C. da Silva Experiences

C. da Silva declares Vintage 2011

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Tuesday, July 02, 2013 / / 0 comments

C. DA SILVA DECLARES 2011 VINTAGE PORT

C. da Silva (Vinhos) S.A., is delighted to announce the declaration of its 2011 Vintage Ports. After nearly two years of carefully nurturing the best lotes from this outstanding viticultural year we have produced a blend which we believe will stand comparison with the best Vintage declarations of the last 20 years. The blend contains a high proportion of the classic variety Touriga Nacional, complemented with field-blended fruit from old vineyards which adds complexity and personality. Sourced principally from vineyards on the south bank of the River Douro above Pinhão, the wine demonstrates the extraordinary structure which characterizes the best from this year.

Winemaker, José Sousa Soares, commented:

“All harvests have their particular characteristics, but what excited us in 2011 was the maturation of the red grapes, which gave colour and tannin levels higher than I had ever seen in my 24 years of making Port in the Douro. It was an early harvest: levels of phenolic compounds in the vineyards at river level developed at least two weeks ahead of normal, with a similarly early development of sugars and aroma compounds. The wines were thus rich in color and tannin, with the best showing enormous persistence and aromas of well-matured fruit. After two years of ageing and development of our Vintage Port 2011, it has a tremendous aromatic potential, with floral notes and forest fruits dominating; its exceptional body and supple tannin structure give a long and exuberant palate.”

Jorge Dias, General Manager of C. da Silva (Vinhos) SA, added:

“We are very excited about the quality and potential of 2011 Vintage. This is one of those years that justify saying that Vintage Port is a gift of the Gods, reflecting the essence of the terroir of the Douro region, and it is a long time since we have seen such a classic Vintage. In the troubled times in which we live, we believe this represents great value for money.”

The 2011 Vintage will be available from July 2013, under the brands DALVA and PRESIDENTIAL, in 75 cl bottles and large formats such as magnums, double magnums and imperials.

The last bottles of Golden White 1952

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Wednesday, June 05, 2013 / / 0 comments

Hello Port Lovers,

As you all know the amazing Golden White 1952 / Dalva Colheita is arriving to the end (unfortunately) less than 120 liters. A myth ! The first White Port Colheita that really changed the way that people used to look to White Port.

Golden White 1952 oak cask...the last of a classic !

White Port was considered the baseline of Port wines range, used for a cocktail or mixed with tonic water, as Port tonic, in a tumbler with a lemon slice and a mint leaf...refreshing but not respected.

DALVA GOLDEN WHITE 1952

The DALVA Golden White 1952 is undoubtedly the White Ports flagship, turning the page of a old book in people´s mind.
Decades of evaporation have concentrated this extraordinary wine almost to an essence.

UNIC and RARE in this category.
Made exclusively with white grapes.
Nowadays C. da Silva Cellar only makes the Dalva Golden White 1952 bottling by request, allowing the continuity ageing process of the Golden White in the unique oak cask.
It presents us with a outstanding " bouquet", dry fruit shell, nougat, honey, caramel, vanilla, toffee, smoke, tobacco and iodine... Toasted with an amazing silky texture...

“ Fantastically balanced with flavours of nuts, orange peel, sweet spice and caramel. It's complex, exciting, delicious and really intense. Perfect with Dundee Cake.”

Quoted from the International Wine Challenge judges.

This is probably the last chance to get this legendary Port !

(For further informations: wineshop@cdasilva.pt or visit us at http://www.cdasilva.pt/ )

To the rest of the world...

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Friday, May 10, 2013 / / 0 comments

Based in Vila Nova de Gaia, since 1926, our cellars were the key that opened the door to export.

Here we held more than thirty regional representations that ensured the distribution of a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, such as Port Wines, Aged Brandy, sparkling wines, red table wines and Rosé.

2900 seasoned oak casks ageing a unique Port wine

Initially our customers were from the other side of the Atlantic, namely Brazil and USA, where our company had privileged contacts.
For the american market we have another brand, Presidential, altough it is the same Port wine, we are using a diferent name and packaging too.
The annualy overall sales about 3,500,000 bottles, our wide range of White and Colheita Ports have a significant importance.

With sales increasing and a perpetual desire to achive better quality. C. da Silva invested more than 2.500.000€ in the vinification center , at Alvações do Corgo, between 1998/99.
Nowadays 14 millions euros on the construction of a winery and a depot for logistics and storing, at Sanfins do Douro

The vineyards are situated in the demarcated region of the Douro valley, the Port wine´s cradle, the wines are produced under truly exceptional conditions on terraces.
To assure a great quality control we are keeping the tradition of purchasing the grapes from small grape growers.

Although produced and processed from grapes harvested 119 kms northeast from Oporto city, the Port Wine matures in Vila Nova de Gaia, where most of the Port wine traders have their Cellars and headquarters.

Our company, C. da Silva (Vinhos) SA has been blessed with a real charismatic mansion surrounded by gardens in the downtown. A mansion dated from the beginning of the 20th century coated with a brazilian style where we hope in a very near future to open its doors to tourism, altough our facilities aren´t huge, there are 10,000 square meters with traditional details that are being used as a shelter to 8,000,000 liters... it is in short a real cosy atmosphere.

The yeast... how important is it ?

