Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2018 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Super Tuscan that returns to the LCBO next weekend in the April 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Tenuta Sette Ponti is a story of passion, dedication, and love for vineyards and their traditions. Their business philosophy is based on quality, research, long-lasting knowledge, age-old customs, respect for the land and its balance, while also keep pace with modern agricultural and enological practices.

Although Tenuta Sette Ponti is a relatively new producer that was only established in the 1990s, it's history begins in 1935 when Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta and Viceroy of Ethiopia planted the first vineyards on this property in Tuscany between Florence and Arezzo to celebrate having taken over the Ethiopian Empire. It was called "Vigna dell'Impero", or Vineyard of the Empire, and is home to an ancient clone of Sangiovese that is the only one of its kind.

In the 1950s, Architect Alberto Moretti Cuseri acquired the first 55 hectares of land directly from Princesses Margherita and Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta, daughters of Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, and dedicated himself to the production of winegrowing and olive oil. For many years, he produced grapes to sell to producers.

Antonio Moretti Cuseri, Alberto's son, was driven by a passion and interest in wine since he was a young boy. In 1997, he took control of his father's winery and worked alongside the best viticulturists and enologists to evaluate the suitability of the land for the production of quality wines, although the area was already declared one of the most suitable areas for wine production in Tuscany in 1716 by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. After numerous studies, research, consultancy, and testing, Antonio stopped selling grapes to other producers and established Tenuta Sette Ponti, releasing his first label - Crognolo - in 1998. The name "Tenuta Sette Ponti" comes from the seven bridges that extend over the Arno River on the road from Florence to Arezzo, while Crognolo is named after a wild plant that is also known as Cornelian cherry or cornus mas, and grows abundantly on the estate. With in-depth research, an incredible love for vines, and for age-old expertise about the art of winemaking, Tenuta Sette Ponti makes exceedingly high quality, organic wines in line with Tuscan traditions. Their iconic Oreno Super Tuscan red wine is among the top wines in the world.

In 2018, the third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family joined the business with Amedeo taking on the role of director and Italian market manager, while Alberto is the communications and export director. This new generation continues to represent the company's strong values of tradition and great passion passed down by their father. With a fresh and new vision that is strengthened by high quality wines, Tenuta Sette Ponti is consistently recognized globally and are becoming symbols of Italian excellence and authentic style.

The 1997 Crognolo was Antonio Moretti Cuseri’s first quality wine. It was crafted from clones of the historic Sangiovese vines in the estate's oldest vineyard, Vigna dell'Impero. This unique Sangiovese clone was multiplied across Tenuta Sette Ponti's other Sangiovese vineyards and is still incorporated in this wine. This particular vintage of Crognolo is made with 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot that was grown on clay and sand soils, as well as Tuscany's special stony galestro limestone. The area offers ideal sun exposure and a climate tempered by the Mediterranean, which are ideal for cultivating the Sangiovese grape. Yields are kept low, while the fruit is hand-harvested, sorted, and de-stemmed. After fermentation in a combination of temperature-controlled and lined open-top tanks, the lots are blended and aged in French Allier barriques for 10-14 months, followed by 5-6 months in bottle prior to release. After enjoying the 2016 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo a few years ago, I am curious to see how this 2018 edition is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TENUTA SETTE PONTI CROGNOLO 2018 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#727636) (XD) - $34.95
This Super Tuscan is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot and has a medium-high intensity nose with a lovely bouquet of sweet red cherries, rose floral, and sweet spice aromas with subtle earthy and mineral tones. On the medium-full bodied, chewy palate it has lovely, balanced replays of red cherry, rose floral, and savoury wood spices. It's really nicely balanced with juicy acidity, and plush, textured tannins that have just subtle chalky grip. A pleasing mix of savoury, woody, minerally, and red berry notes linger on the long, very satisfying finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Tenuta Sette Ponti's iconic Oreno is available at the LCBO, while other lovely wines from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Ahead of Malbec World Day celebrations that will be held on Sunday, April 17th this year, tonight's red wine review is this lovely Malbec that arrived at the LCBO a couple of months ago in the February 5 LCBO VINTAGES Release, with plenty available across the Ontario.

