Touriga Franca, from the vineyards at the top of Vale da Teja and Touriga Nacional, from the vineyards of Quinta Nova, located at about 450 meters of altitude, constitute the pillars of the Quinta do Vesúvio DOC Douro lot every year. The Quinta Nova vineyard was acquired by D. Antónia Adelaide Ferreira in the mid-19th century, who could not have imagined that these high-altitude vineyards would prove to be so valuable for the estate's reds at the beginning of the 21st century.
Grape Varieties: 51% Touriga Franca, 45% Touriga Nacional, 4% Tinta Amarela.
Tasting Notes: Seductive floral and fresh aromas of rose and secondary notes of cloves and some wood smoke, very discreet and well integrated, not overlapping, but in harmony with the whole. It fills the palate fully with rich fruit (blackberry, blueberry and black plum), well defined and cut by the acidity that gives the wine good size and balance. The tannins, well present, but very fine, provide the imposing structure that the wines from Quinta do Vesúvio have already accustomed us to. Compatible with vegetarian and vegan diets.
Vinification: The grapes at Vesuvius are harvested in their optimal state of maturation into boxes of 20 kg. After a first manual sorting of bunches, a gentle destemming and a second mechanical selection of berries follows, to separate raisins and dehydrated grapes. The berries, still whole, are gently crushed during gravity entry into the vat with a protected atmosphere, thus avoiding undesirable oxidation. Fermentations are monitored individually, so that each wine retains the enormous oenological potential of the grapes that originated it. After the alcoholic fermentation, a post-fermentation maceration follows, during which the extraction of tannins from the seeds, ripe and sweet, is promoted, which complement the tannins extracted from the skins, allowing the development of a more voluminous and complete “mouth”. , increasing the aging potential of the wine. The evolution of the wine during this stage is closely monitored, so that the separation and pressing of the fermented masses, a critical decision for the final quality obtained, takes place at the ideal time.
Ageing: The aging was carried out in 400L and 225L French oak barrels (80% new and 20% used) for 14 months.
Storage and Consumption: It can be drunk now, but with ageing potential, approximately until 2032.
Winemakers: Charles Symington, Pedro Correia and Hugo Almeida.
