2021 Wine & Soul Pintas Character

Wine & Soul was founded in 2001 by Sandra Tavares da Silva (Quinta do Vale D. Maria and Quinta de Chocapalha) and her husband Jorge Borges (then Niepoort, now Passadouro). The name Wine & Soul was chosen because the winemakers put their heart and soul into making wines that symbolize their lives. They bought a vineyard with very old vines of 2 hectares in Vale de Mendiz next to Quinta do Noval. From the first harvest, the couple have become among the icons of the Douro and are praised nationally and internationally for the charm and character of their wines that represent the unique terroir of the Douro region.

The Wine & Soul Pintas Character is a blend of 30 different grape varieties that reflect the unique character of the Douro, including Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Cão from the 45-year-old vineyard in Vale de Mendiz adjacent at the acclaimed Pintas vineyard. Once it is time to harvest, all the grapes are selected and the stems are removed, after which they are crushed in the traditional way with the feet in lagares (large concrete vats). Crushing the grapes with your feet produces as much color as possible and less stiff tannins in the final wine because in this way few grape seeds are crushed that release these stiff tannins. The must is then fermented for 10 days, after which the wine is allowed to age in French oak barrels for 18 months.

The Character is handsome on the nose with cassis, cherries and plums. In the mouth very rich and powerful with notes of ripe black fruit and dark chocolate with silky ripe tannins followed by a
long aftertaste with a pleasant freshness. Very nice in combination with red meat, rich game dishes and hard cheeses.