Antonio Madeira A Centenária Tinto 2018
$123.00 inc. GST
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.
2018 was a very hard year, we lost 60% of our grapes, mainly because of 3 months of rain between mid-April and mid-July and also because of 4 days of hot winds of 45°C that burned 30% of our grapes. Harvest started on September 23rd.
2018 was also our first vintage in biodynamics.
A centenaria 2018 is the expression of a 130 years old vineyard with great character. We are facing what could be considered as a « Grand Cru ».
We decided to bottle it as a single vineyard in order to preserve its unique and strong identity. Tasting this wine is an experience that leads us to travel back in time to discover the aromas and flavors of the foothills of the Serra da Estrela, in the Dão, as it was in the late nineteenth century.
Description
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.
Alcoholic fermentation took place in open vats with traditional treading and began naturally, with the yeast from the vine itself, to express its identity in the purest form.
Very little extraction was sought. After pressing, the wine was placed directly into used 600L barrels (Stockinger), where malolactic fermentation took place until the following spring and where it aged for 18 months.
The bottling was carried out in July 2020
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 it was in the late nineteenth century.
Pure, great identity, complex, granite wrapped fresh red fruit, white cherry, sensations of aromatic herbs, flowers and pine forest. Deep, fresh and tasty mouth, silky tannins, finesse. Endless mineral finish.
A “Grand Cru” of Dão Serra da Estrela.
