Douro Dry Red
(Good to Very Good)
A light red wine from
Douro DOC or Douro Valley
Summary
A crushed fruit fermentation wine, where machine-harvested and sorted grapes are destemmed (no additional tannins from the stems is desired) and allowed a cold soaking to increase color extraction before ambient yeast ferment the wine to dryness at cool temperatures in neutral vessels or lagares. Post-fermentation maceration for further extraction is common, but tannin management is carefully monitored, before pressing and racking into Portuguese or French oak (large cask or even small barrels, depending on the producer), where malolactic conversion will occur. Ageing in oak, adding texture and oak aromas, before any fining and filtration before bottling in glass under premium cork.