First harvest in Alentejo

After a several months very busy, i decide make a post of my first harvest in Alentejo. Was a very short vintage, less then 2 months. The weather was not very hot, very good for a slow maturation of the grapes. In my opinion a excelent year for red wines. The syrah variety gave to us a complex wines, with a lot of fruit in the nose, with a good balance in the mouth, with good tanins, good struture, concentration.... we have a lot of expetations. Touriga Nacional was very good to. Less floral but very good fruit mixed with violets, very strong in the mouth, need some time to get more round. I think we can make very good 2008 wines. In the future i hope we are aloud to make better white wines, with more experience we can make a reserve one.

Cheers

Tasting – Herdade dos Grous, Alentejo White 2007

To join a grilled wild sea bass, fished in the morning by a friend, I picked a white from the Alentejo. This region is like Portugal’s “new world”, with large states and modern wineries. The Herdade dos Grous 2007 is made from the grape varieties Arinto, Roupeiro and Antão Vaz. It presents a yellow citric colour leaving tiny bubbles on the glass. Very aromatic. Lemon, peach, pineapple and a bit of sweetness which I don’t dislike. Plenty of freshness on the palate, with citric components but without the exuberance of the nose. Is enjoying its youth. One proof that is possible to make fresh whites in the “hot” Alentejo. €7, 85 pts

Tasting- João Portugal Ramos, Syrah, Alentejo Red 2003

From one of the best portuguese winemakers, Joao Portugal Ramos, is a wine with a dark and deep colour. Intense and concentrated nose, with a lot of mature black fruit, very tipical from a good syrah. In the mouth the wine is full bodied with complexity and black fruit very concentrated, the oak flavours has a good balance, a long finish. It's a very good wine. 17 €. 92 pts

Tasting - Esporão, Reserva Branco 2006

To celebrate a very special day for me and my girlfriend nothing better than a special dinner for 2... in Santa Maria de Lamas there´s a very interesting restaurant called «Aquarela» with a very nice selection of Portuguese and Italian food and a not so very interesting selection of Portuguese and Italian wines to match :) it still (and for sure) deserves a visit.... We choose Esporão Reserva Branco 2006 to celebrate and we haven't regret the 14.0 € we paid for it... Made with the typical Alentejo white grape, Antao Vaz and blended with Arinto and Roupeiro with an avarage age of 15 years old, it aged for 6 months in american oak barrels following a stainless steel fermentation... The colour is gold, light gold... in the nose shows a rich tropical fruit character enhancing mostly pinnapple but also passionfruit. Vannilla and some mineral hints were noticed too.... in the mouth shows balance, good acidity, good wood integration and freshness! Long and pleasent finnish...

Nice way to celebrate... next year we'll be back.... for the wine, food, restaurant - 88 Points

Tasting - Scala Coeli. Alentejo Red 2005

This wine is a new creation of Fundação Eugénio de Almeida.
Made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 19 months in new french oak barrels.
With a dark colour, the wine shows a mix of red fruits and floral aromas (this last one, very tipical from Cabernet).
In the mouth, starts with a very strong beginning, showing a good balance between fruit and oak. At the end, some green notes with not a very long finish.
Probably this wine deserves a new taste in next 2 years. €30, 86 pts