Portugal: Dao DOC Flashcards
Dao: Climate
-region is surrounded by mountains, protecting the region form the cool, maritime climate
-Mediterranean climate with warm dry summers and mild winters
-Rain 1,600mm in the west and 1,100mm in the east falls in autumn and winter
Dao: Growing Environment
-DOc and VR cover a large area but only 5% are vines - large pine and eucalyptus forest are signature to the wines
-mixed hills, mountain sides create areas around 400-500m average moderating day time temps and high diurnal range **
-hazards are hail in summer, spring frost in low lying flat vineytards where the cold mountain air descends
Dao: Soils
- weathered granite and sandy loamy texture
low in organic matter and free draining = water stress can be an issue
Dao: Viticulture
-gentle slopes
-bush vines are still traditional
-most are Double or Single Guyot , replacement cane pruned or cordon trained with VSP
- harvest vary 240,000L in 2021 and 161,000 in 2020 ( DOC wines )
Dao: Grape Varieites
- 80% red wine
Jaen - or Mencia - moderate acid and flavours of raspberry and blackberry - can be made by carbonic maceration for early drinking
Touriga Nacional -v deep colour, high tannins and acid with black fruit, herbal and florl notes
Tinta Roriz- deep colour, early ripening, medium to med plus tannins and full body- lends sturcture to wine blends
Alfrocheiro - soft, fruity style , medium tannins and strawberry / blackberry flavours . soft fruity for eacrly consumption and also rose wines
Both Jaen and Alfrocheiro lend fruit and softness to blends
Overall Dao wines are dofter and fruitier than Douro wines with higher acid and fresher flavours
Encruzado - white grape for high qulaity wines
-Med-Med plus acid, full bodies and lemon , peach and floral notes
Also blended with Bical, Malvasia Fina and Fernao Pires
Dao: Winemaking
Reds:
excessively astringent and lacking fruit from long perios of old oak maturation , now shorter maceration and newer oak is common
( this is reducing in favour of fresher styles )
Wines are good to outstanding and mid price to prem (some super prem)
Whites:
neutral vessel or oak to add texture on the lees
-oak exapmles are nutty with age and can age well in bottle
Wines are good to bery good and mid to prem priced
Dao: Wine Business
small vineyard holdings - over 30,000 gorwers
90% of vineyards are less than .05 ha
After EU in 1986, SoGrape ( largest wine producer) led the way in producing quality wines at diiferent price points for still wines
Many quality focused private companies in the region , attracting young winemakerr who are lookng for good value grapes
eg. Vinha Paz and Quinta da Pellada
-onyl 15-20% exported to Canada, Brazil and US
