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Esporão Reserva red 2019: a wine with a story, and now certified organic 19/01/2022
More than 30 years after launching the first Reserva, we now present the 2019 vintage of Esporão Reserva Red, the first with organic certification. This vintage is a continuation of the story of a rich and iconic wine, consummating the work of the last 12 years to convert Herdade do Esporão’s vineyards to organic production.
Esporão Reserva was the first wine produced by Esporão, resulting from a unique combination of the different characteristics of the grape varieties and soils, the maturity of the vines and the people who have crafted this wine in a
consistent manner throughout the years. According to the winemaker Sandra Alves, “Esporão Reserva Red is a landmark in our history. Over the years, we have always sought to innovate, grow, look at our land, always with respect for Nature. This wine is a classic produced solely from grapes grown in our vineyards, grapes that grow in our vineyards under organic production methods. This wine is rich, intense and always harmonious”.
Originating from granite soils that transition to schist with a clay/loam structure, Esporão Reserva Red 2019 results from vinifying each grape variety separately, in concrete tanks and small marble basins, at controlled temperatures. Aged in American and French oak barrels for 12 months.
Produced from a blend of the Aragonez, Trincadeira, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet grape varieties, this red wine offers notes of blackberries, nutmeg, liquorice and a hint of black pepper. Featuring an intense ruby colour, this wine is rich and complex on the palate, where notes of ripe black fruit and spices predominate. A long finish.
In 2019, temperatures in the spring and early summer were high, leading to considerable phenological development of the vines and causing the harvest to begin 2 weeks earlier than the year before. Temperatures in the summer were lower than usual, enabling a constant and homogenous ripening, creating the ideal conditions to produce excellent raw material.
The label of the new Esporão Reserva Red is illustrated by Jorge Queiroz. This initiative maintains the tradition of inviting an artist every year to enrich and customise the labels of each vintage, and we have had the privilege of enjoying the talent and generosity of more than 30 Portuguese artists, as well as 1 Brazilian, 1 Dutch and 2 Angolan artists.