Cedro do Noval - Douro White 2021
Quinta do Noval is a Porto house established in 1715, and one of the only ones to be located in the heart of the Douro Valley , instead of Villa Nova de Gaia, Portugal . It takes its name from its most famous vineyard, in this case the Quinta do Noval. The majority of the quinta's vineyards are planted with noble Douro grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao. The grapes are grown on a mixture of schist and clay soils, but the presence of rocks around the vines makes harvesting difficult for the winegrowers. A large-scale replanting of the vineyards was undertaken in 1994, and each plot was planted with a variety that best suited the soil, altitude and exposure. At the heart of the Quinta do Noval vineyard is a small parcel of ungrafted vines that were lucky enough to avoid the devastation of phylloxera in the 19th century. Since 1993, the managing director has been Christian Seely , who is also in charge of numerous vineyards in Europe, within the AXA Millesimes group. This investment group also owns estates such as Château Pichon-Longueville, Château Pibran and Disznókő in Hungary.
Cedro Do Noval takes its name from the emblematic cedar that dominates the terrace of Quinta Do Noval. Cedro Do Noval Blanc is a blend of local grape varieties: Viosinho (40%), Gouveio (38%), Arinto (12%), Códega de Larinho (8%) and Rabigato (2%) . The bunches are de-stemmed and lightly crushed before pressing. The Viosinho is fermented in 2-year-old French oak barrels, the other grape varieties are vinified in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation was not carried out. The wine is aged in barrels , 20% of which are new, for 6 months and with regular stirring for 3 months.
Grapes: 40% Viosinho, 38% Gouveio, 12% Arinto, 8% Códega de Larinho, 2% Rabigato