Presentation
"I am always ready to try grape varieties from other parts of the world. I simply feel it essential that they adjust well to their new environment and integrate as if they were Douro grapes. As it happens, Syrah adapts perfectly. It expresses a personality here that is strongly marked by the Douro Valley rather than that of varietal Syrah."
Christian Seely
The vintage
The viticultural year began with a fairly wet winter followed by mild temperatures leading into spring. These two conditions led to an early budburst in March. April provided us with regular rainy spells that positively replenished the soil water reserves.
Flowering occurred quite early in the beginning of May, which led us to expect an early harvest. June was a difficult month, very hot and humid, where regular thunderstorms and hail affected the region. Quinta do Noval was thankfully spared from that inclement weather.
July’s mild weather started to shape the character of this harvest because it contrasted completely to last year’s record setting temperatures during the same month. The mild conditions continued into August and led to a slow homogeneous ripening of the grapes and noticeably less dehydration than in 2020.
Overall it can be said that the quality of the wines made is very good throughout. The dry reds show deeply concentrated colour, moderate alcohol content, good structure and nervy acidity.
Harvest
We started to harvest our red grapes on the 26th of August. The first wines made showed intense fruitiness and crispy acidity. Then came a series of heavy rainfalls on the 2nd, 13th and 24th of September. We suspended the picking for three days after the first two rains to allow the grapes to resume their ripening. We observed a positive phenolic development in all the grape varieties as the sunny weather and mild temperatures kicked in for the rest of the month. The usual spike in sugar readings never really occurred so we stretched the harvest as far as possible to allow all of our plots to ripen. We finally finished picking on the 8th of October under clear skies and moderate temperatures.
Winemaking
This wine, entirely made with Syrah from the Quinta do Noval vineyard, is fermented in stainless steel vats for a period of 7 days, where it then undergoes malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine is aged in French oak barrels of 225 litres for 10 months, with 20% in new barrels.
Varietal
Syrah : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14.5 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 0.9 g/l
pH : 3.38
Total acidity : 6.2 g/l
Serving
16ºC-18ºC
Tasting
This wine offers a pleasant blend of spicy cumin, strawberry and cinnamon aromas. It's ripe and full, offering a great freshness and delicacy, with a delightful touch of licorice on the palate. The finish is velvety, with subtle oak notes adding charm to the whole.
Carlos Agrellos - Technical Director - 2023
Bottling date: May 2023