Pacheca Douro Superior 2016

Pacheca Superior Tinto presents an intense young ruby color. Reveals fruit- iness in aroma with strong notes of blackberries and plums, balanced with chocolate notes that come from the bar- rels. It shows balance in the mouth with present rounded tannins and a long andpersistent finish.

This wine is obtained from grapes of the Toruiga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional varieties that come from vine- yards planted in Quinta da Pacheca with around 40 years old. The 2016 vinicultural year began with a rainy spring after a rigorous winter which was later found to have a major importance in securing soil water re- serves. This was the key to the drought and heat conditions that followed dur- ing June and July. In the maturation period during August, the diurnal and nocturnal temperatures were milder which allowed to preserve the acidity of the grapes obtaining balanced must and consequently elegant wines. After careful selection by their best state, the grapes were harvested for chests of 25 kg and sent to the wine- making center where they were fully de-stemmed. Fermentation occurred during 9 days in the traditional 14-ton granitic stone tanks with foot stepping and smooth reassembles for blanket leaching and extraction of phenolic and aromatic compounds. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation the wine was transferred into stainless steel vats where the malolactic fermentation oc- curred. Later, it was aged in new and 2nd year French oak barrels for 12 months.