2005 was one of the driest years ever in the Douro. At the end of August, the effort of the vines under such extreme conditions was visually impressive and their physiological activity was very irregular. We were obviously worried. But suddenly the good news literally fell from the sky: in the 2nd week of September it rained. And something you would never want in another year was a true blessing this year. The few drops were enough to refresh the vine canopy and reactivate maturation. Two weeks later the result was spectacular! The first fermentations immediately showed the level of quality we had ahead of us – intense fruit aromas, concentration… Patience and careful monitoring of the vineyards in the most precious moments had been rewarded – this difficult year gave rise to some of the best wines born in the vineyards from the Alves de Sousa family.