Established in 1996 with 35 years of winemaking experience, the story of Terrazas de Los Andes actually began when the current winery was built in 1898 by Sotero Arizu, one of the pioneers in the production and commercialization of Argentinian wines. The winery is located in the heart of Perdriel, at the foot of the impressive Andes mountain range, while the majority of their vineyards are situated in the heart of Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley, surrounded by the high peaks of the Andes. The scarcity of the high-altitude climate with its low rainfall, rocky soil, and lack of organic elements in the ground, forces the vines to work hard for hydration and nutrients, resulting in grapes that are vivid and intense. The high-altitude also means warm, sunny days for grapes to flourish, and cool nights that slow down the ripening process. Each variety is cultivated on terraced vineyards at a specific altitude to optimize the grape's purest expression.

While Terrazas has quite a few vineyards spread out over 925 km across Argentina, their oldest is the Las Compuertas vineyard in Luján de Cuyo that was planted in 1929 at 1,070 metres (3,500 feet) to produce the ultimate expression of Malbec. The land characteristics of each vineyard is carefully studied to determine which grapes are most suitable. Furthermore, each parcel of land is segmented into sub-blocks to precisely consider the slightest variations so they can adapt and improve viticultural practises. This process allows Terrazas to achieve the best quality of each micro-terroir to optimize fruit expression and wine precision.

Today, the Terrazas de Los Andes project is owned by luxury brand LVMH, with fruit coming their own 500 hectares of vineyards. This Malbec is from Terrazas' Reserva range of wines - their signature style that aims to be consistent, layered, and generous. The Reserva range offers a panoramic picture of their high elevation terroirs in Mendoza, while also delivering a consistent expression of each varietal, vintage after vintage.

This regional blend of 100% Malbec is crafted using their own grapes located in vineyards aged between 15 to 90 years old across Mendoza in Las Compuertas (Luján de Cuyo), Paraje Altamira, Eugenio Bustos Los Chacayes and Gualtallary (Uco Valley) at altitudes between 1,020 - 1,250 metres (3,346 - 4,101 feet) above sea level. The grapes were hand-harvested, cluster de-stemmed, and only slightly crushed. After fermentation, 40% of the wine was aged in 4th use French oak barrels for 12 months.

The 2018 harvest was marked by a temperate and dry spring, followed by a warm January with temperatures above the norm in the lower areas and similar to the average in the higher zones, while autumn was very even and mild, allowing the grapes to be harvested at optimum maturity. Overall, the memorable 2018 growing season was a return to normality with excellent grape quality. Uco Valley was a stand out with very good natural acidity. Temperature conditions and exceptional thermal amplitudes helped to obtain fresh and healthy fruit with very good concentration of colour and coarse skins, all of which produce very high quality wines. Let's see how this 2018 Malbec from Mendoza is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES RESERVA MALBEC 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#29280) (XD) - $19.95
The fresh, medium-high intensity nose offers lovely aromas of freshly crushed dark berries, blackberry, violets, and savoury earthy, stony minerality notes. It's medium-full bodied on the ripe, chewy palate with more dark berry, blackberry, violets, dried herb, and earthy mineral characters on the flavour profile. Showing a touch of warmth at this stage, but still balanced, while the acids are fresh and juicy. Smooth tannins have a fine, dusty texture. Minerally with violet, dark berry, and subtle oak notes linger on the long finish. Recommended buy to drink now. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Terrazas de Los Andes can be ordered through their Agent - Charton Hobbs.

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Domaine Bousquet Gran Malbec 2018 and Virgen Natural Malbec 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Reviews

Continuing my trek towards Malbec World Day that is coming up on April 17th, tonight's wine reviews are a pair of delicious, organic, and vegan-friendly Argentine Malbec wines that recently came to LCBO VINTAGES as new arrivals.

