Branco 2015 - White - Dão Serra da Estrela – Antonio Madeira

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.

2015 was an excellent year thanks to exceptional weather conditions that allowed harvesting healthy and ripe grapes.

2015 white comes from all the vineyards cultivated by Antonio Madeira, aged from 50 up to 120 years old, where we found field blends of around 20 autochthonous grape varieties, some of them forgotten varieties. 75% of the field blend is Siria, Fernão Pires, Bical, Arinto and Cerceal.

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.

After smooth pressing, gravity decanting lasted 3 days, without use of enzymes or enological products. Alcoholic fermentation took place in a 500L barrels and stainless steel tank and began naturally, with the indigenous yeast, to express its identity in the purest form. Alcoholic fermentation was very slow and lasted  10 months, which helps to increase complexity.

Bottling took place 2 winters after harvest, in February 2017.

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 they were back in the time of our forefathers.

Deep, character, pure fruit, floral notes, fennel, ginger, wet granite. Fresh, tense, crystalline, elegant and full-bodied saline mouth.  Ask for another glass. Tasty end, long and intense granite.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

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

VINEYARDS : 10 small old vineyards          AVERAGE VINE AGE : from 50 up to 120 years old

GRAPE VARIETIES : Field blend of 20 native grape varieties, based on 75% of Siria, Fernão Pires, Bical, Arinto and Cerceal.

ALT. FROM SEA LEVEL : 500/600 m          PRUNING METHOD : Guyot          

HARVEST PERIOD : September  2015          HARVEST METHOD : Hand picked

FERMENTATION : Indigenous yeasts, 500L barrels and stainless steel tank

MALOLACTIC : Done         

AGEING : 18 months, 85% in stainless steel tanks  and 15% in 500L french oak barrel         

BOTTLED : February  2017

ALCOHOL : 13.3%          PH    3.34          TOTAL ACIDITY (G/L)        4.97      VOLATILE ACIDITY (G/L)   0.43

FREE SO2 AT BOTTLING (MG/L)        20      TOTAL SO2 (MG/L)        65     RESIDUAL SUGAR (G/L)    2.3

VOLUMIC MASS (G/ML)    0.9883

PRODUCTION : 3400 bottles

FOOD SUGGESTIONS : Seafood dishes, fish, codfish, white meat, dishes with cheese. Vegetarian suggestions: grilled vegetables or salads.