Van Zellers & Co Vintage Porto

Description

Van Zellers & Co The 2014/2015 crop was an atypical climatic year, with a dry, cold winter followed by an unusually hot and dry spring and summer. In particular, the reduced precipitation for most of the vegetative cycle and the high temperatures recorded between June and July affected the vines and grape ripening. This climate pattern advanced the vegetative cycle by about one to two weeks on average. In terms of vine health, cryptogamic diseases (powdery mildew and downy mildew) and insect pests had no significant impact. Overall, compared with data from the previous decade, 2015 was the year in which all productions showed better sanitary conditions. Ripening was highly variable across the region, depending on vineyard location and/or water availability. In vineyards less exposed to stress or with greater water availability, ripening was earlier (about one to two weeks) and the harvest began at the end of August or beginning of September. In vineyards at lower altitude or more exposed to heat, ripening proceeded more slowly, forcing producers to wait for higher alcohol and phenolic levels. However, a significant rainfall event on 15–16 September, accompanied by lower temperatures, had a very positive impact on both production and quality, allowing ripening to progress gradually to perfection by the end of September or beginning of October. Van Zellers & Co. The LBV Ports are made from traditional and native red grapes harvested by hand, grown in various sub‑regions of the Douro. More than 25 traditional Douro grapes are used, with Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca predominating, but also Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca and Sousão. The grapes are crushed by foot in old granite vats and ferment in the same vats for 2 to 5 days. When the must reaches the desired residual sugar level, wine spirit is added to halt fermentation. After transferring and pressing, the new Port is aged for 36 to 48 months in old wooden casks, with capacities ranging from 600 to 10 000 litres. It is bottled without any fining or filtration. Winemakers: Cristiano van Zeller and Joana Pinhão Bottling date: August 2019, in 2 133 × 750 ml bottles Allergen information Contains sulfites. SKU: 106756