Ribeiro Santo Tinto

Description

Ribeiro Santo tells the story that in Oliveira do Conde there was a place called “Barcas,” where a boatman crossed the Mondego, completing the link between the towns of Viseu and Bobadela—a stretch that, according to several researchers, ran through what is now the municipality of Carregal do Sal. Here are the stones, some shaped like aduelas, to prove that this is ancient ground where a Ribeiro Santo once flowed, a former noble estate that later fell to a priest. In this spot, a terroir influenced by the Dão and Mondego rivers, hot dry summers and cold winters, granite‑derived soil with large rocky outcrops, vines planted at about 400–600 m altitude, E.T. is born—a blend of two native varieties: Encruzado and Touriga Nacional. Winemaking: The Encruzado and Touriga Nacional grapes were hand‑picked together into 18‑kg boxes. Total de‑pulping and prolonged maceration in stainless‑steel vats. Fermentation with native yeasts, at controlled temperature, for 20 days. Racking and decanting into new 225‑L French oak barrels, where the wine aged for 12 months. Technical data: Total acidity: 6.1 g L⁻¹ pH: 3.4