Both of these wines are produced by Domaine Bousquet, a family with 4 generations of winemaking tradition originating in the city of Carcassonne, in the South of France. Third-generation winemaker Jean Bousquet vacationed in Argentina in 1990 and fell in love with the country. It was love at first sight when he visited the scenic and remote terrain of the Gualtallary Valley high in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley in Argentina's Mendoza region. At the time, it was virgin territory as the locals dismissed the area as too cold for grape growing due to altitudes ranging up to 1,600 metres (5,249 feet). However, Bousquet reckoned that he'd found the perfect blend between his French homeland and the New World that was sunny with high natural acidity, and the potential for relatively fruit-forward wines. Today, Gualtallary occupies the highest extremes of Mendoza's viticultural limits and is the source for some of province's finest wines.

Bousquet's daughter, Anne Bousquet, and her husband Labid Al Ameri, were both working in fields outside of wine, but were soon drawn to the cause and offered to put their shared philosophy of sustainability into effect. In 2005, Al Ameri joined his father-in-law full-time to help with the construction of the winery, and Anne joined the family business in 2008. In 2011, the couple assumed full ownership of Domaine Bousquet.

Today, the estate consists of 240 hectares in Gualtallary at an altitude of 1,200 metres (4,000 feet) and due to its location the vineyards benefit from a cool climate and constant fresh air. With very little rainfall, the vineyards are irrigated using a drip system that harnesses pure (and special) Andean mountain snowmelt run-off that creates lower pH in the grapes, resulting in higher acidity. The climate is also desert-like with high 15° C (59° F) day/night temperature differential. The soil surface has low concentrations of organic material, which produces favourable stress in the vines, while the sandy soils offer great drainage and help create elegant wines. Farmed organically since 2001, Domaine Bousquet is Argentina's leading exporter of organic wines, exporting to more than 50 countries. Let's see how these two wines that are brand new to the LCBO in Ontario are tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE BOUSQUET GRAN MALBEC 2018 - Vegan, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#21983) (XD) - $24.95
From the Gran Bousquet line that stars the best grapes from their "home" vineyard that was originally planted by the Bousquet family in the late 1990's. Blend of 85% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 5% Syrah that was organically grown on sandy soils with low fertility, the grapes were manually harvested, selected, and sorted. It was fermented using selected yeasts and aged for 10 months in French oak. The medium-high intensity nose is rich and dark with fine wood spice aromas layered over blackberry, currant, cassis, violet, and vanilla. Full-bodied, structured, and dry on the palate with lightly tangy blackberry, herb, black currant, cassis, wood spice flavours with touches of pepper. Fresh, juicy acids whet the palate, while the youthful tannins have some grip. Savoury wood and spice notes linger on the structured finish, with very good length. On the bigger side of Malbec and a recommended buy. Arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on March 5. Score: 90+ pts

VIRGEN NATURAL MALBEC 2019 - Vegan, Sustainable, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#21987) (XD) - $17.95
From Bousquet's Virgen line that has no sulfites added, Virgen wines offer the purest expression of terroir from grapes grown on a mix of sandy and gravel soils. This organic 100% Malbec is crafted from estate fruit grown at a cool 1,200 metres (4,000 feet) elevation in Tupungato, Alto Gualtallary, in the foothills of the Andes. Screw cap. This unoaked Malbec has a fresh and fragrant nose that is ripe and fruit-forward with black-blue-purple fruit, plum, grapey, and white pepper spice aromas, plus whiffs of stony mineral. On the medium-full bodied palate it shows impressive fruit concentration with more fruity black-blue-purple fruit, and grapey flavours joined by touches of dried herbs and spice adding a pleasant savoury component. Mild tannins have a refined, slightly dusty texture. Acids are juicy. Tapers to a minerally, finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on April 2. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Domaine Bousquet are available in limited quantities at the LCBO, while the rest of their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - B. Cojocaru Agencies Inc.

