Tapada do Chaves Tinto Reserve 2017

Tapada do Chaves Tinto Reserva 2017

Tapada do Chaves Red Reserve 2017 comes from one of the oldest estates in the Alentejo, on the outskirts of Portalegre, on the slopes of the Serra de São Mamede. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Chaves family planted the vineyards that made the estate famous, including the Vinha Velha de 1901, now cared for by the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation. It's a classic from the Alto Alentejo, elegant and full of identity. 2017 was marked by a mild spring, with little rain, and an extreme summer. The granite soil vineyards, 375m above sea level, had few grapes, but were highly concentrated, deep in colour and impeccably ripe, with sufficient acidity to sustain the wine in the bottle for many years.

Vinification: Grapes harvested by hand, completely destemmed and subjected to cold pre-maceration for 5 days. Fermentation is spontaneous in stainless steel tanks, followed by a long post-fermentation maceration. The wine is aged for one year in Portuguese and French oak barrels and a further 24 months in the bottle, gaining a silky texture and enormous complexity.

Tasting notes: Concentrated garnet colour. Very fresh and complex nose, with wild fruits, undergrowth and rockrose, earthy notes, resin and a slight hint of leather. Extremely elegant on the palate, with good volume, very expressive ripe red fruit, fine tannins and a long, classic finish, calling for meat dishes or mature cheeses.

Grape varieties: Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet