Description
COMBOIO DO VESUVIO
DOC DOURO 2020
WINEMAKER
Mariana Brito, Charles Symington, and
Pedro Correia.
PROVENANCE & GRAPE VARIETIES
Quinta do Vesuvio, Douro Superior.
35% Touriga Franca
35% Touriga Nacional
30% Tinta Roriz
WINE SPECIFICATION
Alcohol: 14.5 % vol
Total acidity: 5.8 g/l tartaric acid
AGEING & PRODUCTION
Ageing without any contact with oak.
Bottled June 2022.
Decanting: Not Required
THE WINE
There has been a station on the main line Douro railroad at Quinta do
Vesúvio since 1887 and the trains that daily call there are very much part of
the property’s day to day life. This railway forms part of Vesúvio’s rich
heritage and when the Symington family decided to launch this third dry red
wine from the legendary estate, it felt only natural to evoke the propitious
coexistence between railway and vineyard. The ‘Comboio do Vesúvio’
(Vesúvio Train) is unoaked to underscore the wine’s youthful, fruit forward
profile.
VINTAGE OVERVIEW
Winter and early spring rainfall was roughly in line with the average, but
higher than average temperatures brought forward the vegetative cycle by
three weeks. If overall rainfall levels were reassuring, the temperatures were
far from it: every month apart from April was considerably warmer than the
30-year mean. With virtually no rain in June or July, we were relieved to
have 12.6 mm falling on 20th August, although the rain was followed by
three heat waves lasting until mid-September. With the heat diminishing
the benefit of the rainwater – and faced with the possibility of berry
dehydration – we began picking our white grapes from the 25th August.
These were in surprisingly good condition (given the summer drought),
allowing us to make some very good wines. Production was down by 40% in
some properties, but the lower yields were compensated by overall good
quality.
WINEMAKING
The hand-picked grapes from selected parcels at Vesúvio are harvested into
small, shallow 20 Kg open containers. At the winery, the bunches are first
manually sorted and then gently destemmed. The berries are then carefully
machine-sorted, and gravity transported to the top of the fermentation vats.
There, still whole, they’re gently crushed, and gravity fed directly into the
vats. Fermentations are closely monitored, and temperatures and
macerations (plunging, pumping over and rack and return) are adjusted
each day (after daily tastings) to tap all the grapes’ potential. We aim to
produce a wine showing balance, with expressive fruit and harmonious
flavors, ready to enjoy young whilst preserving some aging potential.
TASTING NOTE
Bright aromas of red fruits (strawberry)
and rock rose (a wildflower much
associated with the Douro). Rich plum
with notes of fresh herbs and hints of
clove on the palate. Fine acidity and
peppery tannins add freshness to this
balanced, well-structured wine.
STORAGE & SERVING
Ready to drink but will develop favorably
in bottle through 2025.
SCORES
89 Points, Decanter, 2023
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