Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Rio' Tinto is an intense, savoury Douro red, made from parcels from our lowest elevations close to the river (Rio).
In 2020, average Spring rainfall and above-average temperatures combined to bring forward bud burst by up to three weeks. Heatwaves through the summer resulted in below-average yields and an early start to harvest. But the elevation of our vineyards (250 to 500 masl), combined with the low yields, resulted in full-flavoured wines with good structure and balanced acidity.
Once the grapes are picked, our aim throughout is to preserve the fruit flavours and avoid over-extraction by gentle handling. The grapes are handpicked, hand sorted, destemmed, and fermented by wild yeasts at temperatures ranging from 20-25°C for 10-12 days on skins. The fermentation is managed by a variety of techniques depending on the fermentation vessel used. Foot treading followed by gentle plunging is employed on granite lagar ferments, whilst open top stainless steel tank/picking bin ferments are simply plunged. At the end of the maceration, the ferments are drained/pressed and transferred to a combination of new French oak barriques (50%) and old French oak barriques to undergo MLF. Post MLF, sulphur dioxide is added, and the wines mature sur lie for 20 months before being blended. In a warm year such as this, Touriga Franca from the lowest elevations of the Quinta flourishes, with Tinto Cão adding a final punctuation mark. Once blended, the wine was bottled in August 2022.
Producer: Quinta da Pedra Alta
Winemaker: João Pires & Matt Gant
Region: Douro (Cima Couro)
Style: Red
Grape Varietals: Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão
Tasting Notes: Dark plum color. Blue and black fruits, with meaty, spice notes and smoky oak complexity. Intense, savoury wine, with a dense ferrous palate, and sustained finish.
Pairing: Cabrito assado no forno, Chanfana
Ratings: Coming Soon
Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Rio' Tinto is an intense, savoury Douro red, made from parcels from our lowest elevations close to the river (Rio).
In 2020, average Spring rainfall and above-average temperatures combined to bring forward bud burst by up to three weeks. Heatwaves through the summer resulted in below-average yields and an early start to harvest. But the elevation of our vineyards (250 to 500 masl), combined with the low yields, resulted in full-flavoured wines with good structure and balanced acidity.
Once the grapes are picked, our aim throughout is to preserve the fruit flavours and avoid over-extraction by gentle handling. The grapes are handpicked, hand sorted, destemmed, and fermented by wild yeasts at temperatures ranging from 20-25°C for 10-12 days on skins. The fermentation is managed by a variety of techniques depending on the fermentation vessel used. Foot treading followed by gentle plunging is employed on granite lagar ferments, whilst open top stainless steel tank/picking bin ferments are simply plunged. At the end of the maceration, the ferments are drained/pressed and transferred to a combination of new French oak barriques (50%) and old French oak barriques to undergo MLF. Post MLF, sulphur dioxide is added, and the wines mature sur lie for 20 months before being blended. In a warm year such as this, Touriga Franca from the lowest elevations of the Quinta flourishes, with Tinto Cão adding a final punctuation mark. Once blended, the wine was bottled in August 2022.
Producer: Quinta da Pedra Alta
Winemaker: João Pires & Matt Gant
Region: Douro (Cima Couro)
Style: Red
Grape Varietals: Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão
Tasting Notes: Dark plum color. Blue and black fruits, with meaty, spice notes and smoky oak complexity. Intense, savoury wine, with a dense ferrous palate, and sustained finish.
Pairing: Cabrito assado no forno, Chanfana
Ratings: Coming Soon
