How olive oil giants are using a mega dam to take over Portugal’s growing region https://www.byteseu.com/917969/ #alentejo #Alqueva #AntónioDeOliveiraSalazar #JoséPedroOliveira #OliveOil #OliveTree #plantations #Portugal #SuperIntensive #TeresaPintoCorreia
3/3 The conclusion:
The 2023 Reserva Branco, 50/50 Arinto and Alvarinho blend: This adds an impression of more depth, not quite fruity, but perfectly balanced. This impressed me more than I expected and I liked it even more than the Arinto. The key here will be the USA price point. It's not cheap! Up to you. But it sure performed well.
13%, $64, 2,500 bottles, 6 months in wood. Barely noticed. Deftly handled
2/3
The 2023 Touriga Nacional is not a rich style, but it is ripe, fruity and delightful, fresh and friendly. You could lightly chill it. Aromatic, soft and tasty, it is laced with young blue fruits. Not much power, a wine with limitations for the long term maybe, but irresistible in ways and improves with air, showing grip. Stainless only, 14%, 1,000 bottles. $42 SRP. Not cheap for the style, but I liked this silky wine a lot.
To part 3 in reply
Pista is a new winery (founded just in 2020, using Tapada da Fonte as a brand). I saw some earlier releases in 2023, but not these. It looked like an interesting Portalegre project from 2021 vines around 400 meters. Winemakers: Joachim Roque and Ana Paulino
I'm going to go through these tomorrow. Best to divide these posts up! Maximum excitement, right? I know you can't wait. But still. Wait a day or two. Calm, my friends. Peace. Alcohol. Wine.
It's hard to photograph that label without reflections from the gold lettering! #wine #portugal #alentejo #photography
This Mouro Gold Label blend (the top-of-the-line from a top winery in Alentejo) has evolved well in the warm 2009 year. It now folds warmth of the year into the whole. Tannins have moderated too. A sweet edge shows tasty fruit and a bit of oak, plus some licorice.
It's always going to be a fruit-forward red, but it has surprising finesse and focus on display with its age, and with air. It drinks beautifully. Mostly Alicante Bouschet and Aragonez. 14.5%, around $80
The iconic MdB Reserva from iconic João Portugal Ramos. Even a fine vintage.
His wines age well as a rule (even the $20 Vila Santa Reserva). Mostly Trincadeira, Aragonez and Alicante, this is unsurprisingly in fine form. Focused and precise on the firm finish, it has a beefy nuance, plus some mature hints. It's prime time and mouth-coating. Lovely, it has time left, but it has already exceeded expectations. $75 (after a price spike some years ago); 14%. #wine #portugal #alentejo
*cue to the Talking Heads song*
happy 
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