Prats & Symington 'Chryseia' Douro 2022

Originating from Portugal in the Douro region, specifically within the Douro DOC appellation, Prats & Symington 'Chryseia' Douro represents a historic, benchmark, and internationally acclaimed flagship expression of Portuguese red winemaking. Created in 1999, Prats & Symington is a celebrated joint venture uniting two of the world's most distinguished winemaking families: Bruno Prats, former owner of Château Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux, and the Symington family, renowned port producers in the Douro Valley. The name 'Chryseia'—derived from the Ancient Greek word for 'golden'—reflects the golden river terroir of the Douro Valley. The grapes are sourced from the finest plots within Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz in the Cima Corgo sub-region, where steep, sun-drenched schistous terraces dominate. Under the direction of head winemaker Charles Symington and consultant Bruno Prats, the winemaking philosophy incorporates parcel-by-parcel temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats, gentle extraction, and maturation for 15 months in 400-litre French oak barrels (approximately 50% to 60% new). The result is a monumental red wine that marries Douro power, intense floral aromatics, and classic Bordeaux structural elegance.

Wine Description

The wine presents an opaque, deep dark ruby red colour with intense purple reflections along the rim. An expressive, highly complex bouquet opens with noble aromas of ripe wild blackberry, dark plum compote, cassis, and black cherry, interwoven with sophisticated notes of rockrose (esteva), fresh eucalyptus, dark chocolate, graphite, espresso bean, and toasted cedar spice. On the palate, it is full bodied, silken, and expansive, delivering concentrated flavours of black fruit, licorice, and savory mineral earth, all supported by a bright, mouthwatering spine of natural acidity. Framed by rich, fine-grained, muscular tannins and an extraordinarily dense mid-palate structure, it concludes with an extraordinarily long, persistent finish marked by lingering dark berries, floral spice, and a clean schistose mineral grip. Composed primarily of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, it offers immediate drinking appeal along with extended cellaring potential over 15 to 25 years. Stylistically, it effortlessly combines Douro warmth, high-elevation freshness, and aristocratic French polish.