Álvaro Castro Tinto

Description

Álvaro Castro Soil Type Granite soil with veins of clay and sand. Vines Vines aged between 15 and 30 years, with approximately 5,000 vines per hectare, located at 500 m above sea level. Training System Guyot pruning. Grapes 30 % Touriga Nacional, 30 % Alfrocheiro, and 40 % old‑vine field blend. Vinification The 2018 vintage was characterised by cool conditions until August, with July being the coolest month of the 21st century. Vine ripening was delayed by about three weeks compared to 2017. In early August temperatures spiked, with 4 August being the hottest day of the century to date. Ripening proceeded slowly throughout September. Due to water stress, the vines produced musts with moderate alcohol levels and excellent phenolic maturity, resulting in wines of high complexity and minerality. After careful selection in vineyard and cellar, fermentation took place in temperature‑controlled stainless‑steel vats. The wine aged for 12 months in second‑year Allier oak barrels. Physico‑chemical characteristics Total acidity: 5.9 g dm⁻³ (tartaric acid) pH: 3.68 Free SO₂: 30 mg dm⁻³ Total SO₂: 58 mg dm⁻³ Allergen information Contains sulfites. SKU: 104317