How we make wine

The estate has young plots and old vines over sixty years old. We follow each plot throughout the year.

We harvest by hand and transport the grapes in small crates.

On arrival at the cellar, the grapes go into cold storage.

We remove the stems and crush the grapes lightly. For whites, we separate the juice from the skins; for reds, they ferment together.

The grapes are cooled before pressing.

For whites, we use direct pneumatic pressing. The juice rests to separate out suspended particles.

Some reds are foot-trodden in granite lagares, including the old-vine lots.

For Touriga Nacional, a net keeps the skins submerged in the must during fermentation.

We control the temperature during fermentation.

We clarify, stabilise and filter the wine before bottling.

Ageing varies with the wine. We use barrels of different ages; the Reservas also use new barrels.

The room’s temperature and humidity are controlled during ageing.

We taste wines from different tanks and barrels to decide the final blend.

The bottles are prepared and filled before going on to labelling.

The label identifies the wine. Each vintage’s production is recorded on its technical sheet.

Palato do Côa and Vinha da Migalha come from the estate. Vinhas do Côa brings together grapes from two estates owned by the partners.

We prune while the vines are dormant, preparing for spring growth.

We keep vegetation between the rows and follow the vines’ growth until the next harvest.