Horácio Simões Fortificado

Description

Horácio Simões’ Moscatel Roxo is the outcome of a highly meticulous partnership between vineyard and cellar. The vines were closely tended to keep yields below 2 500 L ha⁻¹, ensuring the grapes arrived at the cellar in ideal sanitary condition and with perfect ripeness. A bespoke vinification process, distinct from the regional norm, was employed: an intense selection of clusters followed by a five‑day pre‑fermentation maceration, then a very slow, uniform fermentation that reaches three‑quarters completion in three days, benefitting from the finest available brandy. A five‑month post‑fermentation maceration ensues, after which the wine matures in 225‑litre French oak barrels—each wine occupying two to three barrels—where concentration is sharpened. Only the best barrels were chosen for this wine.