Quinta do Crasto Porto LBV 2017 75cl
Description
Designation of Origin: Port
Vintage Year:
The 2017 harvest will go down in Quinta do Crasto's history as the earliest ever. A winter with low rainfall and mild temperatures caused the vine's vegetative cycle to begin earlier than usual. Precipitation levels remained low throughout the vine's vegetative cycle, leading to moderate water stress and a consequent natural adaptation of the vine to these adverse conditions. We began harvesting on August 8th with the first white grapes, a decision that proved very important as we achieved the desired levels of freshness and natural acidity. On August 18th, we began harvesting red grapes from Quinta da Cabreira, in the Douro Superior, where we have the possibility of irrigation, which proved fundamental in keeping the vines working in a balanced way, thus resulting in grapes in perfect ripening conditions. At the end of August, nighttime temperatures dropped significantly, which helped to complete the ripening of the grapes. The arrival of cold nights and warm days resulted in perfectly balanced grapes, so we began harvesting the first red grapes at Quinta do Crasto. September remained dry, allowing the harvest to proceed in the best possible way. We also finished the harvest much earlier than usual, more precisely on September 19th. Overall, 2017 was a year of lower production where the vines presented smaller bunches and grapes of smaller diameter, with excellent concentration and an optimal ratio between skin and pulp. A challenging year for the viticulture teams and
Grape Varieties: Old Vines
Winemaking:
The grapes, sourced from old vines, were transported in plastic food crates and subjected to rigorous sorting upon arrival at the winery. After gentle crushing without destemming, they were sent to a traditional lagar (wine press) where they were foot-trodden by men at regular intervals. Subsequently, grape brandy was added, thus stopping fermentation.
Aging:
It aged in 9000-liter oak barrels for about 5 years. It was bottled without any fining or filtration, and was subject to its natural state during its production.
Exam Grade:
Dark violet in color, almost opaque, it presents fresh notes of rockrose, wild blackberries, and subtle hints of cocoa on the nose. It evolves in an enveloping way on the palate, where we find an excellent structure composed of solid, fine-textured tannins, very well integrated with fresh aromatic sensations of wild berries. It finishes very harmoniously and with excellent persistence. Because it has not been filtered, it has all the conditions to evolve positively in the bottle.
Technical Information:
Vine Age: 60 years | Serving Temperature: 14-16º | Exposure, Soil and Altitude: East - South; Schist | 120 to 450m | System: Traditional terraced vineyard | Alcohol: 20% | Bottling: November 2022 | Total Acidity: 3.9 g/L | pH: 3.85 | Residual Sugar: 99 g/L | Baumé: 3.6
