Esporao Reserva Tinto, DOC Alentejo

Description

Esporao Reserva Tinto is a classic Alentejo red wine and was the first wine made by Herdade do Esporao in 1985. It is made from organic grapes.

Esporao was founded in 1977 by José Roquette and Joaquim Bandeira. Today the company has expanded to produce wines outside of Alentejo in the Douro (Murcas) and Vinho Verde (Quinta do Ameal) regions. They are one of the largest organic wine producers in the world.

The Herdade do Esporao estate is located in the Alentejo DOC in the Reguengos de Monsaraz sub-region region some 170 kms from Lisbon. The Alentejo is characterised by hot and dry summers, mild springs and autumns and cold, dry winters. The combination of sunshine and minimal rainfall produces ideal conditions for grape growing but the region is also known for its many olive grove and cork oak forests. The Esporao estate cover somes 1849 hectares with 441 hectares of vines and 93 hectares of olive groves. The estate offers unique agricultural conditions – large temperature variations, 7 different types of soil and an extraordinarily rich biodiversity that supports the ecosystem. As well as using many local grape varieties such as Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet, Esporao is also know for its use of international varieties like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

Esporao Reserva Tinto is a blend of  25% Aragonês (aka Tempranillo), 20% Alicante Bouschet, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Trincadeira, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Touriga Franca and 5% Syrah. The grapes are sourced from organic vineyards planted on granite and schist base, with a loam & clay structure. Average age of vines is 20 years. Each grape variety is vinified separately. After harvest, the grapes are destemmed and crushed. They then undergo a temperature controlled alcoholic fermentation in a combination of stainless steel vats, concrete tanks and small marble basins. Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks is followed by 12 months ageing in American (60%) and French (40%) oak barrels. After bottling, the wine is aged for at 8 months in the bottle.