Chão da Quinta - Red Field Blend 2018

Red wine.

Savoury, Tight, Agile.

The Dão region is quickly becoming my favourite region in Portugal.

Located at altitude in the centre of the country with its back to the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in the country, and facing the chilly Atlantic, this is cool climate Portuguese wine.

Giving nod to the famous regions of Burgundy and Piedmont, it produces medium bodied wines that are full of crisp character.

I love the elegant mineral precision that the wines have. That was why I was excited when I came across this little gem from Chão da Quinta

Quinta Chão de São Francisco is an old estate, located around 5kms from the town of Viseu, that has been around since the 17th century. It is made up of 8 hectares of vineyards which have been in production since those first years long ago.

Since 1996 however, the project has been given a new lease on life, with a replanting of the vines and a new name (Chão da Quinta), with the focus of producing high quality wines that reflect the beautiful quality obtainable in the Dão.

For this wine, the varieties used are a field blend of local favourites, Tinta Roriz, Jaen and Touriga Nacional. These vines were yield controlled to produce a mere 1-1.5kg per vine to ensure maximum quality.

Once the grapes were harvested, the fermentation was carried out at controlled temperatures to retain freshness and the skins were left to soak in the wine for a while after ferment.

The wine then aged in French barrels for 12 months.

Good classic Dão. Plain and Simple.