In 2009, Michel Chapoutier picked out a plot in the Douro Valley. A small vineyard plot of 3 hectares, but full of promise: Eleivera. Here, the winters are tough, the summer a long, dry heatwave. To get sufficient output, Michel Chapoutier joined forces with local producers and worked with them to grow touriga nacional, a typical Portuguese grape. The result was Pinteivera and Eleivera, two representatives of this region, which is a Unesco world heritage site.
Grape variety
Touriga Nacional
Soil
Highly altered schist soil on the surface, with a subsoil of unaltered schist from 30cm-40cm.
Harvesting
The grapes are picked by hand at optimum maturity.
Vinification
Vinification in small closed tanks. The vatting period is very long for dry Portuguese wines and lasts nearly 4 to 5 weeks in order to increase the degree of polymerization of the tannins. Only the free-run wine is used.
Maturing
The wine is matured in 100% French oak barrels for 12 months with the percentage that goes into new barrels varying from year to year.
Tasting
Colour: clear, deep black with sustained crimson highlights.
Nose: Powerful, showing dark fruit at first, along with some “garrigue” and spicy notes. Aromas of fruit (cherries, prunes) macerated in “eau de vie” can also be detected.
Palate: big and full on the palate supported by an impressive velvety structure. There’s flesh, weight, and depth, all rounded off by an incredibly long finish.
