Quinta do Panascal Vintage Porto 2008
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Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
The famous vineyard of Quinta do Panascal has been recognized for the quality of its fruit since the 1700s. A southwest-facing vineyard, it creates the big, opulent, fruit driven wines that make Fonseca so sought after. Single quinta vintage wines such as this are made in years when a general vintage is not declared, but the individual vineyard has produced exceptional fruit. The fruit for Fonseca’s single quinta vintage Portos is foot-trodden in granite lagares on the estate. Fermentation is halted by the addition of grape spirits before all the residual sugar has been fermented, creating a sweet, fortified wine. The wine is aged for two years in vats before being bottled unfiltered.
Harvest Note
Flowering occurred under wet and cold conditions and, as a result, poor set affected all grape varieties, resulting in lower yields, but with great concentration of flavor. The temperatures for the 2008 growing season were lower than average. The final ripening of the grapes was greatly enhanced with rain falling between the September 4 and 7, and a further downpour just before the vintage started. Picking started on September 25 at Quinta do Panascal. A key characteristic of the 2008 vintage were the hot days combined with cold nights--perfect weather conditions not only for the final ripening of the grapes, but also for the fermentation rates. This provided wonderful freshness of fruit, complexity and great structure.
Tasting Note
This dark, opaque wine shows fresh, rich blackberry and cassis aromas. It is velvety on the palate, with a well knit structure and a touch of cocoa before a long finish.
Technical Data
GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Tinta Amarela
APPELLATION: Douro
ACIDITY: 4.07 g/l
ABV: 20.55%
AGING: 2 years in vat
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 90.5 g/l
Unique Selling Points
- A single quinta vintage wine, made in the best years in which a regular vintage is not declared
- Produced from the fruit of a single quinta: Fonseca’s famous Quinta do Panascal
- A collectible wine that will develop for decades in the bottle
“My team and I strive to bring the very best performance out of our vineyards by careful nurturing of the vines, combined with the very best winemaking techniques available.”
David Guimaraens, Winemaker
About the Grape
Tinta Amarela
Tinta Amarela makes wines with intensely perfumed aromas of blackberry and tea, bold structure, deep color and excellent depth.
Tinta Barroca
Used to make Port wines, this high yielding grape has very high sugar content, which makes wines with pronounced floral character, good structure and firm, ripe tannins.
Tinta Cão
This grape has blackberry, game and meaty aromas, and contributes longevity and exceptional elegance to the blend of Port wines.
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Roriz produces deep-colored grapes of moderate acidity which make bold wines with firm tannins, excellent complexity and distinctive resin-like fragrance.
Touriga Franca
This grape has high tannins and is very aromatic; it lends structure and balance to Port wines. It shows intense fresh red fruit, earth and flower aromas, and is very fruity on the palate.
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional produces wine with finesse, body and warmth that is dark, concentrated, massively tannic and aromatic. It ages to show the complex aromas typically found in mature vintage port.
