3 Fonteinen - Oude Geuze Vintage - St Valentijn Cuvée - 2007 - 75 cl

bottling date: 14/02/2007

On February 14, 2007, Armand bottled a blend of Oude Geuze as well as the original batch of Hommage. Because of the fruit aromas (and bugs) in the brewery and the fact that it was Valentines day, Armand nicknamed this Oude Geuze Vintage batch "St. Valentijn Cuvée." The February 14, 2007 bottling was labeled with both the regular vintage yellow label and the "Nightlights" label, as well as with a unique label that reads St. Valentijn Cuvée. Both synthetic corks and natural corks were used for this bottling.

3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage is a blend of one-, two-, and three-year old lambics. Instead of releasing them after minimum 6 months of bottle conditioning, the vintage series have been cellared for at least three years up to even five years and longer before being released. For an Oude Geuze to become a Vintage, it features characteristics that are unique, sometimes surprising or outspoken.

Spontaneous fermentation, patient maturation in oak barrels, and continued evolution of the ecosystem in the bottle result in a distinctively complex and elegant natural beer. No two bottlings are alike, as there are multiple variables in the blending process, a variety of barrel sizes and shapes, differences in aged lambic proportions in the blend, etc. When cellared properly, 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze can be aged for several decades.