DAC Encruzado

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Rui Abecassis, founder of Obrigado: “Alvaro Castro inherited Quinta da Pellada, his family estate, in 1980, replanted, and released his first vintage in 1989. Since then, oblivious to trends and fads, he has been making wines that please him and are true to his memories of old guard 1970/80’s Dão wines. Quinta da Pellada is arguably the best producer in the Dão. History shows that vines have been grown at Quinta da Pellada since at least the XVI century, when in 1527 the crown’s treasury taxed the property ‘80 barrels to the king.’ Although impossible to verify now what the king thought, let alone if the barrels ever got to him, it is clear that the taxes are an irrefutable certification of the wine’s existence!” DAC Encruzado is a special bottling of a single vineyard which uses 100% Encruzado, Dão’s flagship white grape. Wines like this are the reason Dão is often described as Portugal’s Burgundy, with an emphasis on elegance and finesse in lieu of power.

WHAT MAKES THIS WINE UNIQUE?
Single vineyard Encruzado, harvested from a 16 year old vineyard planted at 550m elevation. 100% unoaked, this wine represents the apotheosis of Encruzado. Encruzado is high on acid and shy for the first few months, but as it matures, opens layer upon layer of aromatics and flavors. This wine will age gracefully for 10 to 12 years.

RATING HISTORY:
DAC Alvaro Castro recognized as one of 100 Best Wineries of 2014 by Wine & Spirits Magazine; 2013 91WE; 2011 91W&S

GRAPE:
100% Encruzado. Organically grown vines planted in 1988. Tended in granite, clay and sandy soil at 550 m (1,804 ft) elevation

VINIFICATION AND AGING:
Manual harvest happens mid/late-September. The process involves skin contact for 10 to 12 hours followed by pressing, fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 6 months and batonage for 3 months. Filtered and bottled in May.

TASTING NOTES:
A grape with warm, ripe tropical notes and a smooth Chardonnay-like character and great richness. On the nose, pineapple, guava, melon and citrus notes give way to flinty mineral tones not unlike that of a top flight Beaune white. On the palate, lush and rich, with juicy tropical fruit in the mid palate leading to a clean, mineral finish.

ALCOHOL CONTENT:
13.0%

UPC CODE:
5606686001161

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