Mouchao Tinto 2016

Drink now or cellar for up to 7 years. Decant 1 hour before serving. This charming red is the flagship wine of Herdade do Mouchao, a historic Alentejo winery that produces some of the region’s finest wines from the popular local Alicante Bouschet grape. The story of Herdade do Mouchao began back in the 19th century when Thomas Reynolds moved to the region to work in the cork industry. It was his grandson, John Reynolds, who later purchased the estate and decided to start making wine from some of its 900 hectares of land. In 1974 the estate was confiscated by the military junta ruling Portugal at the time, and it was only in 1985 that the Reynolds family were able to regain control of their property. Today they have around 38 hectares of vineyards which are predominantly planted to Alicante Bouschet along with Aragonés, Trincaderia and Moreto, Touriga Nacional and Syrah. Their top bottling is composed of Alicante Bouschet along with a dash of Trincadeira. Once harvested the grapes are trodden by foot in large lagares or stone troughs in keeping with traditional local winemaking practices. The young wine is then aged in huge 5000 litre casks for 24 months followed by another 24-36 months of ageing in the bottle. This lengthy and complex process produces a rich yet elegant red wine which is bursting with cassis, dark cherry, plum and eucalyptus and black pepper notes. A great wine to keep in the cellar for a few more years or enjoy now alongside hearty red meat dishes.