The Praia Estate
The winery is a family business started in 1947, but the Guedes family has been producing wine for more than three centuries. The premises are located in the heart of the Vinho Verde region.
"Leading producer of Vinho Verde in Portugal; quaffable wines for every day."
- Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
The Praia Vineyard
The family owns 120 hectares (296.4 acres) of vines. The ancient vines hanging on trees were replaced by trellised vines stretching along the wires. The wine from the estate will be born from these grapes and sent to the remotest parts of the world, taking with it a little of the warmth of the sun, the freshness of the soil and the scent of the land of its birth.
The Vinho Verde region is one of the most extensive European Wine Regions, situated in the North of Portugal between the Minho and Douro rivers, and limited on the Eastern side by the mountains of Marão and Gerês, which detain the moist winds from the Atlantic. The Atlantic climate and the granitic soil are the main factors that give the Vinho Verde its highly appreciated characteristics : a young, fresh wine, with low alcoholic graduation and a slight fruity aroma. From the 300 million liters of wine produced annually in this region, Quinta da Aveleda produces and bottles about 10 million.
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Anakota Wines Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Helena Dakota is defined by its power, structure and sophistication. It is an intricate Cabernet Sauvignon that reflects both the terroir of the site and the influence of the surrounding Knights Valley AVA. It possesses layers of plums, anise, cassis, leather, bay leaf and cedar. Galvanized by a streak of minerals and bold tannins. Helena Dakota is a solidly-built wine that stands the test of time.
This sloping, 12-acre vineyard runs southwest to northeast at roughly 750 feet above sea level. It features soft, reddish brown, gravelly, silt loam soils speckled with rocks. Prevailing westerly winds blow over a large pond and continue uphill parallel to the rows of vines. These cooling breezes slow the ripening process creating wines that are both powerful and balanced with red fruit flavors, notable minerality and graceful tannins. Pierre says the Cabernet from Helena Dakota remind him of Pauillac or Saint-Estèphe.
Fragrant, opulent, and complex, bursting with fresh blueberry and black currant, Crème de Violette, and subtle fresh bay leaf aromatics. The palate is luxurious and rich, perfectly balancing this wine’s firm structure.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard explodes with violets, aniseed and cast iron, with a deep core of crushed blueberries and black cherries, evolving continually with each approach to the glass. The palate is stunning with its intensity and lift, pure fruits, pixelated tannins and focused acidity that drives the very long finish. Its exceptional balance and super pure flavors, plus that characteristic streak of iron that appears across the Anakota portfolio, really take the 2019 Helena Dakota to the next level.
-Wine Advocate 99 Points