Joao's Vale Vineyard

Finally! We were, since last year, anxious to vinify these grapes seperatly. This small spot at Soutelo in the Cima Corgo area of the Douro Valley, catched our eyes instantly when we first saw it. Last year unfortunately we couldn't do it seperatly and this year we bougth a small open top to do what we think can be a massive expression of Terroir.

This vineyard owned by one of our producers, Joao, was planted around 70 years ago. In those times producers used a mixture of grape varieties. This is what gives these old vineyard so much charater because in the same plot you have different berries maturations. Meaning that some of the vines maturate first than the vine next to it.

So in the end you have a very rich and complex kind of aromas and tastes. This is why these wines must age some years before they are ready to show all of its wonders.

Douro Superior - Foz Côa Vineyard

It is impressive how the harvest develops in this land. Our first red grapes came in the winery last week. This vineyard is at the entrance of Foz Côa in Douro Superior area. It has about 60 years of age and is a mixture of varieties.

It is one of the vineyards we blend into our Super Premium range. At this part of Douro the grapes easily give powerful and structured wines. We selected this one because apart from its power it adds complexity to the blend. The enormous mixtures of grape varieties (some of then are not even used nowadays) brings the wine from this origin to a level of fusion of vegetal and fruit aromas, like rock rose mingled in with spices an dark berries.

This year the must is showing so much fruit. The color is being very difficult to come out. 2009 is giving some fight to bring out the color (more time is needed comparing with last year) but the fruit is coming so easily.

That' why we love to be winemakers! You'll never know what you gone get...

2009 Vintage Pre-Report - Portugal

Another unusual year. It has been systematic this comment in the last 10 years. I'm starting to believe there's no usual years. 2000 was one of the hottest years, then came 2003 and 2005. 2001, 2004 and 2007 were a fresh years for a southern country of Europe. 2006 was hot as hell in the Summer and then came the rain around the 3rd week of September which didn't stopped for the rest of the harvest. 2002 also rained and diluted most of the wines. 2008 I thought it was the longest harvest ever with steady but very slow maturation. Now comes 2009 with very slow and steady maturation. Until a couple a weeks ago the summer was just warm, windy and dry. The vines got use to this and then were surprised by 2 weeks of usual Summer temperatures for Portugal.

Now the first grapes are in the wineries and we are finding very mature grapes picked very early. In average 10 days of advance compared with 2008, but this is not a rule for all the regions and varieties.

It seems coolest regions will have later harvest and hottest ones are having earlier. Indeed an unusual Crush.