The Diplôme Dry... it uses the most traditional methods for the production of a Dry Gin.
It is made from a rigorous selection of the best natural plants such as juniper.
After macerating in pure alcohol, the flavors are slowly distilled into a small "Pot Still", which gives the Dry Gin Diplôme a unique rich flavor and complexity, of great freshness and still manages to be exceptionally smooth.
The recipe of Diplôme Dry Gin, dates from 1945 during the second world war, and is one of the oldests in France. During the British occupation of allies in the region of Dijon, and in order to arrange a way of still having their favorite drink, the soldiers, taking advantage of the botanical richness of the region, began producing a gin in a small distillery.
After the war, this recipe lay forgotten, until nowadays, when the current " master distiller " of Gin Diplôme has recovered and used it without changing anything from very old times.
Diplôme Dry Gin is bottled with 44 % by volume, to achieve better harmony among its aromas and its luxuriance.
On the nose, the Diplôme Dry Gin, has a wonderful bouquet of cherry, clove and delicate expression of juniper seeds and coriander .
Each sip reveals a complex and fragrant flavor with layers of grapefruit, slightly spicy, nutty oils and a delicious infusion with some hints of lavender.
It presents a velvety structure, rich on exotic spices, dark chocolate, which frees the way for an excellent long finish .
The Gin Diplôme, is undoubtedly a jewel for any connoisseur of Gin !
Available at El Corte Ingles and Garrafeira Nacional.
The preparation of Gin Tonic is perfect when adding a grapefruit peel, boosting the fresh flavor of this wonderful Gin.
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| Jorge Dias, Managing Director of Gran Cruz group |
Usually the young Port wines are kept in Quinta dos Avidagos, our vinification center (located in Alvações do Corgo, close to Régua - the Douro valley) for their first winter before being brought down the Douro river, where the lower temperatures and higher humidity is better for the Port´s maturation.
In our Cellars with 10,000 square meters, the Port matures in very old seasoned oak casks called pipas (pipes).
During this amazing aging process it will be tasted regularly by our winemakers or oenologues, to assess its quality.
Our Ports will gradually mellow in an oxidative process "angels share", with this process (Tawny Port) we are losing about 2% to 3% of Port annualy, achieving a nutty and amber hue and an incredible taste based in dry fruits shell, toffee, cigar box, coffee, stewed figs, bitter chocolate hints... softness and an elegant delayed after taste.
Since 1862 that C. da Silva, a traditional Port wine House, has been driven by the ambition of presenting the higher quality, namely for the "Colheita" and Aged Tawnies.
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| Devotion and passion a full time commitment |
Aging of old barrel aged Ports in oak barrels, requires a very slow and long process.
The oxygen, which penetrates through the pores of the wood, participates in oxidation reactions, interfering with the aroma and taste of the Port.
The oxidation percentage may vary from 2 % (if the Port is aged at the Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia) to 6 % per year (if the Port is aged at the Douro Valley, by the smaller and independent producers), depending on the conditions of temperature and humidity of the local.
The alcohol and water do not evaporate at the same rate due to the different degree of volatility. In a humid environment, the alcohol evaporates more easily. In dry enviroments, water evaporates in a higher quantity. A place of more humid aging usually is favorable for obtaining refined Ports.
The strong aroma of alcohol will change to a more subtle aromas with notes of wood, especially vanilla and finally getting a nice complexity.
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| C. da Silva´s coopers room |
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| Toasting the french oak casks |
Due to the massive success of Port wine in the first half of the 18th century, that led lots of grape growers out of the Douro region, to use their grapes for Port Wine production changing its quality and because of the difficulty in territorial planning, in 1756 the Prime Minister “Marques de Pombal” restricted the Douro Valley region with 335 milestones, distributed along 250.000 hec.
Making it the oldest defined and protected wine region in the world. Nowadays in the Douro Valley we have 45700 hect cultivated, from wich 33000 hect are suitable for Port Wine and 39100 grape growers.
In 1932 the Casa do Douro, an Association of vintners, they had the mission of registering all the planted plots in the Douro.
In 1948, a very important person, an Agronomist, mr. Moreira da Fonseca, used the info collected during decades as well as the data of the quantity and quality of the different sub regions.
He has created a classification method, based in three major factors: soil; weather conditions and type of plantation.
There are two different families thanks to the hand of the winemaker, the Port wines that age in the cask and the ones that age in the bottle.
Very few common characteristics between these two categories, although they are both Ports, they may present superior quality but distinct styles.
This organization of Port wine is the result of the historical evolution of Port wine. It was not from the very beginning (XVIII century) that has been made this option of the different types that we now nowadays.
Curiosly, in the beginning of the Port wine history til the end of the XIX century, the importance of old Port wine aged in barrel was really low, the market was focused on young Ports, the Vintage Port, known in that time as "Novelty".
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| DALVA Vintage 2011 |
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| The unique old White Colheitas from DALVA |
