This white Vinhas Velhas 2021 from António Madeira comes from the various vineyards cultivated by Antonio, with the red part being made from white grapes from old vines between 50 and 130 years old.
Vinification
Alcoholic fermentation by indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation was also carried out. Ageing for almost two years. The first year 50% in 500 litre barrels (French and Austrian oak) and 50% in stainless steel. The final batch was aged for a further 10 months in stainless steel. Bottling two winters after the harvest, in April 2021, without fining or filtration, to preserve as much as possible of the wine's flavour characteristics and its ability to evolve in the bottle.
Producer's tasting notes
Deep, very characterful, pure fruit, pears, peaches, citrus fruits, grapefruit, floral notes, fennel, ginger, gunpowder, wet granite. Fresh, tense, crystalline, elegant and full-bodied, with a salty mouth that begs for another glass. Flavourful, long and intense finish of wet granite.
Winemaker: António Madeira
Grape varieties: Field blend of more than 20 endangered indigenous grape varieties.
Winemaking
Natural methods focused on the expression of the land and the climatic year.
Vinification without the use of enzymes or oenological products, apart from very low doses of sulphites. Alcoholic fermentation by indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation was also carried out. Ageing for almost two years. The first year 50% in 500 litre barrels (French and Austrian oak) and 50% in stainless steel. The final blend was aged for a further 10 months in stainless steel.
Bottling two winters after the harvest, in April 2021, without fining or filtration, to preserve as much as possible of the wine's flavour characteristics and its ability to evolve in the bottle.
Tasting notes
Terroir wine, committed to showing the beauties of the Dão at the foot of the Serra da Estrela. Deep, very characterful, pure fruit, pears, peaches, citrus fruit, grapefruit, floral notes, fennel, ginger, gunpowder, wet granite. Fresh, tense, crystalline, elegant and full-bodied, with a salty mouth that begs for another glass.
Flavourful, long and intense finish of wet granite.
Technical Information
PRODUCER Antonio Madeira REGION Dão (Portugal) SOIL TYPE Granite
VINEYARDS 20 old vines AGE OF VINEYARDS 50 to 130 years old
CASTAS Field blend of more than 20 endangered indigenous grape varieties, based on 80% Syrian,
Fernão Pires, Bical, Encruzado, Malvasia Fina, Arinto and Cerceal.
SEA HEIGHT 500 to 700 metres Guyot Vineyard Management
WINEMAKING PERIOD September 2019 WINEMAKING METHOD Manual
FERMENTATION Indigenous yeasts, in 500 litre stainless steel barrels
MALOLACTICS Carried out
AGING Aged 50% in 500 litre barrels (French and Austrian oak) and 50% in stainless steel for 11 months.
11 months. The final blend was aged for a further 10 months in stainless steel.
ENGRAFADO April 2021 unoaked and unfiltered
ALCOHOL (%) 13.2 PH 3.45 TOTAL ACIDITY (G/L) 5.39 VOLATILE ACIDITY (G/L) 0.55
FREE SO2 (MG/L) 15 TOTAL SO2 (MG/L) 40 RESIDUAL SUGAR (G/L) 0.6
DENSITY (G/ML) 0.9885
PRODUCTION 5000 bottles
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS Oven-roasted fish, cod dishes, poultry and white meats.
meats. Serra da Estrela cheese
The old-vine white 2021 Vinhas Velhas Branco was produced with the fruit from some 15 small plots of old vines aged between 60 and 130 years of age and planted with a myriad of old varieties—Síria, Bical, Fernão Pires, Encruzado, Arinto, Cerceal and Malvasia Fina—on slopes with granite soils. It's inspired by the natural vinification of some Burgundy wines. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter barrels for 12 months and a further 10 months in stainless steel. It has moderate ripeness and alcohol (12%) with a pH of 3.33 and 5.29 grams of acidity. It has an incredible nose that is nuanced, complex, elegant and changing, with notes of herbs, wild flowers and earth. It has a very tasty and saline palate that is subtle with great purity of flavors, clean and precise. It reminds me of some whites from Ganevat. 7,900 bottles produced. As always, it was bottled with full malolactic, unfiltered and unfined. It was bottled in April 2023.
More complex and less obviously citrusy than the A Liberdade 2022. Cedary and with a light note of struck match. But strongly stony-mineral, too. Intense and gently textured, excellent freshness and that same precision and purity as in the A Liberdade. Some spice notes on the very long finish. This has a little more depth in the mouth than the A Liberdade but just a little less elegance at the moment. More power for sure, remarkable at this low alcohol level. (JH)
