Altano DOC Douro Tinto 2020 (Portugal)

Description

• Raspberry
• Spiced plums
• Peppery tannins
• Taut structure

"It's splendidly ripe and fragrant on the nose with dark berry, tapenade, game and assorted nut aromas, followed by a flavoursome palate offering juicy fruit flavours with well-integrated tannins, finishing robust and pleasingly dry. A lovely versatile food wine. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2023

Deep, crimson colour. Fresh rockrose fragrance with background aromas of Mediterranean vegetation and notes of red fruits, with raspberry coming to the fore. Good body, nicely seasoned by the peppery tannins that provide a taut structure. Ripe, succulent flavours of red plums.

This Altano DOC Douro red wine is made from a combination of several traditional Douro grape varieties sourced from the Symington family’s Douro Valley vineyards, principally those located in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior subregions. It is a red blend of Touriga Franca 40%; Tinta Roriz 30%; Tinta Barroca 30%.

They had a very dry and mild winter and spring, and by late summer the vines were in need of water to keep maturations on track. Fortunately, the virtual absence of rain from May to late August was counterbalanced by cooler summer conditions, which attenuated the lack of water. Before the vintage, they experienced fine conditions including some useful rain in late August, which rehydrated the vines. They were blessed with ideal harvest conditions throughout September with clear sunny days bringing moderate temperatures that contributed to balanced ripening. Yields were closer to average following the exceptionally small years of 2017 and 2018. Expressive aromas, freshness and liveliness, in contrast to the concentration of recent years, are the hallmarks of the 2019 wines.

The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats with pumping over and soft macerations at low temperatures (23-25°C) aiming to extract colour and aromas and limit tannin extraction in order to produce a wine that favours fresh, floral aromatics and ripe fruit flavours.