Late harvest wines are sweet, non-fortified wines, unlike Ports, where fermentation is interrupted by the addition of brandy to preserve the natural sugar accumulated in the grapes. In the case of late harvest wines, as the name suggests, the grapes are harvested later, undergoing a dehydration process that concentrates the sugar and modifies the aromas.
There are several techniques that promote the dehydration of the grapes. The simplest, and most commonly used in Portugal, is to leave the grapes to dry on the vine, but they can also be harvested earlier and left to dry in the sun (as is done in Tuscany), they can be harvested when frozen (the famous Ice Wine from Germany) and finally, they can be produced using a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, known as ‘noble rot’, which is only possible under very specific conditions and produces the most noble Late Harvest wines.
In Portugal, it is not easy to find a place with the right conditions for noble rot to develop, and global warming has not helped, but there is a historic Late Harvest wine – Grandjó from Real Companhia Velha. The vineyard that produces this Sémillon wine is located at an altitude of 600 metres on the Alijó plateau, with morning humidity and sunny days.
Also not to be missed is Falcoaria, a blend of Viognier and Fernão Pires grape varieties that were affected by Botrytis and exhibit aromas of tropical fruits, dried mango, orange peel, honey and apricot. A very sweet wine style with excellent fruit concentration, fabulous viscosity and in perfect harmony with beautiful acidity followed by a very persistent finish.
One of the classic pairings for Late Harvest wines is foie gras, but they are also the perfect match for lighter desserts with cream or fruit. They are also ideal for a wide variety of cheeses. Shall we take a look at our suggestions for today?
