VINIFICATION & AGEING

Grapes go through the selection table before being crushed in a mechanic crusher and foot-trodden, only partially de-stemmed. In some of our fermentations we immediately add some 15% of the total grape brandy, allowing us to macerate the grapes at cooler temperatures and for a longer period before fermentation.

When the must is ready for the addition of the remaining grape brandy, the fortification is made in one single moment, adding all the brandy to the must and skins in the fermenting vat or the running juice. We then rack the blend into the storage vat together with all the press wine (we use traditional basket presses).

At this point a 12 hour homogenization of wine and brandy is made by pump to ensure proper blending. Port is then finished and ready for storage and ageing. The wines aged in very old wood Port casks and small stainless steel vats.

TASTING

The wine is deep ruby coloured, bright, with legs.

The wine is clean in aromas, medium intensity, with notes of red cherry, black berries (black cherry, black plum), tertiaries like tobacco, cedar, oak, and hints of vanilla. The wine is in development.

The palate is medium sweet, high in alcohol, some temperature is necessary, medium acidity, some unriped tannins and high, full body. MEdium + intensity in black fruit (black plum, black berry, black cherry, black currant). Some herbaceous notes (grasp) and mint. Some astringency because of its youth and green tannins. Medium finish with plenty of  fruit and full body.

CONCLUSIONS

The wine has a good quality comapring with other LBV traditional made, and because of its structural compounds (high and not integrated alcohol, unripe tannins and some green tannins, and astringency) the wine needs to age something more (you can drink now, but it has some potential for ageing). It would be necessary some quantity of aromas and flavours more. The wine is not totally balanced, with medium finish and medium intensity in flavours and fruity aromas, some green berries in the palate and medium complexity in fruit and oak. We are talking about a young LBV unfiltered, not too much complex.