Dízimos Reserva 2020

The harvest took place at the beginning of September 2020, with ripening already well advanced due to the atypical year, in particular the warm winter, dry spring and summer heatwaves.
The grapes were harvested by hand, with extremely rapid transport to the winery. The must was extracted by pressing the whole bunch, very slowly and gently, in order to obtain cleaner, purer juices. Static decanting was carried out at a low temperature (12ºC) over 48 hours to allow natural sedimentation and cleaning of the juices before fermentation, with only the natural action of cold. The Avesso and Arinto musts were co-fermented in stainless steel vats for around 15 days and then aged in used 225L French oak barrels for 12 months, with regular bâtonnage.

This barrel ageing incorporated structural elements into the wine in the mouth, such as the proteins resulting from the death of the yeasts in the fine lees, as well as micro-oxygenation to form a greater complexity of aromas and flavours, body and structure in the wine. This process preserves and softens the wine’s acidity, which is crucial for its longevity and balance.