In 1999, the Symington family formed a partnership with the Prats family from Bordeaux to produce top-tier Douro wines. The first Prats & Symington wine was Chryseia 2000, which received widespread national and international acclaim. Since then, Chryseia and its second wine, Post Scriptum, have consistently appeared among the most highly regarded Douro wines. Chryseia was the first unfortified Portuguese wine to appear in Wine Spectator's annual Top 100 Wines and has now appeared on this influential list three times. In 2014, Chryseia 2011 was ranked third in the Top 100, the highest-ranking Douro wine ever.
Prats & Symington wines are produced on one of the Douro's finest estates, the magnificent Quinta de Roriz. This historic vineyard dates back to 1565 and has long been renowned for the quality of its wines. The 42-hectare Roriz vineyard is complemented by the 23-hectare Quinta da Perdiz in the neighboring Rio Torto Valley. Quinta da Vila Velha, owned by James and Rupert Symington, borders Roriz, and some of its finest grapes are also used to make Chryseia and Post Scriptum.
After being hand-harvested, this premium wine is aged for an impressive fifteen months in oak barrels. Some of these are new, giving it its distinctive character. It was awarded a remarkable 94 points by Robert Parker. The aroma boasts complex notes of plums, tobacco, vanilla, oak, and subtle sweet spices. The palate is full and robust, and we recommend decanting it. It features abundant black fruit, as well as nuances of spice, tobacco, vanilla, and licorice.
