Grapes: 100% Bastardo
Bastardo is a variety that can be found everywhere in the Douro, especially in old vineyards and colder areas. Also known as Trousseau or Trousseau Noir in the French wine region of the Jura or Merenzao in the Ribiera Sacra and Valdeorras DOPs in Galicia, it is a variety with a short cycle and an early ripening, usually used to increase the sugar content of the grapes. The main idea behind the vinification of this grape was to 'break' the wild nature of this variety, in search of its elegance and freshness. The Bastardo vineyards are spread out on Quinta de Nápoles and are completely organic
2018 was a relatively cool year up until August, with the coolest July recorded in the 21st century. The vines seemed to be developing relatively late, with a delay of about 3 weeks compared to 2017. The first days of August brought a sudden spike in temperatures: the 4th of August was the hottest year to date this century. As a result, the berries ripened slowly during the month of September. The water stress caused the vines to produce musts with low alcohols and good phenolic ripeness, as well as good complexity.The grapes used for the Bastardo stem from two different sites which were harvested and fermented separately. The first block was harvested on 16 August, and the second on 12 September. Both batches went through spontaneous 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tanks before spending 16 months maturing in the barriques in which the wine also completed its malolactic fermentation.
Store & Serve
recommended to serve cool (12 - 14ºC) in a Burgundy type glass like our Chef & Sommelier Open Up Soft wine glass
Alcoholcontent
10,8 %vol