Quinta de Vale de Pios- PIOS Tinto 2017

Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 40% Touriga Nacional, 40% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz
Appellation: Douro DOC
Sulphur: (SO2)98ppm
Sugar: Dry
Acid: 4.5 g/L
pH: 3.8
Production Size: 1,500 bottles
Altitude: 160-300m (524.9-984.3ft)
Vineyard Age: 22 years
Residual Sugar: 0.6 g/L
Tannin: Elevated
Alcohol %: 13.5

Soil Type(s): Cambrian vertical black schist soils with high pH and extraordinary availability of minerals and drainage.

Joaquim farms without certification, but is essentially organic. Douro is extremely easy place to farm organically. Manual harvest, manual sorting. The high thermal amplitudes and the extreme dryness, characteristic of this place

Timely rains at the end of August, followed by sunny and dry days are decisive for the ripening of our grapes; they were of exceptional quality, a great year for Douro Superior wine. Harvesting began on September 9th. All the grapes were harvested by hand. The grapes are crushed by foot for two hours in stone lagares the night after the harvest. A gentler crushing continues the following day. The maceration is long and delicate to produce a wine ready to drink but with a great ability to age in bottle. The wines age for 18 months in French oak barrel.

Joaquim Almeida at Quinta de Vale de Pios in the Douro, Portugal makes traditional wines and puts his own twist on some of them. This is a bit more of a classic Douro style, meant to be approachable young, but able to age for well over a decade.

Beef Stew, Braised Beef, Filet Mignon, Strip Steak, Venison, Lean cuts of beef

• Portuguese, Brazilian, Argentine, American