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Trapiche Medalla Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2017 Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec last November, tonight's red wine review is its little sibling that arrived at the LCBO today as the Wine of the Month in the April 2nd LCBO VINTAGES Release. This wine is also part of a collection of Malbecs I'll be reviewing in the lead up to Malbec World Day 2022, which is celebrated worldwide every year on the 17th of April.

Founded in Mendoza in 1883, Trapiche Winery has grown to become one of Argentina's most internationally recognized brands. Not only is Trapiche Argentina's largest producer of wine, but they are also one of the industry's leading innovators while pioneering new sites, partnering with premium grape growers, and developing a new generation of talented winemakers. Trapiche was a pioneer in working with Bordeaux varieties, exploring micro-terroirs, and developing modern winemaking techniques. Today, Trapiche owns more than 1,000 hectares of vineyards across Mendoza's Primera Zone and Uco Valley, as well as having longstanding partnerships with some of the province's revered grape growers.

Trapiche has quite a few different ranges of wines and this wine is from their Medalla collection that was borne in 1983 to celebrate the winery's 100th anniversary. This vegan-friendly red wine is 100% Malbec using fruit from their own vineyards in Uco Valley. The grapes were manually harvested, selected, and de-stemmed, followed by fermentation in small concrete vats. It was aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months and further 6 months in bottle prior to release.

The 2018 vintage in Argentina was celebrated for its return to normality with warm day time temperatures and cool nights, and without any unwanted rains. Overall, the harvest showed excellent quality with full maturation and healthy grapes. In the Uco Valley, Malbec stood out for it's great intensity and character. Let's see how this 2018 Uco Valley Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TRAPICHE MEDALLA MALBEC 2018 - Vegan, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#547869) (XD) - $19.95
100% Malbec mainly from their vineyards in Tupungato, Uco Valley, situated between 1,060 and 1,200 metres (3,500 and 4,000 feet) above sea level. The nose seems somewhat quiet, offering glimpses of ripe plum, purple fruit, peppery spice, and stony mineral aromas with subtle oak nuances. The medium-full bodied palate is rich and ripe with fleshy concentration and lovely flavours of purple and black fruits, plum, white pepper spice, and stony mineral notes. Acids are juicy and succulent, while the dusty, fine-grained, and lightly structured tannins offer a pleasingly textured mouthfeel. Stony mineral and meaty notes linger on the savoury finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Trapiche are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Château Hauchat 2019 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Merlot from Bordeaux that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as the Wine of the Month in the April 2nd LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Famille Saby, a winemaking family that has been crafting wines on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in Saint Emilion for nine generations. It all started in the 18th century with Jean Saby and the family vineyard properties have been passed down along familial lines ever since. Château Rozier, Château Saint André Corbin and Château Hauchat are the three key pieces in a remarkable viticultural patrimony that has been in the hands of the Saby family since 1775. Today, the family properties are in the hands of Jean-Bernard Saby, the 8th generation of the family. His two sons, Jean-Christophe and Jean-Phillippe, are both oenologists and the 9th generation to join the family business as they apply their new skills while respecting the traditions of their father and grandfather. Together, they manage 62 hectares of vineyards across their three properties.

I've had the pleasure of tasting this wine over several vintages now, including most recently the 2018 Château Hauchat last November, and I've been quite impressed with the quality as it has improved each vintage. The 2019 vintage of this red wine from Right Bank appellation of Fronsac continues to be crafted with 100% Merlot grown on clay-limestone soils. Located on the high plateau of Saint-Aignan, the vineyard is south and southwest oriented, facing Pomerol, which ensures ideal sunshine and perfect drainage. The grapes were manually harvested and sorted on tables. It underwent cold pre-fermentation maceration and crushing, thermo-regulated fermentation, as well as malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged in a combination and new and used American and French oak barrels.

