Rabigato (PT)

DOC quality wine: Porto, Douro, Terras do Sado.

IPR quality wine: Planalto Mirandês.


Regional wine: Trás-os-Montes.

Young shoot (form of tip): Open, no hairs, medium, even anthocyanin colouration.

Young leaf: Yellow to copper with medium anthocyanin colouration, no prostrate hairs and few erect hairs.

Young shoot: Buds and ventral side green. Ventral side with reddish stripes. Anthocyanin colouration absent from buds, medium to large tendrils.

Inflorescence (sex of flower): Hermaphrodite.

Mature leaf: Medium size, pentagonal, mostly five lobes, brigh green blade, profile of blade irregular, slightly undulate, slight blistering of upper side of blade, short rectilinear and convex teeth. Closed V-shaped petiolar sinus. Open U-shaped upper lateral sinuses. No hairs on lower side of blade.

Bunch: Medium to large, dense, medium to long peduncle with poor lignification.

Berry: Small, uniform, sometimes oblate, irregular profile, green yellowish epidermis; thin berry skin, medium frostiness. Flesh colourless, soft and very juicy. Short peduncle, difficult to detach.

Time of bud burst: Early, 1 day before the Fernão Pires.

Flowering: Normal: 3 days before the Fernão Pires.

Berry (colour change): Late, 10 days after the Fernão Pires.

Berry (harvest ripe): Normal, one week after Fernão Pires.

Vigour of shoot growth: Medium.

Pruning weight:: Medium.

Shoot attitude (habit): Semi-erect.

Length of internodes: Medium.

Shoot length: Medium.

Tendency to form lateral shoots: Medium.

Rate of multiple bud bursts: None.

Bud fertility index: 1 = 0.7; 2 = 1.03; 3 = 1.07 flowers per shoot.

Yield: Medium. RNSV statistical value: 1.49 kg/vine (Average of at least 40 clones in Peso da Régua over 2 years).

Yield consistency: Consistent.

Crop uniformity: Uniform.

Sensitivity to abiotic factors: None known.

Susceptibility to fungal diseases: Susceptible to Peronospora, Oidium and Botrytis.

Systemic viral infection prior to selection: 30% GLRaV-1, 30% GLRaV-3, 10% GLRaV-2 and -6, 10% RRV, <50% RSPV.

Susceptibility to Pests: None known.

Bunch size: Large (410 g).

Bunch density: Medium.

Berry size: 1.9 g.

Berry skin: Soft.

Seeds per berry: 2.5.

Vineyard conduction system: Single or double Guyot.

Soil requirement: Prefers dry soils.

Climatic requirements: Moderate climatic zones (at an altitude of 450 - 500 metres in the Douro).

Vine density: All vine spacings traditionally used.

Rootstock: ompatible with all varieties although rootstock with medium and high vigour which has adapted well to the region is recommended, in order to achieve desired maturity.

Irrigation: Responds very well to irrigation.

Incidence of coulure/millerandage: Not susceptible.

Spoilage of mature berries: Insignifcant.

Risk of bird damage: Low.

Machine harvest suitability: Well suited.

Wine type: Table wine, dessert wine.

Potential alcohol content: Medium, 11% vol.

Natural acidity of must: High (5 - 7 g/l)

Risk of oxidation of must: None.

Colour intensity of wine: Medium.

Wine colour tonality: Lemon yellow.

Risk of oxidation of wine: None.

Aromatic profile: Not researched.

Ageing Potential: Good.

Blending recommendation: With varieties low in acid such as the Fernão Pires, Síria, Gouveio and Viosinho.

Wine Descriptors: The aroma is of medium intensity, mellifluous, with a touch of orange blossom, with a few somewhat vegetal components; if immature, it may be a little harsh. Well balanced palate, fresh, with a satisfying fruitiness. In the mouth, the wine is lively, with a somewhat sustained finish (N. Almeida).

Wine quality: High

Variety Characteristics: Variety with good physical viticultural properties and regional flexibility. Because of its high natural acid content, the wine has great potential as a blending partner. With clonal breeding it has been possible to improve its originally low yield significantly, thus possibly providing in future a good alternative for the range of grapevines cultivated in the interior of the country. It is currently authorised only in the North of the country.