Vieira de Sousa Rufete 2024 Douro Red Wine 75cl

Vieira de Sousa Rufete Douro Tinto 75cl is a wine from the Vieira de Sousa family, produced in the Douro region with a focus on expressing the terroir and elegance.

🌿 Vineyards: This Douro wine is produced with grapes from a single vineyard at Quinta do Roncão, next to the Douro River. This vineyard is located at a low elevation facing east, making it perfect for an early harvest dedicated to this variety. VINIFICATION Unlike recent years, 2021 was a cool year in the Douro. Alongside the mild temperatures recorded, it proved to be a dry year with good productivity. The rainfall recorded during the winter, as well as in April and June, compensated for the very dry months of March and May, allowing for the normal development of the vines without water being a limiting factor. It was a year of freshness, elegance, and naturally acidic wines. The whole Rufete bunches are selected and placed in a small lagar (traditional stone trough) and lightly crushed and foot-trodden. The most important aspect of this winemaking process is the pre-fermentation maceration period, which is relatively short, and the start of alcoholic fermentation, where extraction is very long but not very intense.

🍇 Region: Douro

👨‍🔬 Winemaker: —

🌱 Varieties: Rufete

🛠️ Winemaking: Unlike recent years, 2021 was a cool year in the Douro. Alongside the mild temperatures, it proved to be a dry year with good productivity. The rainfall recorded during the winter, as well as in April and June, compensated for the very dry months of March and May, allowing for normal vine development without water being a limiting factor. It was a year of freshness, elegance, and naturally acidic wines. The whole Rufete bunches are selected and placed in a small lagar (traditional stone trough) and lightly crushed and foot-trodden. The most important aspect of this winemaking process is the pre-fermentation maceration period, which is relatively short, and the start of alcoholic fermentation, where extraction is very long but not very intense.

🧪 Analysis:
- Alcohol content: 12.0% vol.
- Residual sugar: 0.6 g/L
- pH: 3.48

👃 Organoleptic Test:
- Notes: A fresh red wine, very expressive in aroma, dominated by a profile different from the traditional Rufete, delicate in color. An intense and fresh palate.

🍽️ Serving: Serve at 14–16ºC (reds) or 10–12ºC (whites), depending on the style.
It pairs well with meat dishes, cheeses and charcuterie (red wines) or fish, seafood and poultry (white wines).

⏳ Potential for Evolution: Store in a cool, dark place; some styles benefit from bottle aging.