Phinca Encanto Rufete

Grape: 100% Rufete, an almost extinct grape variety that derived from  Portuguese Rufeta or Tinta Pinheira. Rufete was never used on its own until David did his first vintage of Phinca Encanto.  He is one of the few viticultors growing this interesting grape variety.

Harvest and Winemaking : Hand harvested in 10 kg boxes, and the grapes are destemmed directly over the top of an open top oak vat where the fermentation will occur naturally. He destems the bunches by hand into 500 liter open top, French oak barrels which are 2 to 3 years in age. Grapes are foot-trodden to naturally start the fermentation with indigenous yeasts which will last about 15 days. The wine is matured for 30 months in neutral (old) French oak barrels where it spends at least two winters in order to undergo malolactic fermentation.