VZ Douro Red

The viticulture year of 2019/2020 was characterized by oscillations in temperature and in annual average rainfall. It can be generally called a hot and dry year. As rain did fall in Spring, there was greater pressure for mildew, in particular, which came earlier than usual. Oydium remained active until the early stages of maturation. this demanded constant care of the vineyard. Other potential infections had little to no effect in the areas where Van Zellers & Co vineyards are found. A good accumulation of rainfall at the end of April (35% higher than average) meant that there was no lack of water in the soil for the normal development of the plant. July was the hottest in memory since 1931, and as Cristiano best describes 2020, is that it is the most similar to 1820. Little rainfall in August helped to replenish some of the water level, however that did not prevent the harvest from being pushed back around 10 days. Unexpectedly during the last week of August and first two weeks of September there was a surprising de-hydration of the bunches, mainly Touriga Franca, which led to a 30% to 35% loss of production regarding 2019 and to high sugar levels, making it very important to pick early. One of the most difficult harvests in living and written memory due to the very high sugar concentrations and dryness of a lot of bunches, but with healthy musts and good phenolic compounds. This was The Harvest for the “magic” of the winemakers.