Cedro do Noval, Red, 2023

Named after the emblematic cedar tree that dominates Quinta do Noval's terrace, Cedro is an authentic expression of the Douro. Principally made up of Portuguese varieties, it also contains Syrah, which rounds out the fruit and gives the wine tremendous charm and accessibility.

The viticultural season of 2022/2023 was characterised by a warm and wet winter, an exceptionally hot and dry spring, and an average summer.
The vegetative cycle exhibited a delay in bud break compared to the average of recent years, then compensated by an advance of 5 to 10 days until the veraison stage due to the high temperatures recorded in spring.
The rainfall recorded at Quinta do Noval during the viticultural year (October 2022 to September 2023) was 838 mm, more than double the amount observed during the same period in 2022 (364 mm) and exceeding the 1970/2000 average by 198 mm. These precipitation data indicated a concentration of rainfall over the winter months.
Budbreak occurred during the first half of March.
Flowering took place between the second and third week of May, with some weather conditions conducive to healthy development.
Veraison was observed in Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz on June 19th and continued until July 7th. In Touriga Nacional, veraison only occurred on July 13th.

Cedro do Noval is a blended wine including Syrah and the noble grape varieties of the Douro Valley. We planted our first Syrah grapes in 2000. Syrah adapts perfectly to the Douro and expresses the characteristics of the soil rather than its specific varietal flavour.

From August 17th to September 28th.

28% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Francesa, 23% Syrah, 14% Field Blend, 10% Petit Verdot.

The grape varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel vats for a period of 7 days, where they then undergo malolactic fermentation.

The grape varieties are also aged separately in French oak barrels of 225 litres for 10 months, with 60% from barrels of one vintage, 30% from barrels of two vintages and 10% in new barrels. They are blended one month before bottling.