Although the 2019 vintage was a hot year in Bordeaux, it is a very good year, especially on the Right Bank where the wines tended to be intensely concentrated with lots of flavour. Merlot was a stand out with its generosity and intensity. Let's see how this 2019 Merlot from Bordeaux is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2019 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95
100% Merlot grown on clay-limestone soils, the fresh, intense, and perfumed aromas offers lovely red fruited notes of raspberry, cherry, currant, floral rose, and sweet wood spices. On the ripe, sunny, medium-full bodied, and lightly structured palate it has lovely balanced aroma replays, plus sandalwood notes on the flavour profile that are supported by fresh, juicy acidity and smooth, refined, and supple tannins. Dusty textured on the mid-palate, while savoury graphite, mineral nuances join the red fruited and sweet spice notes on the long, elegant, and balanced finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Other lovely wines from the Saby family can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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April 2, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Old vs New World Pairings

The main theme of the upcoming April 2nd, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "Family Feasts" and looks at Old World vs. New World wine pairings for these feasts. All of the wines from this release should be on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme titled "Family Feasts", but really focuses on food and wine pairings consisting of traditional April long weekend fare paired with Old World and New World wines. Of the twenty wines featured as part of the theme, two are included among my top wine picks. According to the catalogue, the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling from Niagara would be a fine match with a traditional turkey dinner. For an old world pairing with a sweet and savoury baked ham, try the red from Roussillon that is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% old vines Grenache.

Red wine blends from the rest of the release include a lovely Portuguese red that consists of 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Franca, and 20% Touriga Nacional, as well as a Côtes du Rhône that consists of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 10% Cinsault, and 5% Counoise. The last blend is from Mt. Etna in Sicily and it consists of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio. Among the single varietal wines, there are a pair of lovely Argentine Malbec wines, as well as a pair of Australian Shiraz wines. There is also a fine Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley. Returning to the old world, the Bordeaux red wine is crafted with 100% Merlot, while the Barbaresco is made with Nebbiolo.

From my white wine picks, the only blend is from Australia and it consists of 61% Viognier and 39% Marsanne. Among the single varietal wines, the Rioja is made with 100% Viura that was barrel-fermented and aged in oak. All three Chardonnay wines also spent various amounts of time fermenting and ageing in oak, while a small part of the Verdicchio also spent some time in big wooden barrels.

My lone rosé wine pick is from Niagara and the latest edition of this dry rosé is a blend of 88% Pinot Noir and 12% Pinot Gris. For fans of pink bubbly, the sparkling wine from South Africa is a 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Bon appetit!

Red Wine:

• VIRGEN NATURAL MALBEC 2019 - Vegan, sustainable, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#21987) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2019 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95  90+ pts  wine review
• TENUTE NICOSIA VULKÀ ETNA ROSSO 2018 - Sustainable, DOC, Sicily, Italy (#22804) (XD) - $18.95
• CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2017 - AP, France (#13439) (XD) - $18.95
• TRAPICHE MEDALLA MALBEC 2018 - Vegan, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#547869) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• LARRY CHERUBINO WINES FOLKLORE SHIRAZ 2019 - Western Australia (#23330) (XD) - $19.95
• BASTIDE MIRAFLORS SYRAH / VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE 2019 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#320499) (XD) - $19.95
• JIM BARRY THE LODGE HILL SHIRAZ 2018 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#998476) (XD) - $22.95
• SÃO MIGUEL ESCOLHA DOS ENOLOGOS 2019 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#445122) (XD) - $24.95  92 pts  wine review
• ENRICO SERAFINO SANAVENTO BARBARESCO 2018 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#157347) (XD) - $29.95  90+ pts  wine review
• DOMAINE DROUHIN OREGON PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, USA (#961284) (XD) - $52.95  93 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• D'ARENBERG THE HERMIT CRAB VIOGNIER/MARSANNE 2021 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#662775) (XD) - $17.95
• ARBOLEDA CHARDONNAY 2019 - DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#606772) (XD) - $18.95  90+ pts  wine review
• NALS MARGREID HILL PINOT GRIGIO 2019 - DOC Südtirol-Alto Adige, Italy (#17365) (XD) - $19.95
• TRIUS DISTINCTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#19379) (XD) - $19.95
• MALIVOIRE ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#573147) (XD) - $19.95
• SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC RIESLING 2019 - Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#25647) (D) - $22.95
• GRANCASALE VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2018 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#23869) (XD) - $23.95
• VIÑA MURIEL RESERVA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#25079) (XD) - $31.95
• GRGICH HILLS ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY 2018 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#346304) (XD) - $67.95

