Casa do Valle Rose 2011
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Casa do Valle is located near the legendary Cavez Bridge, a place often mentioned in the work of the famous Portuguese 19th-century writer Camilo Castelo Branco, and spreads out, protected by the mountain ranges of Barroso and Alvao, across the hillsides of the Tâmega River. The excellent exposure of the vines at this estate, located in the Basto sub region, along with rigorous selection in the vineyards and careful winemaking processes gives rise to wines of world-renowned quality.
Casa do Valle is the name of the manor house of the estate, which produces the Vinho Verde of the same name. Owned by the Sousa Botelho family, winemaking here dates back to the 18th century and features a mix of the ancient enforcado (tree-trained vines) and ramada (trellis) training systems for the red grapes and the modern single-wire training system for the white grapes.
The main noble grape varieties used for the white wines are the Alvarinho, Arinto, Azal and Loureiro. For red and rosé wines the grape varieties are Vinhao, the predominant red-grape variety of the Vinho Verde Region, Rabo de Ovelha, and Touriga Nacional. With a total area of 170 ha, of which 55 hectares are under vines, Casa do Valle is one of the largest production Quintas in the Vinho Verde Region, using exclusively grapes produced at the estate.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
A cheerful, translucid, lemon-yellow and slightly pétillant white wine, Vinho Verde literally means ‘green wine’ and is named after the northwest Portugese region from which it originates. The ‘green’ in the name refers to the youthful state in which the wines are customarily released and consumed, not the color of the wine.
It is typically a blend of various percentages of Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura, and Pedernã (Arinto). Following initial alcoholic fermentation, a natural, secondary malolactic conversion in cask produces carbon dioxide, giving Vinho Verde its charmingly light sparkle.