WineWise Code

PDA-RET21

Country

Portugal

Region

Dão

Color/Style

Red

Destemming

Complete

Fermentation Vessel

Concrete, Stainless Steel

Additional Fermentation Notes

Total destemming without crushing, followed by cold skin maceration for 3 days. Spontaneous fermentation in a traditional granite lagar, by infusion, at a temperature of 20-26ºC, for 7 days. Vertical pressing and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

Aging Vessel

67% Used Barrique, 33% New Barrique

Aging Duration (months)

18 months

Filtered?

No

Fining Agents

None

Yeast Protocol

Spontaneous

Malolactic Conversion

Yes

Additonal Maturation Details:

Ageing on fine lees for 18 months in barrels (2 of which are new, 500L French oak). Racking and kept in stainless steel for 3 months until bottling.

Added Sulfur

Yes, 55 mg/L

Varieties

60% Alfrocheiro Preto, 40% Touriga Nacional

Residual Sugar

1

ABV

14

Acidity

5.44

pH

3.59

Closure

Natural Cork

Annual Production

3,893 bottles

Certified Vegan

No

Other Wine Facts

Intense ruby colour with brilliant reflections. Deep and complex, with a matrix of red fruit at the precise point of ripeness, framed by earthy and mineral elements, fine spices, forest and balsamic notes. Extremely fine in the mouth, the subtlety of the extraction and the vibrant intensity of the flavor are remarkable. Tannins of immense quality, giving the wine a firm yet silky texture. Freshness and sapidity persist in the long finish.

Primary Vineyard Name

Selection of our best Alfrocheiro Preto 60% from Vinha Nascente (3,72ha) and Touriga Nacional 40% from Vinha Romana (2,50ha). VINHA NASCENTE = VINEYARD TOUCHED BY THE RISING SUN (EAST) VINHA ROMANA = In our region of Dão there are countless traces of ancient civilizations, dating back to the 5th millennium BC, passing through the Celts and Romans. Even in our domaine, where several Roman artifacts were found (exhibited in the Carregal do Sal museum) linked to agriculture, when the vineyard that we now call the Vinha Romana was implemented in the 90s. According to the archaeologist we hired to help us explain our past, Domínio do Açor was probably a Roman farm at the time, which is why we named our entry-level wines Vila Romana, and this vineyard, VINHA ROMANA.

Soil Types

Granite

Elevation (meters)

283-299

Vine Age

24

Yields (hl/ha)

40

Farming Practices

Practicing organic, practicing regenerative

Harvest Method

Hand-harvested

Additional Harvest Notes

SOIL: Granite. Very well mixed between soil and rocks, more precisely between the silt typical of granitic soils, with alterites or rocks degraded by the chemical and physical processes of weathering, as well as quartz and the mother-rock granite. Level 4 / 5 alterite predominates in all the vineyards of Domínio do Açor.

Other Vineyard Details

CLIMATE/GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS: The climate of Dão is moderate continental, clearly marked by the mountain ranges that surround it and protect it from the Atlantic influence. Average annual temperature: 14°C - 16°C, average summer temperature: 18°C - 20°C, maximum daily temperature range in summer: 20°C. Domínio do Açor enjoys the freshness and continentality of the Dão, but at the same time its mesoclimate is drier and less marginal than in Serra da Estrela. The grapes ripen slowly and with immense balance between sugars and acids, and a high concentration of aromatic precursors. Vinha da Nascente 3,72ha, planted mostly in 1990, some lines in 2003, grape varieties: Jaen, Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Pinheira and Tinta Roriz (the last gradually being replaced by Tinta Pinheira, Baga and other heirloom grape varieties from the Dão through grafting in the field)