The first wine made by Esporão in 1985. Obtained from grapes from Herdade do Esporão, it shows the consistency and rich character typical of the best Alentejo wines. The label on the bottle for this year’s vintage is by Albuquerque Mendes.

Region:
Alentejo

Grape Varieties:
Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet & Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes:
Colour: Intense Ruby
Aroma:  Notes of berry jam, slight touch of spices and fresh cocoa, enveloped in the nicely integrated toast from the barrels
Palate: Richness of the fruit is evident on the palate. Full-bodied, while the fine tannins also provide structure and intensity. A long, rich and persistent finish.

Vinification:

Each variety harvested separately, destemmed, crushed, temperature controlled alcoholic fermentation in  stainless steel vats, concrete tanks and small marble basins, pressed, followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks.

Aged for 12months in American Oka (60%) and French (40%) oak barrels. After bottling, the wine is aged for a further 8months in bottle.

Analytical Notes:
Alcohol Content: 14.5 %
Total Acidity: 3.55 g/L
Reducing Sugar: 2.5 g/L
pH: 3.55

Soil:
Schist origin with clay/loam structure

Vineyards:
The vineyards are approximately 17 years old

Harvest:
The spring featured lower temperatures and more humidity than in previous years-ideal weather conditions for fungal vine disease therefore greater care was taken in the vineyards to avoid mildew attack. Cooler temperatures at this time of the year led to a longer period of vegetative growth and despite the heat felt in July, the harvest began approximately 10 days later than usual. The grape quality was excellent and in spite of the heat throughout the harvest, sugar levels remained normal and acidity was slightly lower than usual.