Selected awards

Gold - Sélection Mondiales Des Vins Canada

Silver & 93 points - International Wine Challenge

Silver & 92 points - Decanter World Wine Awards

Silver - SF International Wine Competition

15.5/20 points - Magazine Bourgogne Aujhourd’hui n.167 - Dégustation “Les Bourguignons à l'étranger”

Production

Year - informally known as the "Poor (Wo)Man's Vintage", this blend of vintage-quality harvests from older vines is aged an average of 5 years (we call it our Ruby's "Older Brother").

Grapes - a field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão, Mourisco, Tinta Pomar and Rufete from our estate's older vines.

Terroir - schist soil, Mediterranean climate (low yearly rainfall and dry, hot summers), grade A classified vineyards.

Winemaking - hand-picked, estate-grown grapes undergo pre-fermentation line-up maceration with foot-treading in traditional lagares for 3 days followed by 3 days of temperature-controlled fermentation to more slowly extract the grapes' soft tannins, complex aromas, and rich colors. The various harvests have aged an average of 5 years in neutral, French oak, 500 liter (130 gallon) puncheons, and 7000 liter (1850 gallon) foudres before blending.  

Annual Production - 7,000 bottles

Alcohol - 19.5%

Tasting

See -  brownish ruby with orange highlights.

Smell - prunes, dried figs, and black cherries; dried tobacco leaves, black pepper and Chinese five-spice, with a hint of vanilla bean. 

Sip -  focused and with noticeable weight and velvety tannins; ripe black fruit with spice and bitter cacao; long, soft and persistent finish.

Enjoy - now or within 8 years, cool (15°C/60°F), with strong cheese (blue), cooked fruit (grilled or Port-poached figs or pears), nuts (walnut), dense dessert (pain d'épices or flourless chocolate cake) and bitter chocolate (truffled, mocha-filled or with candied orange peel).