Alentejo Reserva 2019 – Herdade do Peso

To produce the Alentejo Reserva Herdade do Peso, the grapes from the best Syrah, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional plots at Herdade do Peso were selected and the varieties were vinified separately before the final assemblage took place. After total destemming, individual berries were hand selected before being gently crushed. Cold soaking then took place at 10ºC for three days before fermentation in stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 28ºC for around nine days. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were transferred to French oak casks (a combination of new and first use) where they matured for around 12 months. The final blend was decided after numerous tastings to ensure that only the best casks were selected. After bottling, the wine underwent six months bottle ageing at a controlled temperature of 15ºC prior to release.

Despite its southerly location, Vidígueira is one of the cooler Alentejo sub-regions and benefits from cool Atlantic air funnelled inland from the coast by a gap in the surrounding mountains. The vineyards are planted on rolling hills and 12 different soil types have been identified with a predominance of limestone, which controls vine vigour and lends elegance to the wines. Precision viticulture is carried out on the estate and each grape variety has been matched to its ideal plot. All of the Herdade do Peso vineyards are sustainably farmed and the on-site reservoir provides much-needed water to irrigate the vineyards during the warm Alentejo summers.

Herdade do Peso is situated in the southerly Alentejo sub-region of Vidígueira and was purchased by the Guedes family in 1996. The estate covers a total of 457 hectares, with 120 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyard, olive trees over 1,000 years old and an on-site reservoir. The talented Luís Cabral de Almeida is at the winemaking helm. He believes that “the oenologists primary role is to interpret nature” and makes expressive and generous wines that reflect the unique sense of place of this spectacular estate.