Presentation
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 vintage
2022 will stand out as a remarkably dry year with unprecedented weather conditions in our region. Nonetheless, this growing season also showed the remarkable resilience of the Douro’s vineyards and grape varieties.
The rainfall recorded at Quinta do Noval during the viticultural year was 364mm, 276mm below the 1970/2000 average. The weather conditions were favourable during flowering in May and during fruit set. With a high number of bunches, a good harvest was expected.
From the 7th to the 15th of July a heatwave brought daily temperatures above 40°C, even reaching 45,5°C at Quinta do Noval – and it was on July 15th that Pinhão recorded Portugal’s highest ever temperature at 47°C. From July 30th to August 10th, we experienced another heatwave with temperatures above 40°C.
The high temperatures, combined with low relative humidity, contributed greatly to the optimum health of the grapes. We experienced very little vine related diseases and most plots were surprisingly green and free from water stress. The low disease pressure was clearly verified by the small amount of eliminated bunches at grape sorting in our wineries during harvest, and it also translated into more wine produced.
Terroir
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.
Harvest
On August 25th we were already harvesting red grapes for Port and red dry wines. The dry conditions throughout the season along with low water reserves restricted the vine’s growth which in turn produced smaller bunches with small berries. The wines have excellent colour with perfectly ripe fruit on the nose.
Rain between the 12th and 14th of September (28.4mm) caused a sharp drop in temperatures and improved the final ripening of the grapes. We decided to pause the harvest, giving the grapes a few days to dry, improve phenolic ripening and gain more sugars. Our very best Ports and dry reds were produced during the final week after the mid-September rains.
The harvest lasted 37 days and finished on September 27th. The total grape production at Quinta do Noval was 705 pipes, down 5% from 2021.
Winemaking
The grape varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel vats for a period of 7 days, where they then undergo malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The grape varieties are also aged separately in French oak barrels of 225 litres for 11 months, 15% in new barrels. They are blended one month before bottling.
Varietals
Touriga nacional : 37%
Syrah : 25%
Touriga franca : 25%
Tinto cão : 8%
Tinta roriz : 5%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 13.5 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 0.6 g/l
pH : 3.6
Total acidity : 5.6 g/l
Serving
16ºC-18ºC
Tasting
The nose is intense, revealing floral aromas and ripe red fruits. Beautiful wood notes are complemented by spices and dark chocolate. On the palate, it is concentrated with expressive fruit notes and a very evident freshness. The aftertaste is long and complex, with tannins that balance the wine exceptionally well.
Carlos Agrellos - Technical Director - July 2024
Bottling date: May 23rd 2024