Quinta do Vesúvio 2012 - Red

2012 was an unusually dry year. By the end of February, much of the Douro Valley was suffering from extremely dry conditions. The vines, though, adapted to the hydric stress by growing shorter shoots with fewer leaves which, when combined with the small number of bunches, reduced the need for water. This, together with summer temperatures a few degrees cooler than average, allowed the vines to remain active, with the grapes achieving good levels of phenolic ripeness and retaining an aromatic profile of great freshness and intensity. At Quinta do Vesuvio, the ripening of the grapes was always carefully controlled by our viticulture and winemaking teams, so that each vineyard plot was harvested at the optimal moment.