Quinta da Ferradosa Vinhas Velhas 2016 (Magnum) Red

The viticulture year of 2015/2016 was full of unexpected conditions. The winter started off warm, but with a lot of precipitation. This was a great start, as we needed to replenish the soil with water, following the very dry 2015 viticultural year. There was around 80mm more rainfall than the average of the previous 30 years. The unexpected twist to this very welcome rain, was that it continued throughout April and May. This constant rainfall and cool temperatures demanded extra care and attention to all our vines. In the middle of the old plantings, each vine is very close together and with such rain, herbs grew more wildly than we had ever seen. June and July were quite moderate. August saw unusually hot temperatures, which further slowed maturation. Thankfully, some much desired rain fell on the 24th and 26th of August.

 

From some plantations with more than 50 years of age, with a mixed plantation of many varieties, showing the true Douro Old Vines.

 

All our grapes are foot trodden and fully fermented in lagares for 7 to 10 days at temperatures ranging from 20° to 25° Celsius. We then rack the resulting wines in new Allier French oak 225 liter casks from various coopers (Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Nadalié and François Fréres), where they go through malolactic fermentation. 

All wines are then carefully aged for 15 months in barriques (75% new and 25% one year old French oak), keeping all different fermentations completely separated until the final blending takes place, just about one month before the bottling of the wines.

 

October 2018 2017, around 4000 bottles 75cl and 105 magnums.