Quinta do Sibio Samarrinho
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled sea bass, roasted poultry, goat cheese salad
✨ Technical Specifications
Quinta do Síbio, located in the high-altitude plateau of Alijó within the Douro Valley, serves as the cradle for Real Companhia Velha's pioneering efforts to rescue Portugal's forgotten grape varieties. This unique white wine is a monovarietal expression of Samarrinho, an ancient and nearly extinct indigenous grape that was saved from obscurity through years of dedicated viticultural research. Historically lost in field blends, Samarrinho is celebrated for its exceptional natural acidity and intense mineral character. Grown in the estate's transition soils of schist and clay, the grapes benefit from cool nights that preserve their aromatic integrity. The winemaking focuses on purity, utilizing temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation to showcase the grape's distinctive profile of white orchard fruits, citrus peel, and wet stone, wrapped in a vibrant, textured palate.
🍾 About the Producer
Established on September 10, 1756, by Royal Charter of King D. José I under the auspices of the Marquis of Pombal, Real Companhia Velha stands as Portugal's oldest continuously operating wine company. Entrusted originally with demarcating and regulating the Douro Valley, the company was acquired by the Silva Reis family in 1960. Today, under President Pedro Silva Reis and celebrated head winemaker Jorge Moreira, Real Companhia Velha oversees more than 550 hectares across historic quintas such as Das Carvalhas, De Cidro, Dos Aciprestes, and Do Casal da Granja. While famous for benchmark Port, the house pioneered fine Douro still whites, capitalizing on high-elevation schist and granite plateaus with wide diurnal shifts. Estate whites—most prominently the Quinta de Cidro mono-varietals and field blends spanning Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Alvarinho, and Sémillon (Boal)—rely on precision viticulture and parcel-specific vinification. These wines demonstrate remarkable tension, vibrant natural acidity, and an authentic, mineral-driven reflection of the rugged Douro landscape.
🍇 Grapes
Samarrinho
🍷 ABV
13%