Mouchão Tonel Nº 3-4 2013
235,00€ VAT included
Probably the most emblematic expression of the Alicante Bouschet variety in all its fullness and its great aging potential.
The renowned Carapetos vineyard is traditionally home to Mouchão’s best Alicante Bouschet fruit. In exceptional years, small parcels of this fruit are selected for this complex and intense varietal wine.
Adhering to the estate’s traditional winemaking methods, grapes are hand-picked, foot-trodden and whole-bunch fermented in open stone lagares. Following a secondary manual press in the century-old wooden basket presses, the wine is aged for four to five years in two ancient 5000L barrels – tonel nº 3 and tonel nº 4. Once bottled, it is cellared for a further four years. With its exceptional ageing capacity, Mouchão Tonel Nº 3-4 can take 15 to 20 years after harvest to reach its full maturity, sometimes peaking long after that.
MOUCHÃO TONEL Nº 3-4 2013 – TECHNICAL INFORMATION
VINIFICATION
At Mouchão, all our red wines are vinified in open stone troughs, known as lagares. Whole bunches, including stems, are included in the maceration process making harvest timing especially critical to find the delicate balance between sugars, acids and overall phenological maturity, as well as stalk lignification.
Produced only in years with outstanding conditions. These prized grapes are foot-trodden and fermented for 4-6 days and racked straight into two 5,000L toneis Nº 3 and 4 – the winemaker’s choice for holding the year’s best Alicante Bouschets. The wine remains there for a minimum of four years and is matured for a further four in bottle.
VITICULTURE
Alicante Bouschet grapes are sourced exclusively from the well-drained, alluvial loams of the Carapetos vineyard – 25 years old at harvest. Average yields for this vineyard are 4.03t/Ha since 2010.
Responsible husbandry and care in the vineyard is critical for harvesting the best fruit and sustaining our healthy bee population.
GROWING SEASON 2013
Following good winter rainfall, the 2013 growing season was marked by a warm dry spring and record summer heat. Heavy rains fell at the end of September, after the harvest.
TASTING NOTES
Complex spices and minty freshness displayed by this wine continues to astonish even us, given the extreme growing temperatures. Intense garnet colour and aromas of black fruit, Indian ink, pencil lead, black olives, mint, and spices. Its structured, exuberant tannins help guarantee its longevity.
Despite its considerable ageing potential, it is showing beautifully in its youth.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Decant or open 12 to 24 hours beforehand, particularly before 2035. Best served between 15ºC to 19ºC, alongside roasts, game, or hearty casseroles.
Technical Sheets: 2013