Premium Port and still wines producer from the Douro, Kopke, has launched a premium rosé, the second wine released in the limited edition ‘Winemaker’s Collection’. This single varietal Tinta Cão Reserva Rosé 2019 follows the launch of the Grand Reserva White, Arinto & Rabigato 2015 earlier this year to great acclaim from Portuguese and UK wine writers.
The ‘Winemaker’s Collection’ is a project that came about as a result of the restless and experimentalist spirit from the winemaking team who, over the last decade, has monitored and studied the potential of each grape variety from different micro-terroirs in the Douro, vinifying and ageing them to test the results and select the best grapes according to the wine they wish to produce.
Only unique wines with Reserva and Grande Reserva levels are considered for the Winemaker’s Collection and all editions released have limited availability, are numbered and signed by the oenologist, Ricardo Macedo.
This rosé is a great aperitif and is also the perfect accompaniment to a meal due to its structure and complexity. Tinta Cão is a traditional grape variety known for its freshness and ageing potential. The grapes, from 30-year-old vineyards in the Cima Corgo, are situated at 400 meters altitude.
Harvested by hand at the beginning of August 2019, the grapes were whole bunch pressed, with 80% fermented in stainless steel vats and the remaining 20% in two-year old French oak barrels for six weeks. Chosen for its good acidity, firm tannins and excellent ageing potential, this Tinta Cão Rosé Reserva 2019 is an elegant rosé, with pretty, floral notes combined with fresh fruits, including red currant.
These flavours continue through to the palate where it is textured with a hint of smokiness and ends with a long, fresh finish. The wine spent six months maturing in stainless steel vats with weekly battonage, which adds to the complexity and structure of the finished wine.
The ‘Winemaker’s Collection’ is a representation of Kopke’s tradition combined with a desire to innovate, resulting in unique and irreverent wines. For Ricardo Macedo, Kopke’s still winemaker, this Tinta Cão Rosé 2019 is undoubtedly a very special wine, and states that the outcome is “everything I imagined for a Rosé is in this wine”.
This is a wine that promises to surprise the drinker and reveal all its splendor.
