Niepoort Vinhos S.A. Caracolete 2015

Caracolete Branco 2015 is a white wine produced by Niepoort (Quinta de Baixo) from old vineyards (50-60 years) in the Bairrada region, grown on clay-limestone soils at sea level, planted predominantly with Maria Gomes and Bical grapes. The grapes were manually harvested in late August and early September after a relatively cool summer and humid spring delayed the vegetative cycle, resulting in balanced ripeness with good sugar content and high malic acid. The wine underwent spontaneous fermentation with whole-grape skin maceration for one month in stainless steel tanks, where malolactic fermentation also took place. It was aged for five years in stainless steel and bottled without filtration in August 2020. Technical details include a total acidity of 6.20 g/L, volatile acidity of 0.54 g/L, residual sugar at 1.90 g/L, a pH of 3.05, and an alcohol level of 12%. Production is limited to 2,600 bottles.