Casa de Santar

Quinta de Cabriz is one of the oldest wine estates in Dão and serves as a benchmark for many producers. The Dão region is located in the north-central part of Portugal, northwest of the city of Coimbra. A region surrounded by rugged mountains, it boasts 20,000 hectares of vineyards, primarily cultivated with Tinta Roriz (a synonym for the Spanish Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional (the most representative grape variety of Portuguese vineyards and native to Dão), and Alfrocheiro. Its history shows a significant parallel with our D.O.Ca. Rioja: Dão is one of the oldest appellations in the country (established in 1908); for decades, it was practically the sole image of Portuguese wine that reached the world; cooperatives played a fundamental role; and in the 1990s, a qualitative revolution occurred that lifted it out of stagnation. In this new stage, there was a drastic shift towards quality, a leap that marked the most significant change in the Portuguese wine sector. Portugal's entry into the EU in 1986 played a crucial role in this transformation. The European body abolished the regulations that supported the cooperatives' monopoly in Dão, paving the way for private initiatives. This led to a modernization of wineries and vineyards, placing this region at the forefront of the Portuguese wine circuit. Its traditional full-bodied, high-alcohol reds have been transformed into wines that are easy to drink, elegant, balanced, and with good acidity.