Techsheet - A Centenaria 2013 (red)

History has taught us that Dão belongs to those places that Man has long-recognised as exceptional for producing great wines. Despite its enormous potential to produce red and white wines, it is a region that continues to stubbornly remain out of the limelight.

António Madeira, who is French of Portuguese descent, has his roots in the foothills of Serra da Estrela. Since 2010, António Madeira has been researching, the places in this sub-region, that our ancestors elected as the best for vine, those that we might call the «Grands Crus of the Dão highlands» and found a series of old vines that are distinctive because of the authenticity of their grape varieties, the characteristics and nuances of their granite soils and sun exposures.

2013 was a year of long and good maturation. Fortunately in our case, it was achieved harvesting all the grapes in the last days before the week of heavy rain that occurred at the end of September.

A centenaria 2013 is the expression of a 120 years old vineyard with great character. We are facing what could be considered as a « Grand Cru ».  We decided to bottle it as a single vineyard in order to preserve its unique and strong identity. Tasting this wine is an experience that leads us to travel back in time to discover the aromas and flavors of the foothills of the Serra da Estrela, in the Dão, as it was in the late nineteenth century.

VINIFICATION

The vinification philosophy was to respect the grapes and nature and focus on seeking the expression of the terroir of Serra da Estrela, thus, no other product was used except sulphur.

Alcoholic fermentation took place in open vats with traditional treading and began naturally, with the yeast from the vine itself, to express its identity in the purest form.

Very little extraction was sought. After pressing, the wine was placed directly into used French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation took place until the following spring and where it aged for 18 months.

Bottling took place in July 2015.

TASTING NOTES

This wine expresses the character and elegance of the land that witnessed its birth and takes us on a journey through time to discover the aromas and flavours of Serra da Estrela foothills, just as it was in the late nineteenth century.

Pure, great identity, complex, granite wrapped fresh red fruit, white cherry, sensations of aromatic herbs, flowers and pine forest. Deep, fresh and tasty mouth, silky tannins, finesse. Endless mineral finish.

A "Grand Cru" of Dão Serra da Estrela.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

PRODUCER : António Madeira          REGION : Dão – Serra da Estrela          SOIL TYPE : Granite

VINEYARDS : Single vineyard          AVERAGE VINE AGE : 120 years old

GRAPE VARIETIES : Field blend of Jaen, Tinta Amarela , Baga, Negro Mouro and 20 other native grape varieties

ALT. FROM SEA LEVEL : 500 m          PRUNING METHOD : Guyot          

HARVEST PERIOD : September 20th 2013          HARVEST METHOD : Hand picked

FERMENTATION :  Indigenous yeasts, open vats with controlled temperature

MALOLACTIC : Used barrels         

AGEING : 18 months in used French oak barrels (225 L)         BOTTLED : July 2015

 ALCOHOL : 13.7%          PH    3,76          TOTAL ACIDITY (G/L)    5,65          

VOLATILE ACIDITY (G/L)    0,75

FREE SO2 AT BOTTLING (MG/L)    19          TOTAL SO2 (MG/L)    56         

RESIDUAL SUGAR (G/L)    0,5

VOLUMIC MASS (G/ML)    0,9917

PRODUCTION : 572 bottles

FOOD SUGGESTIONS : Lamb, duck, codfish.