Winemaking

Despite the most modern technology, António Maçanita has a conservative approach to cellar work and shows a sure touch and plenty of taste in the vinification and ageing of the wine.

Before entering the winery the grapes are given a final quality check. Grape varieties are vinified separately.

Red wine
The bunches of the grapes are destemmed, delicately crushed and transported to the ‘lagares’ – the open stone fermentation tanks – on a conveyer belt, avoiding the use of pumps. Temperature control, the addition of natural yeast plus an intensive timetable of traditional treading follows in order to extract the maximum flavours. Afterwards the wine is aged for at least 12 months in new 225-litre French barriques.

White wine
The white grapes are picked at the coolest time of the day. Immediately they are smoothly pressed as whole bunches. The must is suddenly cooled to 10ºC and left to settle for 24hrs, afterwhich the sediment is separated and, with the addition of natural yeasts, the fermentation commences. A prolonged fermentation follows at temperatures between 10ºC – 12ºC, partly in new French oak barriques. Regular lees stirring is an important factor, giving character and body. The wine is stored in stainless steel vats and bottled early in the new year to capture the maximum of fruit and freshness.

Before the wine is sold, it is left to mature in the bottle for as long as is necessary. This results in juicy and healthy wines, full of the aromas of “Quinta de Sant’Ana”, complexity, compact structure and a fine balance.