QUINTA DA PLANSEL (Alentejo, Portugal)
Marques de Montemor Branco 2009
Blend of Arinto, Antˆ£o Vaz and Viosinho grapes. Handharvested into small baskets for careful selection. Gently pressed and allowed to settle for 24hrs under cold temps. Fermented spontaneously in smaller steel tanks for4wks. Moved to blending tank (steel) for stabaliztion under colder temps and rested for several months before light membrane filtering. 15000 cases made yearly.
Beginning as a massive undertaking to propagate Portuguese varietals in 1984, Dorin and Thomas Lindeman have monitored 60ha of vineyards of "Plansel Selecta". It was conceived by Dorin's father years before as a new home/nursery of select vines (precise down to each vine per varietal) to begin the ’Äòmicrovinification’Äô in the fields. With this amazing raw material, Dorin applied her training from the University of Geisenheim, to see her father’Äôs vision to completion. The vineyards, 100km south of Lisbon, consist of nearly 20 varietals. The climate is heavy sun, creating a natural struggle for high yields and incredible natural concentration. Realizing this could lead to uninteresting, uninspiring wines, Dorin strives to maintain freshness and terrior in her wines (where others in the region fail) to raise the perception of Portugese wines as a whole. She uses the granite and shistic soils, poor for growing grapes, to force lower yields and bring a distinct mineral tone to the wines. Grapes are hand harvested and held in a chilling chamber until cool enough for slow fermentation. Whites and reds begin in stainless steel to preserve freshness and reduce jammy tones. Some reds are moved to combo of new and old French and American oak. This focus on the 'new' vines of the old varietals, with little manipulation in the cellars, has improved her wines every year, increasing her recognition in the world market and among the Portugese wine field. Watching his dream come to life, Dad must be proud of all his children (his vines) but mostly with Dorin, perhaps his favorite autochtone varietal!
Blend of Arinto, Antˆ£o Vaz and Viosinho grapes. Handharvested into small baskets for careful selection. Gently pressed and allowed to settle for 24hrs under cold temps. Fermented spontaneously in smaller steel tanks for4wks. Moved to blending tank (steel) for stabaliztion under colder temps and rested for several months before light membrane filtering. 15000 cases made yearly.