This Portuguese star was awarded a coveted Platinum medal at last year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. Hailed for its polish, suaveness and character, this comes from the warm south of Portugal and blends local alicante bouschet (which brings intense colour with a hint of spice), touriga nacional (which adds a deep purple hue and floral fragrance) and aragonez (tempanillo, bringing soft, rich fruit to the palate). Smooth, plump, generous and perfectly ready to enjoy.
Herdade do Peso comprises 457 hectares in Vidígueira, a sub-region Alentejo, of which 160 hectares are planted under vine. Their vineyards sit against a backdrop of gently rolling hills and the new eco-friendly winery boasts an on-site reservoir and remarkable olive groves which date back to Roman times.
Despite its southerly location, Vidígueira is one of the cooler Alentejo sub-regions and benefits from cool Atlantic air funnelled inland by a gap in the coastal hills. Just eight hectares of the estate are planted with white grape varieties, as indigenous, red Portuguese varieties are favoured.
Herdade do Peso’s talented winemaker, Luís Cabral de Almeida is very involved in managing the Herdade do Peso vineyards and believes that “the oenologist’s primary role is to interpret nature”. The wines of Herdade do Peso reflect Vidígueira’s unique sense of place, being exuberant, ripe and generous, yet kept in balance by refreshing acidity.
‘Trinca Bolotas’, which translates to ‘acorn muncher’, is a nod to the acorn-eating Iberian black pigs native to the Alentejo region. An unoaked blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Alentejo’s infamous teinturier grape Alicante Bouschet, it is bursting with ripe and juicy blackberry, black cherry and plum flavours.
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed, gently crushed and underwent a cold soak on the skins for three to four days prior to fermentation to extract aromatics and colour. Fermentation with gentle pumping over took place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 26ºC to preserve the fruit flavours and extract smooth tannins. Unoaked, the wine was kept in stainless-steel tanks for six months following malolactic fermentation and was lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling.
The Trinca Bolotas is ruby red in colour. On the nose, there are vibrant aromas of ripe and juicy blackberries, red and black cherries and plums. On the palate it is well-balanced, with smooth tannins and a refreshing acidity. A perfect food wine with excellent structure and a lingering finish.
