Red Wine

Quinta dos Carvalhais

Único 2015, 75cl

Dão

Quinta dos Carvalhais

Quinta dos Carvalhais Único is, as the name suggests, a unique wine – an exceptional-quality Dão red that represents the pinnacle of elegance and richness of this brand. Heir to traditional winemaking knowledge, Quinta dos Carvalhais combines experience and innovation to craft sophisticated wines with delicate flavors and the distinctive personality of the region.

Vintage Year: 88% Touriga Nacional, 6% Field Blend, 6% Alfrocheiro. The vintage year began with a very rainy period. However, winter was predominantly cold and dry. Spring, drier than in previous years, saw occasional rainfall that helped replenish the soil’s water reserves. The summer, dry with warm days, was balanced by cool nights. The grapes ripened normally and harmoniously, leading to a harvest that began one week earlier than in 2014, resulting in wines of outstanding quality.

Vinification: The grapes were manually harvested by variety and plot in 20 kg boxes and vinified separately in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation lasted about 8 days at an average temperature of 28ºC. The Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro remained in post-fermentative maceration for another 8 days.

Maturation: After alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 18 months in both new and used French oak barrels. During this period, regular tastings were conducted to monitor the evolution of the different batches. Before bottling, the wine underwent light fining and filtration. To preserve its highest quality, it was not cold-stabilized.

Winemaker: Beatriz Cabral de Almeida.

Storage: Like all great Dão reds, this wine has excellent aging potential in the bottle. If stored correctly in a cool environment with minimal temperature variation, it can evolve beautifully for 10 to 15 years.

Serving: Should be stored horizontally in a cool, dry place. The ideal serving temperature is between 15ºC and 17ºC. Decanting is recommended for wines older than 4 to 5 years. Once opened, the bottle should be consumed on the same day but can remain in good condition for some time if well-sealed, ideally with a vacuum stopper.

Enjoy: This is a wine made for the table, highly gastronomic. Its elegance and freshness give it great versatility, pairing perfectly with dishes ranging from octopus “à lagareiro” to oven-roasted pork neck or slow-cooked pork rib rice.

Technical Details: Total Acidity: 6.1 g/L (tartaric acid) | Residual Sugar: 0.8 g/L | pH: 3.6

Allergens information

Contains sulphites.

Sogrape Vinhos

Sogrape Vinhos was born of the will and courage of a group of friends. In the difficult economic and political environment of 1942, they decided to stake everything on the visionary talents of one man. This man had the vision to create and develop an innovative wine company with a difference, one which could make and promote Portuguese wines on a global scale.

This vision belonged to Fernando van Zeller Guedes, whose character and forceful personality paved the way for a successful venture that many believed was doomed to fail from the outset. The unparalleled foresight and vision of Sogrape’s founder, resulted in the creation of the first global Portuguese wine brand – Mateus Rosé. Sold in over 120 countries, this proved to be such a resounding commercial success that it provided the decisive momentum for the growth as well as affirming the leadership of which the Company is so proud. The willingness to innovate and the ambition to do things differently – along with respect for tradition and the values of ethics and responsibility – marked the birth of an organization that has proved capable of preserving its founder’s vision and adapting to inevitably changing times. Today, led by the third generation of the founding family, Sogrape Vinhos is ever more closely dedicated to meeting the founding objective: to bring the world quality Portuguese wine brands, with sufficient volume to satisfy the needs of different market segments.

From the pioneering days of buying barrels of wine from small producers in the Douro for processing and bottling in a rented cellar in Vila Real, Sogrape Vinhos has steadily grown. Continuous investment has expanded and developed the company’s assets and workforce to such a degree that Sogrape Vinhos owns over 830 hectares of vineyards in all the key Portuguese wine regions. Nowadays, the full scope of Sogrape Vinhos is clearly demonstrated by the breadth and weight of its portfolio. At first glance, what immediately stands out is the presence of two major global Portuguese wine brands – Mateus Rosé and Sandeman as well as the prestigious wines of Porto Ferreira and Offley. Added to which are the renowned specialist brands that represent the major Portugese wine regions. Beginning with the most famous Portuguese wine of all, Barca Velha, the pride of Casa Ferreirinha (Douro) and continuing with the elegant wines of Quinta dos Carvalhais (Dão), the vibrant Herdade do Peso (Alentejo), the fresh Vinhos Verdes of Quinta de Azevedo and Gazela, and the multi-regional Grão Vasco, to name but a few.

To tell the story of Sogrape Vinhos it is essential to retrace the origins and evolution of the plan conceived by this visionary man. And then to appreciate how his successors have inherited his values and pursued them with dedication, vigour and expertise to grow and develop Portugal’s leading wine company. Above all, the achievements of such a large team are promoted with pride and sustained by the ambition to innovate and enhance all that Sogrape Vinhos has to offer.

Address

Sogrape Vinhos S.A.

Aldeia Nova
4430 – 809 Avintes
Vila Nova de Gaia