Esporao Reserva Tinto 2023

Esporão Reserva comes from a large estate in the Alentejo of southern Portugal, a property whose history dates back to 1267 and which today combines its own vineyards with rivers, olive groves and a central lake. The wine is a blend of the local Trincadeira, Aragonês and Alicante Bouschet with Cabernet Sauvignon, grown under the warm, dry Alentejo climate that ripens the grapes fully and gives the wine its depth and 14.5 percent alcohol. Alicante Bouschet is a teinturier variety with red flesh, which adds the wine's dark colour and density. After fermentation the wine is aged for twelve months in French and American oak barrels followed by six months in bottle, a regime in which slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the firm tannin while adding vanilla, spice and a cocoa edge. It is deep ruby, with ripe blackberry and plum on the nose over black pepper, liquorice and toasted oak. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe tannin, balanced acidity and a long, spicy finish. Serve at around 17 degrees, decanted. Built for grilled and roast red meats.