A story told in two voices
The Roquette & Cazes project represents, above all, the coming together of two friends: Jorge Roquette from Quinta do Crasto (Douro) and Jean-Michel Cazes from Château Lynch-Bages (Pauillac). The two major challenges of this project—to respect the character of the Douro so as not to lose the local feel and touch, and to bring together two different teams of winemakers who speak different languages and work 1,000 km apart—were successfully accomplished. These two families decided to set up a company to produce great wines distinguished by the natural characteristics of the Douro Valley and the experience of the Cazes family, who have been producing wines in Bordeaux for nearly a century.
Since 2002, the Roquette family from Quinta do Crasto and the Cazes family from Château Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux have been associated to share their knowledge and produce unique wines from the privileged Douro region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a story told in two voices, a meeting of two friends: Jorge Roquette and Jean-Michel Cazes. Nowadays, the project is managed with the same enthusiasm and friendship by the second generation—Tomás Roquette and Jean-Charles Cazes. Viticulture is overseen by Tiago Nogueira, who is responsible for viticulture at Quinta do Crasto. The winemaking process is conducted by both winemakers and takes place in the Quinta do Crasto winery.
A specific vinification
A specific vinification system—gentle pumping over and long maceration periods—has been implemented to preserve and elegantly integrate the Douro’s characteristics. This process results in intense and elegant wines with good structure and personality, deeply marked by the “terroir.” In the Roquette & Cazes project, the whole process begins in the vineyard. From time to time, the Cazes family's winemaker, Daniel Llose, visits the Douro to inspect the vineyards alongside Manuel Lobo, Quinta do Crasto’s winemaker.
The vinification process takes place in Quinta do Crasto’s winery. To conserve yet elegantly integrate the Douro’s characteristics, a specific winemaking system was created, including a gentle pumping-over process and long maceration periods, resulting in intense and elegant wines with good structure and personality, deeply marked by the “terroir.” The grapes come from vineyards located in different parts of the Douro Valley. The main grape varieties used are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. French oak barrels, supplied by Château Lynch-Bages’ provider, are used to mature the wine. Bottle aging takes place in a temperature-controlled environment in Crasto’s warehouse.
