Red Wine Vale Barqueiros 2013 SELECT HARVEST
Red Wine from the Alentejo - Select Harvest
This it’s one premium red wine from the Alentejo region in Portugal.
At first look we have one fantastic red garnet color. Aroma of berries, notes of cigar and a nice touch of French oak barrels where it aged.
In the mouth it shows a marked balance and freshness based on an elegant structure and a long, lingering finish.
Consumption temperature recommended: 16/17 °C
Some food ideas:
Beef Wellington, Malay lamb korma, Lentils with smoked ham hock, Oxtail stew, Wood-fired leg of lamb, Chilean beef casserole, Rosemary and lemon pork stew, Citrus-rubbed veal chops and mango salsa, Traditional Cornish pasty, etc.
Classification: Vinho Regional Alentejano
Type: Red/ Selected Harvest
Acidity: 5,7 g/dm3
pH: 3,52
Sugar: 1,1 g/dm3
ABV: 14,5% Vol.
pH: 3,52
Sugar: 1,1 g/dm3
ABV: 14,5% Vol.
Viticulture:
Harvest: 2013
Grapes Varieties: Syrah, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: North Alentejo - Portugal
Soil type: Granite derived
Climate: Mediterranean
Harvest:
Date: September of 2013
Type: Manual/Hand picking
Vinification:
Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks with controlled temperature
Maturation: 9 months in French oak barrels
The Grapes
Of all the non-Portuguese varieties to be grown here, Syrah has best adapted to the rigours of the Alentejo climate, adjusting easily to the searing summer heat with its interminable hours of sunshine and extreme temperatures.
Grown in warm, poor Alentejo soil,
Syrah wines come close to those from the New World.
Big robust and full-bodied wines
with lots of fruit, some pepper, usually spicy, sometimes powerful and
alcoholic.
Wines from early-ripening grapes
are accessible when young, smooth and inviting with good cellaring potential.
Varietal Syrah wines are made but
they are few in number, usually being used in small amounts in many of the
Alentejo's most emblematic wines.
This is an Iberian grape variety
par excellence, one of the few to be grown and esteemed in both of the
Peninsula's countries. Its Spanish descent is unequivocal, with more than one
of the nation's provinces laying claim to paternity. It is called Tempranillo
in Rioja - the region most likely to be its birthplace, but Cencibel in La
Mancha, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Tinta del Pais and
Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero and Tinta de Madrid in vineyards around the
Spanish capital.
In Portugal, Aragonez goes by
other equally well-known names: Tinta Roriz in Dão and Douro and Abundante in
Lisbon.
Few grape varieties can have so
eloquent and straightforward a designation as Aragonez.
In Rioja, it earned the nickname
Tempranillo from the Spanish temprana, meaning to ripen early, which of course
it does, well before the autumn showers of September and avoiding the first
rainfalls of the equinox.
In Lisbon, it takes the name
Abundante because of its high yields and vigorous growth. Aragonez has a short
growth cycle, leafing late which protects it from spring frosts.
A reliable producer not only in
good years, but also in the worst when its yields will be lower, such as in hot
and dry climates and in sandy or limestone soils. Such conditions produce
lively yet deep wines with a happy combination of elegance and strength, almond
fruit and spice.
As Aragonez has a tendency to low
acidity, it appreciates the company of other Alentejano varieties, being
regularly blended with Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet.
Trincadeira
goes under several guises throughout the country, such as Trincadeira Preta,
Tinta Amarela, Espadeiro, Crato Preto, Preto Martinho, Mortágua and Rabo de
Ovelha Tinto. It is a temperamental variety,
with great virtues and bad faults, particularly suited to hotter regions. It
has vigorous growth, requiring vigilance and constant curbing to control
yields.
These are generally high,
although irregular and unpredictable. The bunches of grapes are very compact
and highly susceptible to rot, affirming Trincadeira's preference for poor soil
and hot, dry weather. It responds almost uncontrollably to the least amount of
humidity during maturation, causing sanitary problems that are hard to resolve.
Consequently Trincadeira is one
of the varieties best suited to the dry, dog days of the Alentejo. It gives
body to aromatic, fruity wines with a floral tendency leaning towards vegetal
when there has not been enough maturation. One of its distinctive features is
high natural acidity, a desirable and necessary feature for the hot Alentejo
lands.
Trincadeira has a traditional association with Aragonez, forming one of the most complementary partnerships in Alentejo blended wines. It may be a difficult and temperamental grape variety, but is indispensable in the Alentejo nonetheless.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most
international of all French grape varieties, being widely grown across all five
continents. It has found a special niche and style in the Alentejo, one of the
few Portuguese winegrowing regions where it can ripen to perfection.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of
those varieties that can be termed "enriching"; deeply colored and
thick-skinned, it can spice up blends, imbuing body and consistency to
well-composed, perfumed, fruity and spicy wines.
It is rarely bottled as a
varietal wine in the Alentejo, but is present in small amounts to give
structure in many regional Alentejo wines.
Appreciated for its versatility,
resistance and correctness it yields wines of immense longevity that age with
elegance and security.
The Alentejo Region
Alentejo is one of the biggest
wine regions in Portugal. This hot and dry region is made up of wide plains,
only interrupted by small mountains. Alentejo has benefited from numerous
investments in the wine sector, which enabled the region to produce the best
Portuguese wines and, therefore, gain international recognition.
Located in the south of Portugal,
Alentejo is a sunny region, allowing the perfect ripening of the grapes. As
temperatures are very high in the summer, the vine has to be irrigated.
There are several grape varieties
in Alentejo; however, some are more relevant than others (whether because of
quality or planted area). The most important red grape varieties in the region
are Trincadeira, Aragonez, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet (a French variety
that adapted itself to Alentejo’s climate) are also important.
Red wines are full bodied, rich
in tannins and with aromas of wild and red fruit.
The Vineyard
The estate consists of 122ha of
vineyards, 330ha of olive trees, a forest area comprised of cork oak and stone
pine and several dams to meet the irrigation requirements.
The company decided at the
beginning that they would use the most advanced technologies available in the
field of viticulture and also for the olive groves. A drip feed irrigation
system was installed to give both the vines and the olive trees the best
possible care to maximize the quality of the crop. It also has partnerships
with international experts who have contributed to the development of the “know
how” of the estate itself and as a result the company has become a reference
for the latest technologies.
The 122 hectares of vineyards of
the estate are planted in bilateral cordon system, with the predominance of
Portuguese grape varieties, particularly Aragonez and Trincadeira, the two most
important of the Alentejo region, as well as Touriga Nacional, Arinto, Antão
Vaz and Trincadeira complemented by the internationally renowned Alicante
Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Awards:
“2016 Best Buy” in the portuguese
wine magazine “Revista de Vinhos”
Gold Medal in CWSA (China Wine
& Spirits Awards) 2016
Commended Medal in International
Wine Challenge (IWC) 2015 in UK
17/20 points in “Paixão pelo
Vinho” magazine
Silver Medal in Mundus Vini 2013
in Germany
Silver Medal in Mundus Vini 2012
in Germany
Bronze Medal in Decanter 2012
(World Wine Awards) in UK
1st place Trophy in Nectar diVino
2011 on white wines class
Silver Medal in Wine Master
Challenge 2009 in Estoril
77.66 points in Concours Mondial
de Bruxelles 2010
82 points in Wine Spectator
For more information’s about our wines visit our website or contact us.
Cheers…
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