Portugal - Douro Flashcards
How many ha under vine?
It’s the best known region, and also makes the most wine 38,000ha are registered for the Ption of DOC wines, either Porto DOC for fortified or Douro DOC for unfortified.
How long have unfortified wines been produced for?
Always, but received DOC status in 1982.
Who first put Douro reds on the map?
Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, who worked at the time as winemaker at Ferreira Port. Following a visit to Bordeaux, he returned to Portugal convinced high quality wines could be made from Douro grapes.
In 1952 he made the first vintage of Barca Velha, cooling fermentation tanks with ice brought up river from Matosinhos (fishing port west of Porto).
He experimented with different varieties, vessels and wood for ageing.
He settled on Tinta Roriz to provide the majority, with local varieties making up the rest.
It was not popular on release, but now is super premium, 10x the price of good vintage port.
When did production of high quality unfortified wine really get under way?
Generally until Portugal joined the EU in 1986, bringing necessary finance to invest in modern winemaking equipment such as steel tanks with temp control.
A few Douro estate owners brought a case court to be allowed to export port from the estates (quintas) in the Douro. Until then, all port wine had to be exported from Vila Nova di Gaia, where major port shippers had warehouses and bottling lines.
The case succeeded, and kickstarted the development of a modern generation of unfortified wines, many single quinta.
What area does the Douro cover? What’s the topography and climate?
Follows the Douro River over 100km, starting as the river turns west at the border with Spain, and finishing just west of Mesão Frio (about 100km inland of Porto)
Divided into 3 sub regions (Douro Superiore, Cima Corgo and Baixo Corgo).
The western limit is marked by the Serra do Mario, 1415m at its highest point. This shields the region from the worst of the cooler, damp Atlantic, meaning the region has an overall warm continental climate.
Site selection is important.
How does rainfall vary throughout?
Baixo Corgo 900mm
Cima Corgo 700mm
Douro Superior 450mm.
However, as the river and its tributaries provide a range of aspects and altitudes there’s a wide range of microclimates.
What’s the general soil type? How does this affect water availability? What other factors affect water availability?
Bedrock is schist, on top of which there’s a shallow topsoil made up of decomposed schist.
Low in organic matter and stony in texture, the soil stores little water, however, because the schist bedrock splits into vertical layers the vine roots can break through in search of water, especially important as many of the hillside vineyards are not set up for irrigation and the dry, increasingly drought prone climate.
In 2019 the IVDP relaxed irrigation regulations, which previously was not permitted except in extreme circumstances.
Today, when hydric stress takes away from quality (not quantity) and the vineyard is located in an area where irrigation is authorised, P only need to notify the IVDP if they irrigate.
What is the profile of Touriga Franca?
Late ripening.
Tight bunches of thick skinned grapes, making it relatively resistant to fungal diseases.
Can be vigorous, needs to be managed, usually with summer pruning.
Contributes colour, tannin and acidity, as well as juicy red and black fruit and sometimes floral.
What is the profile of Tinta Roriz?
Early ripening, has to be grown in cool sites, else it can suffer from water stress.
Can lend body and deep colour.
Capable of producing high yields, but needs to be limited or they’ll lack concentration.
What is the profile of Tinta Barroca?
Early ripening. Best planted in cool sites, otherwise prone to heat damage, losing acidity and grape shrivelling.
Not as floral as other grapes, with more earthy flavours.
Colour tends to fade more quickly.
Capable of producing high yields.
What is the profile of Touriga Nacional?
Mid ripening with thick skins, producing deep colour and high tannins.
Retains acidity well and displays concentrated flavours of black fruit and floral violet, rose or orange blossom.
Wines are said to have long ageing potential and hence often a component of premium wines.
Can suffer from excessive vigour, which needs to be managed through pruning.
Susceptible to coulure
What varieties are commonly found in Douro wines?
Usually a blend. Single varietal Touriga Nacional or Tinta Roriz are found, but rare.
Those two are common leads in blends due to ability to retain acidity well and give ripe but not jammy fruit flavours.
Which variety has seen an increase in plantings recently? What others are permitted?
Sousão, has increased in recent years for fortified and non.
High acidity brings freshness even in warm years.
The DOC permits a wide range of other varieties.
Which varieties are used for white Douro DOC?
Traditional Portuguese varieties, many native to the Douro:
Viosinho (full bodied with floral and stone fruit, but can lack acidity).
Rabigato (high acidity, citrus and floral)
Gouveio (Godello. Medium (+) acidity, citrus and stone fruit)
Moscatel Galego Branco (BaPG, enhances aromas).
They all tend to be grown at highest altitudes.
How do producers view blending? How can they achieve balance?
They tend to be, though some make from single plot.
P aim for ripe but not overripe grapes, and a blend of sites (along with blend of varieties) can help achieve this despite vintage variances.
Aspect, altitude and distance from the coast can influence site climate, N facing, high altitude and close to the coast are coolest, can be advantageous in hot years.
