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Red Wine from the Alentejo

Colour: Garnet red.

Nose: Aroma of berries, notes of cigar and a nice touch of French oak barrels where it aged.

Palate: In the mouth it shows a marked balance and freshness based on an elegant structure and a long, lingering finish.

Consumption temperature recommended: 16/17 °C.

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Delivery: 2 to 6 weeks

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Export Box: 6 bottles

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Red Wine from the Alentejo - Select Harvest

This it’s one premium red wine from the Alentejo region in Portugal.

At first look we have one fantastic red garnet color. Aroma of berries, notes of cigar and a nice touch of French oak barrels where it aged.

In the mouth it shows a marked balance and freshness based on an elegant structure and a long, lingering finish.

Consumption temperature recommended: 16/17 °C

Some food ideas:
Beef Wellington, Malay lamb korma, Lentils with smoked ham hock, Oxtail stew, Wood-fired leg of lamb, Chilean beef casserole, Rosemary and lemon pork stew, Citrus-rubbed veal chops and mango salsa, Traditional Cornish pasty, etc.

Classification: Vinho Regional Alentejano
Type: Red/ Selected Harvest

Acidity: 5,0 g/dm3
pH: 3,68
Sugar: 1,6 g/dm3
ABV: 14,5% Vol.

Viticulture:

Harvest: 2014
Grapes Varieties: Syrah, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: North Alentejo - Portugal
Soil type: Granite derived
Climate: Mediterranean

Harvest:

Date: September of 2014
Type: Manual/Hand picking

Vinification:

Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks with controlled temperature

Maturation: 9 months in French oak barrels

The Grapes

Grapes SYRAH

Of all the non-Portuguese varieties to be grown here, Syrah has best adapted to the rigours of the Alentejo climate, adjusting easily to the searing summer heat with its interminable hours of sunshine and extreme temperatures.

Grown in warm, poor Alentejo soil, Syrah wines come close to those from the New World.

Big robust and full-bodied wines with lots of fruit, some pepper, usually spicy, sometimes powerful and alcoholic.

Wines from early-ripening grapes are accessible when young, smooth and inviting with good cellaring potential.

Varietal Syrah wines are made but they are few in number, usually being used in small amounts in many of the Alentejo's most emblematic wines.

Grapes ARAGONEZ

This is an Iberian grape variety par excellence, one of the few to be grown and esteemed in both of the Peninsula's countries. Its Spanish descent is unequivocal, with more than one of the nation's provinces laying claim to paternity. It is called Tempranillo in Rioja - the region most likely to be its birthplace, but Cencibel in La Mancha, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Tinta del Pais and Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero and Tinta de Madrid in vineyards around the Spanish capital.

In Portugal, Aragonez goes by other equally well-known names: Tinta Roriz in Dão and Douro and Abundante in Lisbon.

Few grape varieties can have so eloquent and straightforward a designation as Aragonez.

In Rioja, it earned the nickname Tempranillo from the Spanish temprana, meaning to ripen early, which of course it does, well before the autumn showers of September and avoiding the first rainfalls of the equinox.

In Lisbon, it takes the name Abundante because of its high yields and vigorous growth. Aragonez has a short growth cycle, leafing late which protects it from spring frosts.

A reliable producer not only in good years, but also in the worst when its yields will be lower, such as in hot and dry climates and in sandy or limestone soils. Such conditions produce lively yet deep wines with a happy combination of elegance and strength, almond fruit and spice.

As Aragonez has a tendency to low acidity, it appreciates the company of other Alentejano varieties, being regularly blended with Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet.

Grapes TRINCADEIRA

Trincadeira goes under several guises throughout the country, such as Trincadeira Preta, Tinta Amarela, Espadeiro, Crato Preto, Preto Martinho, Mortágua and Rabo de Ovelha Tinto. It is a temperamental variety, with great virtues and bad faults, particularly suited to hotter regions. It has vigorous growth, requiring vigilance and constant curbing to control yields.

These are generally high, although irregular and unpredictable. The bunches of grapes are very compact and highly susceptible to rot, affirming Trincadeira's preference for poor soil and hot, dry weather. It responds almost uncontrollably to the least amount of humidity during maturation, causing sanitary problems that are hard to resolve.

Consequently Trincadeira is one of the varieties best suited to the dry, dog days of the Alentejo. It gives body to aromatic, fruity wines with a floral tendency leaning towards vegetal when there has not been enough maturation. One of its distinctive features is high natural acidity, a desirable and necessary feature for the hot Alentejo lands.

Trincadeira has a traditional association with Aragonez, forming one of the most complementary partnerships in Alentejo blended wines. It may be a difficult and temperamental grape variety, but is indispensable in the Alentejo nonetheless.

Grapes CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most international of all French grape varieties, being widely grown across all five continents. It has found a special niche and style in the Alentejo, one of the few Portuguese winegrowing regions where it can ripen to perfection.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those varieties that can be termed "enriching"; deeply colored and thick-skinned, it can spice up blends, imbuing body and consistency to well-composed, perfumed, fruity and spicy wines.

It is rarely bottled as a varietal wine in the Alentejo, but is present in small amounts to give structure in many regional Alentejo wines.

Appreciated for its versatility, resistance and correctness it yields wines of immense longevity that age with elegance and security.

The Alentejo Region

Alentejo is one of the biggest wine regions in Portugal. This hot and dry region is made up of wide plains, only interrupted by small mountains. Alentejo has benefited from numerous investments in the wine sector, which enabled the region to produce the best Portuguese wines and, therefore, gain international recognition.

Located in the south of Portugal, Alentejo is a sunny region, allowing the perfect ripening of the grapes. As temperatures are very high in the summer, the vine has to be irrigated.

There are several grape varieties in Alentejo; however, some are more relevant than others (whether because of quality or planted area). The most important red grape varieties in the region are Trincadeira, Aragonez, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet (a French variety that adapted itself to Alentejo’s climate) are also important.

Red wines are full bodied, rich in tannins and with aromas of wild and red fruit.

The Vineyard

The estate consists of 122ha of vineyards, 330ha of olive trees, a forest area comprised of cork oak and stone pine and several dams to meet the irrigation requirements.

The company decided at the beginning that they would use the most advanced technologies available in the field of viticulture and also for the olive groves. A drip feed irrigation system was installed to give both the vines and the olive trees the best possible care to maximize the quality of the crop. It also has partnerships with international experts who have contributed to the development of the “know how” of the estate itself and as a result the company has become a reference for the latest technologies.

The 122 hectares of vineyards of the estate are planted in bilateral cordon system, with the predominance of Portuguese grape varieties, particularly Aragonez and Trincadeira, the two most important of the Alentejo region, as well as Touriga Nacional, Arinto, Antão Vaz and Trincadeira complemented by the internationally renowned Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Awards:

“2016 Best Buy” in the portuguese wine magazine “Revista de Vinhos”

Gold Medal in CWSA (China Wine & Spirits Awards) 2016

Commended Medal in International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2015 in UK

17/20 points in “Paixão pelo Vinho” magazine

Silver Medal in Mundus Vini 2013 in Germany

Silver Medal in Mundus Vini 2012 in Germany

Bronze Medal in Decanter 2012 (World Wine Awards) in UK

1st place Trophy in Nectar diVino 2011 on white wines class

Silver Medal in Wine Master Challenge 2009 in Estoril

77.66 points in Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2010

82 points in Wine Spectator