Lacrau Tinto

Description

Lacrau Wine boasts good depth and aromatic complexity, with excellent integration of barrel notes. It has a solid structure, firm yet silky tannins, and a very long finish. Soil geology: loamy nature with a franco‑clayey structure. Vine age: over 50 years. Grape varieties: several plots of old vines where more than 20 different varieties can be identified. The grapes come from superior quality vines located at the high elevations of Cima Corgo. The cultural practices of the time recommended a high planting density, forcing roots to explore deeper into the soil. This, combined with vine age, yields low production. In these superior vines, one can also find *Buthus occitanus*, commonly known as Lacrau. Lacrau derives from the Arabic al‑’aqrab. The Lacrau is an arthropod invertebrate (with legs formed by several segments) belonging to the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. It is the only scorpion species found in Portugal, distributed throughout the country from Trás‑os‑Montes to the Algarve, often inhabiting arid zones with sun‑exposed rocks. Vinification: hand harvest, manual selection of bunches, destemming followed by crushing. Fermentation takes place in a wooden vat with foot‑crushing, then in stainless‑steel tanks with post‑fermentation maceration. The wine ages in oak barrels for 16 to 18 months.