Family
A family team working together to create the very best wines the terra can produce
Temilobos – a great situation.
The name Temilobos derives from the old original ‘Mil Lobos’ (A thousand wolves) and is shared with a tributary of the Rio Douro, which joins the Douro at the edge of the property.
The Delaforce family have owned and run the property for over 80 years. Marketing and Research are carried out by David Delaforce, and Vineyards and Wine-making are the responsibility of his son Nicholas. Sales Management and Wine Distribution are handled by son-in-law Alastair MacMillan.
History
The Delaforce family have been growing grapes for wine in the Douro for over 80 years
The Temilobos “ Olival” vineyard, of old vines
Before that, the property and the vineyards belonged to the Saavedra family, and then the Barbosa family, who sold it to Henry Delaforce and his son Victor in 1931.
The estate has been used for wine production for more than 260 years – inscriptions found on the stone surrounding the lagares (grape treading tanks) date back to 1753. Nowadays, the vineyards at Temilobos are a mix of very old and more recent plantings, the older ones being on traditional, non-terraced rows that can only be worked by horse or mule. The more recent vines, planted in 2001 and 2004 are on “patamares” or terraces of one or two rows that allow access by tractor.
The first sale of the blend for the Temilobos Red was of the 2009 vintage, a total of 900 bottles – shipped in November 2011 – these sold very quickly.
The schistous hillsides of Quinta da Foz de Temilobos aids the growth of its many indigenous grape varieties, including the rare Tinto Cão.