A complex young man
The new Quinta de Ventozelo LOCI 2020 has already arrived in the wine cellars and restaurants of the country, a red full of fruit but with a good complexity.
Loci (plural de locus, place in Latin) is a wine that follows current trends, especially when we talk about reds, which today want less marked, less intense. Thus, the aromas of LOCI are discreet, although fruity and vegetable notes are perceived. Then, it is in the tasting that it is revealed, with its surrounding fruit, marked in the right measure, complemented with good acidity and soft wood, well integrated. That is, a wine that reveals its personality without having to assault the palate with its intensity. A work that results from a refined study of five varieties of eight different vineyards of the quinta de Ventozelo. In its composition, yellow paint is in the composition.
It is not today that those who write you enjoy wines with Yellow Ink. In fact, Quinta de Ventozelo has shown that it knows how to work very well this variety, namely through a wine that I like very much, quinta de ventozelo tinta Amarela. Elaborated by winemaker José Manuel Sousa Soares, it is subtle, discreet, soft tannins, but without failing to show its claw and complexity. This LOCI is also like this, with 50% Yellow Ink in the lot, and therefore with a well-creased caste profile. Coming from a vineyard with southwest exposure and average altitude of 350m, it was one of the best behaved in the vineyards in 2020. The grapes were the first to ripen in the vineyard and revealed a lot of freshness in the mouth and fine and delicate aromas.
However, other varieties make up the batch of this LOCI. Tinta Roriz, from the Dona Zefa and Galaico vineyards; the first with northwest exposure and average altitude of 250m, and the second with south exposure and average altitude of 350m, contributed to 20% of the lot, with fresher grapes and others more mature. In 2020, Tinta Roriz, which sometimes proves to be a difficult grape variety, has evolved very well in the maturation of tannins, keeping raspberry and strawberry aromas so characteristic. Contributing to 10%, the Sousão, the Vineyards Carvalha and Vale da Mina, both with northwest exposure and average altitude of 200m. A variety that also behaved well in the vineyards in 2020, even in the earliest plots, with a reinforcement of color. Like Sousão, Red Dog is also part of 10% of the lot. Coming from the Colmeal vineyard, with exposure to the Southwest and average altitude of 250m, it is from the grape varieties present in this wine the most exotic, bluish color and little intense, but with enormous richness and silky tannins. Finally, the Touriga Nacional, from the Serra vineyards (with northwest exposure and average altitude of 250m) and Chapel (with northwest exposure, average altitude of 150m) harvested and selected in the first week, and also it to make up 10% of the lot, giving aroma, structure and good acidity to LOCI.
After manual harvest and choice of the best bunches, went through the total desengace and choose berry by bago by an optical selection machine. The winemaking was done in a lagar, with pre-fermentative macerated and temperature control. The internship was 12 months in barrels of 300 and 500 liters of french oak of the second and third year, of the tanoarias Baron, Radoux and Seguin Moreau. Finally, he still aged 8 months in bottle.
About QUINTA DE VENTOZELO:
It is one of the largest and oldest farms in the Douro, with about 400 hectares, of which 200 are vineyards. Located on the left bank of the river, in the parish of Ervedosa do Douro, Municipality of São João da Pesqueira, it develops in a large amphitheater from the river quota to 600 meters of altitude, between the Ribeira de Ervedosa and several water lines. It thus presents exceptional soil conditions and microclimatic diversity for a viticulture of excellence, along with other productions such as olive oil, cork, honey and fruits, as well as the exploration of wine tourism and hunting tourism.
