QUINTA DOS FRADES
GRANDE RESERVA
2016
Technical Data

Viticultural year: The winter of 2015/2016 was warm and rainy with a cold and extremely rainy spring. Summer was excessively hot and dry. This disrupted the vines activity and delayed the fruit ripening. Dry conditions during the harvest resulted in a crop of healthy grapes. This vintage produced heterogeneous wines, but overall with lower acidity and lower alcohol than in 2015.

Grape varieties: Old vines with 23 identified grape varieties. Predominance of Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela, Tinta da Barca, Tinta Carvalha, Tinta Francisca, Tinto Cão, Bastardo, Rufete and Donzelinho.

Ageing: 12 months in new, lightly toasted French oak barrels. Minimum bottle ageing of 12 months.

The Wine: This is Quinta dos Frades most emblematic wine. It does justice to the enormous legacy of old vines received from the past. Produced exclusively from grapes coming from the estate’s plots that are not less than 100 years old. The tiny yield of each individual vine and the rigorous selection on arrival to the winery mean that many dozens of hectares of old vines are needed to produce the number of bottles that are released every year (around 15,000 bottles).

Grape growing and winemaking: The land is tilled by animals. The grapes are hand-picked, destemmed and foot trodden in granite lagares (troughs). The alcoholic fermentation takes place at controlled temperature for 6 to 10 days. Gentle extraction techniques are used.

Tasting notes: Appearance: Deep black core, with narrow ruby rim;
Nose: Pronounced aroma of concentrated black fruit, with light smoky, toasty and spicy nuances;
Palate: Full-bodied, with structured tannins. The palate shows ripe black fruit and hints of smoke, spice and mocha from the oak. Long and lingering finish.

Serving suggestions: Serve at 16°C. This wine accompanies rich dishes such as game and dry aged beef. It’s also an excellent match to roasted meats.