A&D Wines, Quinta de Santa Teresa ’Singular', Vinho Verde, Portugal, 2019

Overview of the Wine
With a family traditional of several generations in the agricultural activities in the Baião regions Alexandre Gomes received a legacy connected to its land, people and the countryside activities that always fascinated him. With a developed vineyard and motivated by the quality of the wines produced Alexandre and Dialina, his wife, create in 2005 the company A&D Wines and project an expansion in infrastructures and vineyard area.

In 2016 they present four new references of 2015 harvest, the first of A&D Wines at Quinta de Santa Teresa. They introduce the brand Monólogo for the three wines and unique parcel, namely Monólogo Arinto P24, Monólogo Avesso P67 and Monólogo Chardonnay P706. This last one is located in Quinta dos Espinhosos. They also present Singular, “blend” according to the choice and taste of Eng. Fernando Moura, oenologist at A&D Wines.

Vegan.

Grape / Blend
5% Old Vines (60-100 years old), 24% Alvarinho, 11% Malvasia Fina, 10% Avesso, 10% Arinto

Origin
Vinho Verde, Portugal

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
With Singular we want to express the "singularities" of each harvest, doing so by pursuing the ideal proportion of each variety in the blend, which is based in wine from our older vineyards. Our Quinta de Santa Teresa, singular as well for its geographic position, next to the border that separates the Vinho Verde and Douro regions, is the birthplace of the grapes with which we produce this wine.

The winter of 2018 was quite dry. Spring was more balanced, with some rain during April, which compelled us to apply treatments in the vineyards for mildew and odium. Also, the vineyards in Casa do Arrabalde suffered some frostings during this month. Summer was mild, only the lower vineyards in Quinta de Santa Teresa registering some burns on the 23rd of August. In the 8th and 9th of the same month it rained, which allowed to reduce the hydric stress and push the maturation process. The balanced, fresher profile of the 2019 vintage gave birth to slightly more acidic wines, with lower alcohol graduation.

90% of the must ferments in stainless steel vats at low temperature, the other 10% fermenting in oak barrels. After fer­mentation the wine stays on its fine lees, with batonnage, for a long period. Stabi­lization and tender filtration take place. No animal derivate is used in the process, making it a vegan-friendly wine.

90 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate