Description
One of the best examples of Gouveio as a monovarietal wine is this Sparkling Vertice from Caves Transmontanas.
Vertice Gouveio Sparkling wines integrates Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine, the world's most comprehensive reference to Champagne and sparkling wine by the world's leading authority: multi-award-winning wine writer Tom Stevenson.
The Gouveio Sparkling Wine is a high-end, vintage methode-classique sparkling wine from Alto Douro and made from 100% specially-selected Gouveio grape. Gouveio’s racy acidity makes for an exciting sparkling; while its creamy body ensures the acidity doesn’t overwhelm the palate in addition to supporting a graceful aging period.
Vértice brand is amongst the best Portuguese wines brands. The critic and expert Mark Squires praised this producer sparkling winemaking methods and underlined the 60 months aged process of this sparkling wine.
Tasting Notes
A temperate and relatively hardy varietal that is naturally high in acidity, Gouveio is renowned for its citrus fruit aromas that provide its wines a crisp and refreshing quality. Yet at the same time, its acidity and sugar are surprisingly well-balanced, offering aromas and flavors expressive of pale apple, peach, and anise with spices and toasted notes.
Gouveio wines tend to be medium-dry with both a tart and creamy body with a good volume in the mouth
As to the winemaking after fermentation at low temperature, the wine remained on fine sediment (battonage) for 3 months in order to increase complexity. The final blend in prepared with second fermentation in bottle, according to the champenoise method.
You can perfectly drink it as an aperitif, or accompanying various appetizers, oysters, salads, seafood, salads, smoked fish or cheeses.
To be stored horizontally in a cold and dark place with constant temperature. Ready to drink now, but will develop well in bottle for 5 to 7 years. Serve at 6°C.
Awards
.92 points in Robert Parker scale
.Bronze medal International Wine Challenge 2013;
.Commended Decanter World Wine Awards 2011;
.Commended International Wine Challenge 2011;
.Commended Decanter World Wine Awards 2011;
.Commended International Wine Challenge 2011;
.Silver medal International Wine Challenge 2010.
.88 points in Wine Enthusiast Magazine;
.16,5 points in Jancis Robinson;
.16,5 points in Wine Magazine Portugal;
History
Gouveio was once a most-widely used varietal in the northern region of Douro and Tras-Os-Montes but has gradually declined in production over the years. In fact is merely often used as a blending grape in white Port or blended with its great partner Malvasia Fina in Douro Region, in a small section call Cima Corgo, under the names of Gouveio Real, Estimado or Preto.
Fortunately in Trás-os-Montes in the sub-Region of Távora-Varosa Gouveio is increasing its cultivation where is produced as a base in sparkling wines, called Espumante.
Possibly is a grape variety that have been planted since the Roman times mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) described as Godello. In Pliny's day, the variety was grown over the entire North region from Galiza to Northen Portugal. Count Alexandre-Pierre Odart (an influental figure in the development of modern viticulture) in 1874 declared that this variety made “très bons vins, une plant de grand rapport” - very good wines, imbued with harmony.
The name Gouveio had previously been used as a homonym for Verdelho in a small area of the Douro. Later on, this variety lost the synonymous label of Verdelho because of homonyms with Verdelho of Madeira.
It was in the early 80s that Caves Transmontanas begins its history in Sparkling vinification.
A producer in the Douro Region (RDD), João Rui Carvalho Maia, a Douro based Port wine maker based in Vila Flor Region, married an American lady, and traveled to Napa Valley - California, in order to learn the new sparkling vinification methods from the New world. Once there he manage to work for Schramsberg Vineyards picking grapes. At the end of the harvest he recuses to be paid reporting that he collaborated only with the intention of learning thus he is a producer in Portugal in the Douro Demarcated Region. Than he took the opportunity to invite Jack Davies to Caves Transmontanas where he become aware of the potential of the country and the RDD.
Following his visit to Portugal Jack Davies returned accompanied by his staff to carry out microvinification, studying which of the regions gather better conditions for the production of base wine for sparkling what revealed to be Cima Corgo region in areas with high average altitude.
