Variety - a mix of the high-spirited red grapes, Brancelho, Cainho Longo, Espadeiro, Vinhão, Borraçal (Caíño Tinto)
Winemaker - Constantino Ramos
Appellation - Vinho Verde, Portugal
Vineyard - Alvarinho Vineyard
Alcohol - 11.5%
Case Production - n/a
Vinification and Elevage - The red is made like a short-term, skin-contacted white, or long skin-contacted rosé. After destemming, the grapes macerate on the skins for only two days and are then pressed, tank settled for an additional two days and then put in 225-liter old oak barrels (15-20 years old) for fermentation. The fermentation is natural and there is no temperature control; however, the size of the barrels limit the temperature to a maximum of around 23°C. The wine is lightly filtered to clarify any turbidity, and there are no fining agents used before bottling. The sulfite level of the wine is low, thanks to the naturally high acid and low pH of the wine.
In the US, a red blend is essentially any domestic wine that's not made from a specific grape variety. Winemakers blend grapes because it allows them to reach desired flavor profiles that a single grape variety could not achieve on their own. Common red blends in the US often feature Cabernet, merlot and either cabernet franc or petite verdot. However there are many other common red blends including grenache, syrah and mourvedre often referred to as a GSM blend. In France, these blends would most commonly be named for the reason from whence they hail. For example, the Bordeaux blend or Rhone blend respectively.
