Post Scriptum Douro Red 6 / Case

CONDITIONS The 2012/2013 viticultural year brought substantial winter rainfall which replenished the water reserves in the parched soils following two consecutive years of drought. Spring was dry and mild and this created good conditions for flowering and favoured good fruit set. Despite a very hot and dry summer the water reserves stored in the soil from the bounty of winter rains helped the vines to withstand the adverse conditions and by the time the vintage got underway the berries were well ripened with a good balance of sugar and acidity. Rainfall at the end of September imposed felixibility in our picking order but fortunately the best grapes (in particular Touriga Nacional) were harvested before the rain set in. VINIFICATION Manual triage is undertaken on a sorting table after which the grapes are de-stemmed before passing through a second berry-by-berry mechanical selection prior to being gently crushed. The grapes are then relayed to the fermentation vats and once in