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Thursday, May 02, 2013 / / 0 comments

A key element, very important in the wine making process, is the yeast. And why is it so important, although measuring 0.003 mm,? Because this live micro-organism transforms the fructose in the grape ethanol, the alcohol present in the wine.

It works in temperatures between 10 ° C and 35 ° C, the higher is the temperature, the faster is the fermentation.
Yeast are all the same ?
No. The yeast that lives in a vineyard of white grape veritals is a different one of the one living in a vineyard of red grape varietals. They are all different, depending of the country or region.

And what are the best?
They all provide different aromas and it is the winemaker that must to choose according to each style or the House goal.
Once that the grapes arrived to the winery, the winemaker has two options: rely on indigenous yeast which is adapted to the local terroir forever, or use a yeast, which most likely originates from another region, possibly in another country, and that was developed in the laboratory to carry out the fermentation in a certain direction of aromas and flavors.

In the Douro region there are two scenarios, depending on whether we are talking about Port Wine or DOC Douro (still wine)...in general for Port wine the quantity is reduced when it takes on using selected yeasts. On the other hand, and contrary to Port wine, for Douro DOC wines, a generous number of producers of quality wines have been using selected yeasts.

The fact that, within the same region, have a type of wine made with foreign yeast and other with indigenous is not surprising given the history of wine.
The Port is a world reference, it has been is copied and falsified in many wine regions of the world.

But due to the uinque weather and soil characteristics together with a long portuguese know-how of the grape growers, the winemakers, the cellars masters, passing from generation to generation since the 17th century, nowhere in the world can make a wine as fantastic as the Port that is in the Douro.

Port Wine winemakers believe that the best yeast for Port wine is the one that is found in the vineyards.

Port wine... how important is it ?

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / / 0 comments

Port wine was, and is, a key product for the National economy and even more a symbolic asset that represents Port througout the world.

The designation Port wine appeared during the second half of the 17th century due to an incredible expansion of Douro viticulture and a rapid growth in wine exports.

It all began in 1680, on that time there were political diferences between the french prime minister, Colbert and King Charles II from UK.

These political diferences led both countries to the Augsburg battle in 1688, forcing the british royalty to send merchants seeking for alternative wine sources, Italy, Spain but most of all the North of Portugal.

As the brithish people´s taste started to become more sofisticated, the merchants went into the core of the Douro valley where the quality was amazing.

In 1703 the Methuen treaty, for the wine exports Portugal was paying 2/3 of the exportation fees to U.K. while on the other hand Portugal was buying the textiles from the british.

Between 1710 and 1740, the Port era, the ships departed from Porto, that was a very important seaport located in the mouth of the Douro river heading towards England and abroad.
In England there were merchants with wagons pulled by horses waiting to load the oak casks, afterwards they would go to the castles and in the private cellars or warehouses the merchants staff would made the bottling.
Port was not a nobility drink, people drank Port in the taverns with a mug directly from the casks.

Elderberry and sugar were added to wine and everyone wanted to become a grape grower, so the quality decreased.
In order to stop with a lack of both quality and territorial coordination, in 1756 the portuguese prime minister, the Marquis de Pombal, ordered the distribution of 335 milestones along 250.000 hects.

Nowadays there are 45700hects cultivated and 39100 grape growers, Port is strictly controlled by the Port wine Institute inspectors and thousands of chemical analysis annualy made, before each Port producer gets the bottling approval.

Most important grapes at the Douro Valley

Posted by C.daSILVA / at Tuesday, March 12, 2013 / / 0 comments

There is a wide range of grape varietals in the Demarcated Douro region, in the north of Portugal.
These grape varietals have been adapted to different climate conditions, and micro-climates... the terroir ability to offer optimal conditions to wines.

The native varietals have been grafted with different types of rootstocks since that philoxera (pest that destroyed most of the vineyards all over Europe) reached to Portugal in 1865.
This process has been done according to their compatibility with different types of roots and the characteristics of the soil in which the vines were planted.
The cultivation of the different types of vines is regulated by a Decret-Law, that lists all the authorized varietals, the recommended ones and percentages.

Nowadays, winemakers and oenologues have opted for five red grapes varietals ( Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca...)

Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional - It is the premier grape varietal in the Douro valley, considered a primary grape in the Port Blend. The tiny grapes presents us with very high tanins (therefore it confers an amazing age hability to wines), offering a great colour and structure. It has aromas/flavors of black fruits, violets and elegant tints of herbs and licorice. It is a low yielding grape.

Tinta Roriz

Tinta Roriz - (aka Tempranillo in Spain) Aromas/flavors of resin, raspberry, cherry and spices (brambly character). Thanks to its thick rind it may be planted in the hotter areas, where the sun exposition is more intense.

Touriga Francesa

Touriga Francesa or Franca - It is a high yielding grape varietal, it was brought to Portugal in the 11th century and it is a descendant of the Pinot Noir. It provides complexity and elegance to the blend, although less coloured and lighter. Floral aromas and flavors of blackberry, with silky tanins. Very important for the wine ageing... it would reach its potential with a dry and hot climate.

Tinta Barroca

Tinta Barroca - A very resistant grape varietal, maybe planted in the cooler areas, like for example, on the top of the slopes turned to north. flavors and aromas of plums and cherry. If picked with a good maturation, would have a great potential for high alcohol and sugar. It provides a lingering finish. High yielding grape.