The contents of a full 1400 liter vat will eventually produce about 1000 liters of wine. When fermented fully, the skins drop to the bottom and provide a filtering medium when the wine is drawn from the bottom of the vat through a tap. Generally the wine is drunk very young, but longevity can be increased by floating olive oil on top, thus blocking air from oxidizing the wine.
I tasted a vinho de talha almost a year old. It was in great shape.
