Overview
Alentejo reds — deeply coloured, ripe, fruit-forward — have become Portugal's most internationally successful wines after Port. The extreme heat produces wines of concentrated berry fruit, tempered by modern temperature-controlled winemaking. The Herdade do Esporão estate covers 1,800 hectares of cork-strewn plains.
In The Glass
- Colour
- Deep purple
- Nose
- Dark plum, Blackberry, Blueberry, Dark chocolate and Coffee.
- Palate
- Portugal's sun-baked interior — rich, plummy, modern and approachable. Generally full-bodied, soft acidity, medium tannins, dry, with a long finish.
Tasting Profile
Body Full4/5
Tannins Medium3/5
Acidity Soft2/5
Sweetness Bone Dry1/5
Alcohol High4/5
Grapes
Aragonez (Tempranillo)TrincadeiraAlicante BouschetTouriga Nacional
Aromas And Notes
Dark plumBlackberryBlueberryFigDark chocolateCoffeeVanillaSpiceLeatherEarthDried herbs
Terroir
Extreme continental Mediterranean — +40°C summers, almost no rain. Portugal's hottest wine region.
SchistGraniteMarbleClay
Food Pairings
Borrego assado (roast lamb)Black pig presuntoMigas alentejanasAged Serpa cheese
Notable Producers
- Esporão, founded 1973 - Esporão Reserva
- Herdade do Mouchão, founded 1901 - Mouchão Tinto