Chocapalha Arinto

Arinto bottle image

Wine Description

A pure expression of Arinto sourced from 26 year old vineyards 28 miles northwest of Lisbon, this refreshing white is vinified in stainless steel vats and aged for 5 months on the lees before bottling.

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Acclaim
“The 2016 Arinto, sourced from 30-year-old vines, is the latest in a brand that is one of my favorite overachievers from Chocapalha. It comes in at 12.5% alcohol. This is another fine one. It has excellent acidity but a bit more depth than the 2015, if not quite its laser burst of acidity. All unoaked, it is pure and fresh, with the ability to age. (Tasting the 2008 next to it proved that, by the way.) The acidity of this grape is always a preservative and it ages well in many regions. If you like them lighter in style and crispy, this is a great warm-weather choice at a bargain price.”
— Wine Advocate, Aug 2017
“Chocapalha’s [Arinto] is pretty consistent and always well priced. This was tasted next to the 2008, which was still lovely.”BEST OF PORTUGAL, VALUE WINES
— Wine Advocate, Dec 2017
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Arinto
Vineyard size
13 acres
Soil composition
Calcareous and Clay
Training method
Guyot
Elevation:
825 feet
Vines/acre:
1600
Yield/acre:
2.4 tons
Exposure:
Northern / Southern
Harvest time:
mid September
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
22
Varietal composition:
100% Arinto
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
27 days
Fermentation temperature:
54 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
no
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
6 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.3
Acidity:
6.3 g/L
Alcohol:
12.5 %
Residual sugar:
1.4 g/L
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Wine Production

A slow fermentation taking 27 days allows for the development of floral and citrus aromoatics and the 5 months on the lees softens the bracing acidity of the Arinto grape.