20
Cellar for up to 4 years. No need to decant before serving. Opening with a deep ruby red hue and enticing aromas of dried violets, ripe strawberries and raspberries, this is a fine example of the delicious dry red wines being made in the Douro region today. On the palate there are punchy flavours of cherries and wild berries which mingle with hints of licorice, black pepper and dried herbs. There is a generous full body balanced by freshness and a long lingering finish which make this an ideal partner for roasted beef or lamb. The grapes used for the Vinha Grande are sourced from the Quinta do Sairrão where the high altitude helps to develop aromatic character and to preserve freshness in the finished wine. After the harvest the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks with an extended skin contact to extract a real depth of flavour and colour from the grapes. The wine is then aged in used French oak barrels for up to 18 months. After the maturation process is complete the winemaker decides on the final blend, combining different quantities of the indigenous Portuguese varieties to produce a bold yet balanced red wine. Since the estate do not use cold stabilization to avoid changing the character of the wine there may be natural sediment in the bottle.