuvée, however, Tinto Cão, Sousão or Tinta Roriz may also be added. Tinto 2021 displays very clean red and black fruit without any hint of liqueur, with medium density and length (87p.). The Reserva 2020 is a very strong wine in its class. Black fruit, five spices and a hint of menthol on the nose, precise on the palate with nice acidity (90p.).
The current vintage of the Grande Reserva is 2017. Here, too, there is a lovely fruitiness and plenty of spice in the bouquet. On the palate, it is more complex, with noticeable acidity but also a hint of bitter phenolic notes. The finish is somewhat short (90p.). The Vinhas Velhas is also from 2017 and, like its white counterpart, is a field blend. The 14.7 percent alcohol is noticeable, as is the 22 months of aging in French oak. It is a strong, complex wine, but not entirely balanced and less convincing than the Branco (90p.).
The port wines of Rozès
The port wines of RozèsAntónio Saraiva brought only a small selection of the enormous variety of Rozès’ port portfolio. The tasting began with two wines from the Colors Collection, an entry-level line with an outfit that takes some getting used to, at least from a Berlin perspective.The red Reserve was indeed sour cherry and hedonistic, but well balanced by its tannins. You could actually drink such a wine “on ice” (85p.). I will draw a veil over the White Reserve: enormously creamy, but with noticeable alcohol, too sweet and lacking any harmony.The Late Harvest 2022, the only wine from Rozès made from a single grape variety, Malvasia Fina, comes from another universe. Aged in acacia wood, the wine displays heavy white flowers and walnut skin in the bouquet. Not too sweet on the palate and really elegant. With some potential for aging (91p.).
The Tawny Port Infanta Isabel 10 years old takes the first step into the “classic” port universe. It is quite sweet, but transparent and well made (88p.). Almost too big – because I would have liked to taste at least one vintage port – was the leap to the end of the tasting. This was the 2022 bottled Tawny Port Dom Rozès Aged 50 Years. António Saraiva says that the youngest ports in the blend are 50 years old. It comes in an impressive 1-liter bottle reminiscent of the 18th century. In addition to a whole range of walnut aromas, there is still an astonishing amount of intact fruit and a nice acidity (96p). It is a proud heir to a world of oxidative wine production that has produced some of its most thrilling examples in the Douro.
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Poster: 1stDibs.com, Inc / Casa Rozès
All others: Stefan Pegatzky / Tme Tunnel Images
