Jean-Hugues Gros is a French winemaker working in the Douro Valley for 20 years.
In 1992, He completed a degree in oenology and several internships in Burgundy, He had the unique opportunity of working for 16 months at Sandeman in Oporto, thus discovering Port wines and the charming Douro region as well as its wines.
Further experiences in California and in Champagne brought him definitively in 1999 to work for Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias, a small Port wine producing estate sited close to the Távora River, close to Tabuaço. Presently, Jean-Hugues is a wine producer as well as consultant oenologist for various Douro region estates.
Jean-Hugues Gros mission is to consolidate a sustainable project, through the recognition of the Douro as a high-quality wine region, able to produce wines that follow the best practices inspired by the diversity of the terroir. Sharing social and environmental values and the belief that knowledge and personal commitment are key to always doing our best.
The vineyards of the DOURO wine region make up one of the most awe-inspiring man-made landscapes in the world. As in other wine regions of excellence in the world, the Douro terroir represents a unique combination of soil, topography, climate and grape varieties that cannot be reproduced anywhere else. Its many valleys and different altitudes, from Mesão Frio to the Spanish border, as well as the diversity of the grape varieties and the diverse sun exposure, allow the harvesting of grapes with unique characteristics.
ODISSEIA GRANDE RESERVA – DOURO RED DOC – 2015
Awarded Gold by Singapore Newspaper
Grande Reserva is produced only in the best years, when climate conditions allow the grapes to reach exceptional qualities. After harvesting, the batch is made up from the best Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz wines and is aged in new 500-litre French oak barrels for 12 months.
The wine is concentrated, of great complexity and with high potential as a vin de garde.
ODISSEIA RESERVA – DOURO RED DOC – 2015
Awarded Gold by Singapore Newspaper
For the Odisseia Reserva, the selected grape variety is Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and some Tinta Roriz from the slopes of the Torto River and Távora River, from vines more than 20 years old. The best grapes are picked in the vineyard and separately transformed in stainless steel vat with controlled temperature at 25°C.
Half of the batch is aged in French oak barrels for 9 months.
It is a wine characterised by its elegance, fruity quality and a well balanced wood that does not hide the fruitiness. Concentrated, with ripe tannins, it is potentially a vin de garde in spite of the great pleasure derived from its consumption in the first years after bottling.
Interview of Mr. Jean-Hugues Gros – Owner and Winemaker for the Odisseia Wines
Question 1: Do you already export to Singapore ? If yes, where ? If no, what type of importers & distributors are you looking for in Singapore?
I do not export to Singapore yet. I would be very interested to get one or two importers, who would be able to represent the brand and promote the wines on this market. We have a large range of product, all DOC DOURO, 2 whites, one rosé and 5 reds, and a good relation quality / price. The wines are regularly tasted by the Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and used to be rated from 87 to 92 points
Question 2: What is the most unique and qualitative part of your products, different from competitors?
I am a French winemaker working in the Douro Valley for 20 years. I have my own brand ODISSEIA but I am also winemaker for other 10 wineries in the region. Since 1999, I learnt the diversity and complexity of the Portuguese varieties and the microclimates of the Douro Valley. I always try to protect the freshness, the quality of the fruit and the ageing in French barrels is only to get more complexity. The perfile of the different wines is constant year after year and the wines are often characterized by their elegance and freshness
Question 3: When did you start to export your brand worldwide, and what is your development plan for the next years?
The first harvest of the Odisseia Wines was in 2004 with only 2 different red wines. Until now, the range grew with white and rosé wines. The 2004 harvest has been exported to Switzerland in 2006, and now the wines are exported mainly to Canada, Brazil, China, Belgium, Holland, but also in USA, Luxemburg, Denmark. I hope to develop in the next years the Asian market with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. I hope that the quality of the Douro wines and the reasonable prices will be a plus.
Thank you Mr. Jean-Hugues Gros for your time and answers!
Importers and Distributors, looking for high quality wines in the world?
Visit Jean-Hugues Gros – Odisseia Wines HERE:
