Alentejo's Exciting Wines and Sustainability Efforts

I’m thankful and privileged to be healthy and safe during these pandemic times. But, like many millions of people, my travel plans for this year have evaporated.

For my five-year-old daughter’s birthday this spring, I was thrilled to bring my family to Portugal. It is a country whose culture, wine, waves, food and natural bounty fascinate me to no end. When I’m there, I often think, more than any other place I’ve visited: I should have been born here. While that trip is dashed, I can’t wait to get back when it’s safe to do so.

When I visited the region of Alentejo three years ago, I found an overwhelming amount of diverse and high-quality wines and producers. It was such a treat to dig deep into the region’s tradition of wines fermented in amphora, explore the history and diversity of the region’s adopted red grape Alicante Bouschet, and I was impressed to learn about the exciting white wines produced there as well.

As an outdoors, nature and wildlife enthusiast, it was sometimes hard to think about wine while I was traveling through Alentejo — there was just so many rolling hills, forests, fields, and natural beauty going by outside my window. With relatively low population density, large amounts of uncultivated land, and ever presence of the famous cork forests, the region offers a lot of unspoiled natural beauty and thriving wildlife. Among the group I traveled with was Wines of Alentejo’s U.S. director Tiago Caravana, who, in addition to his wine career, is an incredible wildlife photographer, and was always on point with my random questions about the region’s diverse mammals and birds of prey.

So, I hopped at the chance to attend a webinar with Tiago and others in the region’s trade group this summer. We tasted what I consider to be some really solid examples of what the region can produce, and we spent a lot of time discussing the sustainability efforts of the regional winegrowing commission. Lots of Alentejo producers have been taking sustainable vineyard and winery practices serious for many years, but in 2014, the regional winegrowing commission created a voluntary program called Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program.

This program is designed to improve environmental, social and economic welfare in the region, specifically focusing on issues like water control, pest management, energy conservation, and packaging. Several of the wineries represented in the tasting focused on their attempts at improving sustainability by using sheep to reduce cover crops, utilizing bat boxes to fight pesky insects, increasing use of solar power, reducing bottle weight, etc.

But the proof is in the bottle, and these wines offer a good window into Alentejo’s ancient and thriving wine culture. These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted. 

2018 Herdade do Esporão “Colheita” Branco - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo
SRP: $16
Medium yellow color. Generous aromas of nectarine, peaches, cantaloupe, with honeycomb, hay, nougat and floral perfume. Creamy texture on the palate with crisp acidity, deep but balanced with lovely yellow plums, apricot and orange peel. Juicy, deep but bright with notes of sea salt, chalk, toasted almond, honey, hay and candle wax. Expressive, complex, everything is lined up wonderfully in this crazy value of a white wine. Antao Vas, Viosinho, Alvarinho and other white grapes, fermented partially in concrete, aged on the lees for four months. (90 points)

2018 Casa Agricola Alexandre Relvas “Sao Miguel do Sul” - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo
SRP: $12
Medium purple color. Aromas of jammy raspberry, blackberries, with vanilla, grilled herbs, pepper and cola. Full-bodied, velvety tannins, medium/low acidity. A soft, accessible, chewy feel with sweet plum and raspberry jams, along with some cocoa, cola and tobacco. Fun, easy-drinking stuff but some freshness and complexity as well. Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon. (86 points)

2018 Herdade dos Grous Tinto - Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano
SRP: $19
Light purple color. On the nose, with jammy raspberries, strawberry, with smoky earth, mint, charcoal, rose petals. Bold but surprisingly fresh on the palate with velvety tannins and plenty of raspberry, black cherry and plum jam fruit. Notes of spicy tobacco, earth, mint, cocoa powder make this a dynamic wine for the price. Fresh but complex, delightfully grill-out friendly. 35% Alicante Bouschet, 35% Aragonez with Touriga Nacional and Syrah, aged nine months in French oak. (88 points)

2017 Herdade dos Coelheiros “Coelheiros” - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo
SRP: $20
Deep purple color. Rich, suave aromas of black currants, black cherries, roasted plums, with smoky earth, cocoa, ginger snaps and pepper. Full-bodied with velvety tannins, medium acidity keeps it lively. Suave blackberry and roasted fig fruit mixes with notes of pencil lead, cocoa, coffee, vanilla. Fresh despite the generosity of fruit. Could age but great now for grilling. Real good stuff for Zinfandel fans looking to branch out. Aragonez and Alicante Bouschet, aged 12 months in French oak. (88 points)

2014 Carmim Reguengos “Garrafeira dos Sócios” - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo, Reguengos
SRP: $48
Medium purple color. Complex aromas of tart cherries and blackberries, with deep green and black olive tones, tilled earth, anise and coffee grounds. Full-bodied, with dusty tannins, medium acidity, a structured but lively feel. Cherries and blackberries mix well with complex notes of anise, leather, charcoal, dusty earth, mineral and rocky elements. This is in a great place right now, and just goes to show how well Alentejo wines can age. Alicante Bouschet with 20% Touriga Nacional and 15% Tinta Caiada, aged in French and American oak for 14 months. (90 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

Alicante Bouschet's Adopted Home of Alentejo, Portugal

Winemaker Iain Richardson in his Alicante vineyard
at Herdade do Mouchao, in Portugal's Alentejo region.

In the summer of 2018, I spent a week exploring Portugal’s Alentejo region, and I came back with a much deeper respect for its wines, history and culture. Stretching inland, east of Lisbon, this hot, dry region is home to vast swaths of cork forests and vineyards spread across a countryside of rolling hills and farms.

One of things that surprised me most about Alentejo was how many good to excellent wines I tasted made from the Alicante Bouschet grape. With more than 100 years of experience with this grape, Alentejo and Alicante have a long, symbiotic relationship, and winemakers there have learned how to harness the full potential of this grape.

In the 1880s, a Frenchman named Henri Bouschet created the grape by crossing Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of two even more obscure grapes) with Grenache. The result was a thick-skinned, dark-colored grape variety that showed good defense against rot. It can produce such dark wines that Portuguese winemakers took to calling it Tinta de Excrever, which means “writing ink.” Fun fact: Alicante is a rare teinturier variety, which means the pulp inside is red (like the Georgian grape Saperavi). The grape flourished in California during prohibition, as its resistance to rot meant grapes could handle transportation to home winemakers and bootleggers. Because of its dark color and intensity, it was also widely used as a blending grape in order to add some meat and potatoes to thinner wines.

But it was a man looking to make some money in the cork business who helped this grape reach its pinnacle. In the mid-1800s, Thomas Reynolds (an Oporto-based exporter of Port, cork, and other goods) moved his family to the rural, largely untouched region of Alentejo. He established a massive estate, Herdade do Mouchão, dominated by cork tree forests, but also olive trees and vineyards. Sometime before the turn of the 20th Century, two professors from Montpellier brought cuttings of Alicante Bouschet to Mouchão, where it adapted well. In 1901, the Reynolds family built a winery, adding a distillery in 1929. The original winery is still functioning, and it operated without electricity until 1991! It is one of the most fascinating wineries I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. And the wines, especially the flagship red, are stunning.

With more than 200 indigenous grape varieties to choose from, it’s amazing an imported science experiment found such a foothold in Alentejo. But wine history is weird like that. Today, growers all over Alentejo use Alicante, frequently blending it with other indigenous and international grape varieties. Many respected winemakers use traditional methods of hand-picking and food-treading the grapes in large concrete or marble containers. Alicante Bouschet benefits from barrel aging, and it can withstand a good amount of new, toasty oak, though I'm more inclined toward wines that have been aged for long periods in large, old wood. No matter how it is made or where the vineyard is, these are almost always dark, concentrated, tannic, long-aging wines. But the best Alicantes maintain fresh acidity that helps balance out the density. The dark fruit is also accented by these notes of leather, pepper, charcoal, and herbs and spices, which I find really attractive. Pairing options with grilled meats and vegetables are endless.

I recently had the chance to revisit some Alicante Bouschet wines form Alentejo, most of which I had tasted during my trip. For fun, I tasted the wines single-blind, just to see if the Mouchão would stand out and wow me as much as it has in the past. (Spoiler alert: for my palate, this wine is so special that it stands out like a sore thumb.) Like many wines I enjoy from Alentejo, some of these are highly impressive for the money, and most of them could (or should) benefit from years in the cellar.

My notes on these wines (which were received as trade samples), are below.

2016 Herdade Do Rocim Alicante Bouschet - Portugal, Alentejo, Vinho Regional Alentejano

SRP: $20

Vibrant, dark purple color. Deep nose of black cherries and concentrated plums, loaded with smoky incense, sweet clove and espresso, leather, dried violets, and an earthy-smashed rock note, too. Full-bodied with velvety tannins and the acidity is really surprising here, giving the wine some lift and freshness. Complex earthy, savory, floral notes – leather, anise, charcoal, and all sorts of incense sticks and perfumed, musky notes. This could do well with five years in the cellar, yet it’s accessible at this young age, too. I tasted this last year at the winery, but I found this bottle to be even better and more expressive. (90 points)

2012 Doña Maria Grande Reserva - Portugal, Alentejo, Vinho Regional Alentejano
SRP: $45
Bright purple color. Rich, dark, saucy aromas (black cherries, blueberries, blackberry), and a deep blend of eucalyptus, incense, cedar. Bold presence on the palate, structured but velvety, with medium acidity, which helps on a 14.5% frame. Scorched earth, mocha, coffee, charcoal. Rich and suave yet fresh, too, this would do well with three to eight years in the cellar or a long decant, but this is impressive stuff. 50% Alicante Bouschet with Petit Verdot, Syrah and Touriga Nacional from clay and limestone soils in the Estremoz subregion. Aged 12 months in French oak. (91 points)

2016 Herdade dos Grous Moon Harvested - Portugal, Alentejo, Vinho Regional Alentejano
SRP: $25
Deep purple color. Dark and rich on the nose, saucy plums and blackberry sauce, with violets, coffee, anise and vanilla notes. Full-bodied with grippy tannins and some medium-low acidity to help balance it out. A dark and saucy appeal with rich black cherry, blackberries, dark plums. There’s a lot of cocoa, anise, coffee and scorched earth notes here, too, along with cedar and espresso. Hedonistic style that is accessible now, but built well enough to cellar, too. All Alicante Bouschet from schist soils. (89 points)

2013 Herdade do Mouchão Alentejo - Portugal, Alentejo
SRP: $60

Inky dark purple color. It takes time but out come aromas of pretty, complex black fruits, waves of roasted chestnut, leather, incense, mint, black pepper and earth. Lots of strength and power on the palate with grippy tannins yet it’s not too overt, and the acidity keeps it fresh. Tangy, deep black fruit mixes so well with waves of complex non-fruit notes (leather, sage, incense, smoky earth, anise). There are also these deep notes of rocks, minerals, charcoal. Rich fruit, but it’s so nuanced and vibrant as well. This will be gorgeous in 30 years (no kidding), it’s that kind of a wine. The balance, depth and elegance is in a class of its own. Alicante Bouschet with some Trincadeira blended in as well, the wine spends two years in old, 500-liter mahogany casks. (95 points)

2015 Herdade São Miguel Alicante Bouschet - Portugal, Alentejo, Vinho Regional Alentejano
SRP: $23
Bright purple color. Nose pops with saucy blueberries and blackberries, mixed with incense, lavender, violets, anise and charcoal. Full and big on the palate with grippy tannins and some medium, moderating acidity. Dense but crunchy dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry, black cherry) topped in a complex mix of anise, charcoal, black pepper, graphite. This is well-built to improve in the cellar, or it would benefit from a serious decant. Alicante from clay and schist soils, aged 12 months in French oak. (89 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist. 

Herdade do Mouchão & the Apex of Alicante Bouschet

The exceptional Alentejo producer Herdade do Mouchão still operates in the original winery, built in 1901.

You’d never find it if you weren’t searching for it. Leaving the small Alentejo village of Estremoz, you pass copses of cork trees before pulling onto a bumpy, winding dirt road littered with boar tracks. Tucked back alongside a sleepy creek bed, Herdade do Mouchão is one of the most memorable wineries I’ve ever visited.

Here, in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal, the Herdade do Mouchão winery seems frozen in time. Oporto resident Thomas Reynolds moved to this rural and largely untouched region around the turn of the 20th Century, mostly to get into the flourishing cork business. He planted vines and built a winery in 1901. A distillery was added in 1929 to produce brandy, and his descendants planted more vines throughout the middle of the 20th Century. Following Portugal’s revolution in 1974, the state expropriated the estate, which deteriorated until it was returned to the family in 1985.

Herdade do Mouchão ages its top wines in old and large (500-liter) casks made of mahogany.

That original winery (which operated without electricity until 1991!) is still in use today, and defines the aesthetic and purpose of Herdade do Mouchão in the 21st Century. The estate is currently run by Elizabeth (daughter of former winemaker Albert Hugh Reynolds) and Iain Richardson. On a June trip to this estate, Iain told me his goal is to preserve that special history. “We want to keep it that way,” he said. “We want to make wines the old way.”

And every aspect of the winemaking here harkens back to a time long past. “There’s really not much sophistication,” Iain said, describing the winemaking style as “rudimentary, in the best sense of the word.” The winery uses only estate grapes, sourced from 40 hectares of vines. (The rest of the massive 1,000 hectare estate is mostly cork forests, with about 50 hectares of olive trees as well.

The grapes are hand harvested and dumped through old wooden windows into large cement fermentation tubs, called lagares, and workers stomp the grapes with their bare feet twice a day for about a week. Some of the wines are then transferred to stainless steel or small oak barrels, some of the only signs of relatively modern technology, while the high-end wines are aged in old 500-liter vats, made from mahogany wood.

While the winery produces some white wine (a blend of indigenous Portuguese varieties), the lynchpin of Herdade do Mouchão is the Alicante Bouschet grape. This grape was created in France in the 1860s, when Henri Bouschet crossed the grape Petite Bouschet (itself a cross between two obscure varieties) with Grenache. Alentejo became the grape’s adopted home, however, largely due to the efforts of Herdade do Mouchão.

Iain Richardson shows off the estate's oldest Alicante Bouschet vines, which go into the estate's flagship bottling.

The grape flourished after the outbreak of phylloxera, when winemakers found its relatively high yields to be an attractive pursuit. The grape ripens early and has a rare dark-colored pulp, so finished wines contain not only color from the grape skins, but from the juice itself. Alicante can produce wines with high alcohol and strong tannins, but the best growers know how to harness greatness from this grape. And, it seems to me, Herdade do Mouchão is the apex of Alicante.

For the winery’s Dom Rafael red blend, Iain blends in Trincadeira and Aragonez (aka Tempranillo) with Alicante, while the winery’s flagship wine, Mouchão, is made up of about 90% Alicante Bouschet with some Trincadeira. I was only able to taste one vintage of this glorious wine, the 2013, but it was easily the “greatest” wine I tasted on the trip. Delicious, fascinating, unique, and capable of aging decades, easily. Mouchão also produces a Port-style fortified Alicante Bouschet that is also amazing.

Below, I’ve included tasting notes on all the wines I tasted while visiting with Iain.

Winemaker Iain Richardson is an Alicante wizard.

2017 Herdade do Mouchão Dom Rafael Branco
This was one of the most surprising wines of the trip for me, as I was expecting a basic entry-level white and found an exciting, complex, thrilling wine. So floral and bright on the nose with lemons, apricots, crust sea salt, cucumber slices, baby's breath. Medium-bodied palate, rich texture but so crisp and lively, with a deep, underlying mineral presence. Lemon, lime, apricot, topped in lemon verbena, honeysuckle, baby's breath. Chalky finish. Wow. Antão Vaz, Arinto, Perrum and Fernão Pires. (91 points)

2015 Herdade do Mouchão Dom Rafael Tinto
As I tasted this, I thought: If this is the entry-level red, I am in for a serious treat. This is exceptionally good, fresh, inviting, complex yet so easy to drink. Floral (violets and roses) on the nose, with raspberries, black cherries, pepper and earth, gorgeous stuff. Bold presence but so balanced on the palate, built well but medium acidity. Juicy black cherry fruit laced with roses, bay leaf and black pepper. Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira and Aragonez. (90 points)

2014 Herdade do Mouchão Ponte das Canas
Gorgeous depth of fruit on the nose (blackberry, black cherry, plum) along with complex earth, tar, pepper, violets. Structured with grippy tannins yet fresh acidity on the palate, the balance is so nice. Black cherries and plums mix wonderfully with roasted herbs, coffee, iron, black pepper. Long finish with earth and minerals. Concentrated yet not harsh, this will age 5-8 years easily. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Syrah, aged in 300-liter French oak barrels for 24 months, aged a year in bottle before release. (92 points)

2013 Herdade do Mouchão
Oh my god this wine is fantastic. I could not believe my senses, it was that good. Incredible depth on the nose: blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, with complex violets, leather, incense sticks, rosemary, mint - just endless nuance on the nose. Concentrated, rich, deep on the palate, this is incredibly young but the quality is undeniable. Tannic yet somehow velvety, big yet somehow not too heavy. Blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, the fruit is pure, vibrant, complex, layered. Complex elements of loam, scorched earth, black pepper, incense sticks, bay leaf, mushroom. Deep earthy-mineral tones. This could be aged for three decades or something, it has that level of depth. Alicante Bouschet with about 10% Trincadeira. The wine of the trip for me. (96 points)

2012 Herdade do Mouchão Alentejo Vinho Licoroso
Really solid fortified Alicante Bouschet from Mouchao. On the nose, I get blueberries, fig cookies, roasted plums, candied pecans, clove. Rich texture, tannins are grippy but have rounded edges, little bit of acidity helps it stay moving. Warm, sweet but woven together well, delicious plum cake, blackberry jam and roasted figs. I get notes of coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder, sweet espresso. Earthy, charcoal notes on the finish. Very impressed with this wine. (92 points)