|
WineryWine Cellar: over 200 years old!
The year 1806 is engraved on the stone wall of our winery, indicating the year of the original construction. With four shale stone lagars still in use (one with capacity for 1,650 litre and three larger ones each with capacity for 5,500 litre), we are able to produce over 18,000 litre at same time. Nevertheless, we remain a very small, rural, family owned and operated winery. Accordingly, each and every liter receives our family’s personal touch which makes a significant quality difference.
Even with the great advantage of making wine within the natural coolness of the stone lagars, we have also acquired a new mechanical cooling system to further avoid excessive temperatures during fermentation. Therefore the vinification process will respect traditional methods while also incorporating the advantage of new technologies Lagar Operations
The traditional Portugese stone “lagar” is a large (24 square meters) but shallow (0.6m deep) fermentation tank where the wine grapes can be crushed by foot.
Because this task can become rather monotonous, especially late at night, our manager, Hugo, has invented a mechanical system to supplement the traditional effort. The Old Stone Lagar have been also upgraded with temperature control system. The Ageing
Lab Assistance
Before and during the harvest, the grape samples and grape must are taken to an independent laboratory (Casa do Douro in Régua or other) to receive professional guidance and suggested procedures during fermentation. The same lab receives barrel and tank samples monthly during the aging process so we understand how the wine is evolving and if special treatments are needed.
|
