We want to share with you our pride and gratitude at having two of our wines: the 'Crosta Calcária' from Porto Santo and the 'Vinha dos Aards' from Pico in the national Top 30. Two wines that express the hidden potential of these magical islands!
Then, we were even prouder to have 'Vinha dos Aards 2020' nominated for Wine of the Year, even though we ended up losing to the Czar wine from Pico (it feels good to lose...carry the Azores!).
Finally, we were grateful to receive the 'Breakthrough Producer of the Year' Trophy at the Azores Wine Company, a sign both of the recognition of the work already done and of how much remains to be done!
Vinha dos Aards: Nominated for 'Wine of the Year' and Top 30 'Best of the Year 2023'
We are very grateful to have a plot like this, where the work of its rehabilitation has been a formidable journey. The Aards vineyard is a 96-year-old, 1.45-hectare organic vineyard, planted in the crevices of the rock at Lagido da Criação Velha and driven close to the ground and protected by walls (corrals) from the strong, salty winds of the Atlantic, a mere 60m from the ocean.
A wine born from the sea, harvested by hand, selected on a sorting table, pressed directly, cold decanted for 12 hours and spontaneously fermented. The first presses in stainless steel in a horizontal vat (60%) and the second presses in French oak barrels with at least 3 years of use (40%). Sulphur dioxide only applied after fermentation. Aged for 18 months on the lees without batonnage.
Crosta Calcária dos Profetas: Top 30 'Best of the Year 2023'
Crosta Calcária dos Profetas are two plots in a geological zone in the north of the island of Porto Santo, where the limestone profile is compacted, giving the wines an additional minerality, transporting us to seashells and another dimension of wine. The vines, 40 to 80 years old, with traditional undergrowth, are close to the ground and protected from strong winds by reeds or crochet walls.
In a production of just over 600 bottles, the grapes were harvested by hand and vinified for the first time on the island of Porto Santo. Tight selection in the vineyard, with some vines being harvested more than once, picking the ripest first and the rest in a second harvest. Direct pressing of the whole bunch into decanting tanks, with three fractions being separated, without any use of SO2 until the end of fermentation, in order to allow pre-oxidation of the must and fuller spontaneous fermentation. The musts fermented on their lees in 250L and 500L stainless steel vats and 228L barrels, where they were aged for a total of 11 months.
