Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Rouge 2017 (Portugal)

Description

• French oak
• Plum & berries
• Balsamic
• Silky tannins

Intense dark cherry colour with ruby reflexes. A mature and intense vinous nose, showcasing the scent of plums and berries; when shaken the scent is transformed into complex balsamic notes. Concentrated in the mouth, with a compact structure, and silky, well-defined tannins. Its complexity offers hints of blackberries and liquorice. Duas Quintas Red 2017 is a fine example of the classic Duas Quintas style.

Duas Quintas Red is a wine from the Douro Superior, from Quinta de Ervamoira (altitude 150 metres) and Quinta dos Bons Ares (altitude 600 metres), made with the traditional varieties that express the potential of this outermost region

The 2017 harvest will be remembered for the speed at which the grapes ripened. The dry winter and high temperatures in spring were the main cause of this phenomenon. We would have to go back to 1995 to find another such early harvest. The grapes were in the ideal conditions of health and yields were low. The profile of the 2017 harvest is mature, rich and scented.

The grapes are harvested by hand in 150 kilo boxes, crushed and de-stemmed, and then fermented in granite lagares and stainless steel vats where the grapes are macerated for as long as is needed to obtain a wine with the desired body and structure. After malolactic fermentation, 20% of the wine is aged in French oak barrels, 30% in big oak vats and the remainder stored in stainless steel vats for 12 months. The wine was bottled in April 2019.

Food Pairing: With a meal they recommend pairing it with grilled vegetables and meat, duck rice, vegetarian curry and a good grilled cod.