ALABASTER

VARIETY AND VINEYARDS:

Proprietary vineyards situated in Toro (Zamora): Age: pre-phylloxera (own rooted Vitis vinifera) and autochthonous.
Variety: Tinta de Toro (100%). Type of training: Head-trained in goblet. Average yield per hectare: 10 Hls. Soil amendments: Organic material, sheep manure.
Harvest: Exclusively manual with rigorous selection of the fruit in optimal health and maturation at the vineyard and at the winery, by means of a sorting table.
Date of Harvest: as of 26 - 28 September 2007.

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VINTAGE:

Winter is dry, temperatures low and the weather remains constant until April. As a result, there is a delay in the budding. Spring is wet and temperatures remain mild. These conditions produce mildew, which attack the vines but which do not destroy them, some are nonetheless damaged by hail stones. During the second week of June, there is a lot of rain and wind during full bloom which results in low production and it also causes a delay in the cycle. July and August is warm with a big thermal jump, (day and night temperatures). Verasion is heterogeneous, developing through the month of August. There is no rainfall towards the end of this month. During September, temperatures remain high during the day and mild at night, until the second fortnight, in which the temperatures decrease progressively. Physiological and fenolic ripeness progress favourably, although there is a considerable delay compared to previous years. Harvest begins towards the end of September, a week later than usual. During the first days of October, there is heavy rainfall which obligates us to stop working. Temperatures drop dramatically, however all the bunches reach the winery in perfect sanitary conditions with high levels of sugar content and polifenoles.

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FERMENTATION:

Traditional method, 100% de-stemmed. 10 days in open French oak deposits, traditional foot press with daily pump-overs. Temperature controlled, 26ºC.
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MACERATION:

Extended maceration on skins for 14 days.

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MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION:

In new French oak barrels.

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AGING:

Barrel: In new French oak Bordelaise barrels for 18 months.