Altano Organic Rosé 2021 Release
Made from organically farmed grapes from the Vilariça Valley (Douro, Portugal), where the Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão varieties are picked at an optimum level of ripeness (a little earlier than for other wines) to ensure a favourable balance between the natural grape sugars and acids. These varieties have complementary characteristics, ideally suited for this style of rosé wine, bringing together fresh aromas, vivid fruit flavours and an elegant texture. A great wine for informal drinking, particularly during warmer weather.
Tasting note
Fresh, mineral saline notes mingle with delicate traces of jasmine and lychee with a little strawberry in the background. In the mouth, the first impact is the minerality, expressed through a stony, flinty character, which introduces crisp, citric acidity. The aftertaste suggests rhubarb and gooseberry and ends on a subtle note of green tea.
The 2021Vintage
Following a succession of very hot and dry years in the Douro, the 2021 growth cycle and harvest were some of the coolest in recent years. While large areas of Europe experienced extreme heat (with July being the hottest ever recorded in the continent), the Douro experienced an unusually cool summer with none of the heat waves that have become common in the region. Moderate conditions in 2021 encouraged slower, gradual maturations with balanced ripening, while the harvest itself was defined by three key periods of rain impacting our picking schedule. The remarkably cool nights contributed to excellent acidity and very good colour in the wines. The 2021 harvest was drawn out over six weeks, contrasting sharply with that of 2020, which lasted less than a month.
Wine making
The grapes are gently crushed after destemming and the must is clarified prior to the start of alcoholic fermentation, which proceeds at approximately 16°C until the sugars are entirely fermented out. The different fermentation batches that form the basis of the blend are blended in pre-determined proportions to arrive at the desired levels of colour, aroma and flavour.
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