Quinta da Prelada :: Porto Tawny
Our Port wines are made
using traditional vinification processes.
After the stalk-removal
grapes are crushed in presses,
and ferment for 2 or 3 days.
This operation, known as foot treading, is traditional.
During this period, successive treading operations are carried out,
in order to maximise the extraction of colouring matter
and other components that will add structure
and longevity to the wines.
The port maturing process can take a dozen or more years
and it is guided by the style of wine to be produced.
After the first transfers which happen in the winter
following the year of harvest, wines are classified for their potential
in accordance with their tasting quality.
During maturing through oxidisation
the wine loses its coarseness due to the softening of tannins
and develops admirable, rich and complex bouquets.
Chromatic variations during oxidation ageing are also very distinct.
The intense colour of young wines
undergoes a gradual evolution, going through red-tawny hues
to end up in the distinctive clear tones of old tawnies.
