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| 17.5 / 20 |
Region: Alentejo
Country: Portugal
This is the top wine for a young winemaker from Estremoz, Alentejo - and Susana Estéban, of Crasto and Solar dos Lobos fame. I tasted the 07 (or 08) vintage a couple of years ago and was not very impressed, feeling its quality did not match up to its price - something which was inverted in the othe brands, .com and .beb that had a really good quality/price ratio.
Since this 09 gained a lot of attention, being declared the best 2009 Alentejo wine in some places, I decided
to try it again. And I'm glad I did!
Deep purple in the glass, it's very intense in the nose. Not a classical Alentejo, but somehow managing
to take that classical side and turn it into something modern and vibrant all along. The Alicante Bouschet
is front stage at first with olives showing up, a hint of spices and some meaty black fruit. As it breathes, the
Syrah joins in, again showing some vibrant black fruit in a sweeter perspective, almost jammy. But always feeling very
balanced and poised.
Feels very elegant in the mouth, although it definitely is a very sructured, full bodied wine. The raspberries come more to
the foreground in the palate than in the nose, very well backed up by a fresh acidity and a layer of velvety tannins handing out
even more structure to the wine. Finish is long and intense.
Paired marveously with a lamb coated with honey and rosemary, a regional recipe from
a top restaurant in Estremoz.
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