Rosé Wine:

• MALIVOIRE VIVANT ROSÉ 2021 - Vegan, sustainable, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#498535) (XD) - $19.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PONGRÁCZ CAP CLASSIQUE ROSÉ - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#646968) (D) - $18.95

Dessert Wine:

• HENRY OF PELHAM SPECIAL SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL 2019 - Sustainable, VQA Ontario, Canada (#395228) (S) (375 mL) - $19.95

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São Miguel Escolha dos Enologos 2019 (Portugal) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely Portuguese blend that arrives at the LCBO this coming weekend as part of the April 2nd LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Casa Relvas, a family that has been living from the land on two continents for five generations. With a desire to continue the family's history, Alexandre Relvas (Sr.) purchased Herdade de São Miguel in São Miguel de Machede - Redondo in 1997 after he saw the landscape at this site which was similar to his African roots. The Relvas family developed a passion for Alentejo and respected the region's unique and authentic nature, leading to the planting of a typical afforestation. But their true passion was in the vineyard of this region that had a culture of more than 2000 years of history.

In 2001, the Relvas family planted their first 10 hectares of vines, followed by another 25 hectares in 2002 after Nuno Franco, a viticulture and oenology consultant, joined the project. The winery was built in 2003 and they launched their first wines a year later. In 2006, Alexandre Relvas Jr. joined the company after a year of viticultural training in Bordeaux, and success soon followed. With a love for celebration, the mission at Casa Relvas is to produce quality wines that accompany every moment in life. Today, as the family has grown, the Relvas family now manages 750 hectares of forests, 250 hectares of olive groves, and 350 hectares of vineyards. Casa Relvas believes in the importance of sustainability in social, environmental, and financial aspects and is a pioneer of the Alentejo Wine Sustainability Program.

Casa Relvas has number of estates and ranges of wines within their portfolio. This particular red wine is from their Herdade de São Miguel estate located in Redondo, east of Evora in the middle of the Alentejo. The vineyards are planted in clay-loam soils derived from schist and surrounded by a cork oak forest. Herdade de São Miguel wines are nationally (and internationally) recognized for their special terroir where the sun of Alentejo perfectly combines with the soil to produce grapes with a lot of character to produce strong and vigorous wines, without losing freshness.

This red wine is a blend of 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Franca, and 20% Touriga Nacional from grapes grown on exclusively at the Herdade de São Miguel estate on clay and schist soils. The grapes were hand-harvested and completely de-stemmed, followed by maceration for 48 hours and then fermented in with controlled temperatures in open vats with automatic pigeurs. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, and was then aged for 9 months in 400 L French oak barrels.

With a cold winter that had some rain, followed by a mild and dry spring and summer, the weather was ideal as the cool, dry nights allowed for perfect phenolic maturation. Although yields were low, 2019 was a year of excellent in Alentejo. Let's see how this 2019 red from Portugal is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SÃO MIGUEL ESCOLHA DOS ENOLOGOS 2019 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#445122) (XD) - $24.95
This blend of 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Franca, and 20% Touriga Nacional has rich, perfumed, dense, and spicy aromatics that deliver a lovely bouquet of ripe dark and red berries, black cherry, florals, damson plum, and sweet oak spice notes. It's full-bodied and richly concentrated with lovely dark and red berry, and floral aromas replays on the slightly warming, yet balanced, palate. Juicy and elegant with gritty, refined, and structured tannins. Savoury wood notes, even a touch of mineral, linger on the long, juicy finish. Gorgeous! Will be even better in a couple of years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines by Casa Relvas are available through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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