Domínio do Açor 2023 Encruzado
This is the variety upon which the Dão’s white wine reputation is built, and for good reason. Crucial to this wine’s success are the two winters it spent on the fine lees and its origin in a parcel of granitic alterite deemed by Parra to be of “Grand Cru” quality. Smoky-toned from a judicious élevage in large wood and bursting with energy, this promises an exceptional future.
Arriving Soon
Wine Specifics
WineWise Code | PDA-ENC23 |
Country | Portugal |
Region | Dāo |
Color/Style | White |
Destemming | Complete |
Fermentation Vessel | Barrel |
Additional Fermentation Notes | Total destemming and crushing followed by 24-hour skin contact. Pneumatic pressing, natural decantation and spontaneous fermentation in barrels at 20-22ºC. Complete malolactic fermentation. |
Aging Vessel | 70% New Barrique, 30% Used Barrique |
Aging Duration (months) | 11 months |
Filtered? | No |
Fining Agents | None |
Yeast Protocol | Pied de Cuve |
Malolactic Conversion | Yes |
Additonal Maturation Details: | Ageing in barrels on the fine lees for 11 months in a reductive environment. Racking and kept in stainless steel for 6 months until bottling. Natural decantation, the wine has not been clarified or filtered, and may have a deposit |
Added Sulfur | Yes, 80mg/l total sulphur dioxide |
Varieties | 100% Encruzado |
ABV | 13.7 |
Acidity | 5.6 |
pH | 3.44 |
Closure | Natural cork |
Annual Production | 1728 bottles |
Certified Vegan | No |
Primary Vineyard Name | Encruzado from Vinha da Fonte Velha (1,43ha total, 0,7ha Encruzado planted in 1990, grape varieties 50% Encruzado (Grand Cru) and 30% Malvasia Fina (uprooted in 2024) e 20% Cerceal-Branco ).
VINHA DA FONTE VELHA = VINEYARD OF THE OLD FOUNTAIN, referering to an amazing fountain that we have very close to the vineyard, built with cut granite stones in the 16th century.
SOIL: Granitic. Homogeneous soil profile, with very fine silt (‘chalkiness’ in wines) and iron, one of the triggers of reduction.. |
Soil Types | Granite |
Elevation (meters) | max 296m, min 288m |
Vine Age | 26 years |
Yields (hl/ha) | Average 40 |
Farming Practices | Certified organic, practicing biodynamic, practicing regenerative, certified sustainable; ECOCERT and
GLOBAL G.A.P. AGRICERT certified |
Harvest Method | Hand-harvested |
Other Vineyard Details | This vineyard is very interesting, because we discovered with Pedro Parra, our terroir consultant, that our Encruzado there is planted on a "grand cru" level granite alterite, while the 30% of Malvasia Fina and 20% Cerceal-Branco are planted on a "villages" level soils, because of an old creek that used to pass through this plot in the past. |
Notes from the Producer: Luís Lopes winemarker: "Remarkably, it is a variety that produces wines that age very well. When young or bottled early, this variety is quite neutral. Aging on lees in new barrels increases its potential. We prefer bigger sizes to avoid too much interference on the savoury taste profile of the variety".
Many Encruzados in the market are too lush, even tropical in the fruit profile, mainly because of innoculation with industrial yeasts. As we use only natural yeasts, our Encruzado is very umami, savoury, soil-driven. Abuse of bâtonnage has given Encruzado a very mellow and sometimes flabby texture. As we don't touch our Encruzado for 2 winters, leaving it on reduction on the lees, ours is the contrary, boasting a lot of tension and granite salinity.
