Dona Maria - Red, Alentejo, Portugal (2020)

TASTING NOTES

Move over California. Smooth and velvety with complex red berries, toasted and ripe plums. Persistent, balanced & rounded. 

Harvest is done by hand in case of 15kg in the early morning to preserve the freshness of the grape. Fermented in stainless steal vats at a controlled temperature and aged for 4 months.

Ask anyone in Portugal who is the most respected, but somehow still under the radar producer...and they'll 9 times out of 10 name Júlio Tassara de Bastos. His family property, located near Estremoz, is Quinta de Carmo. While wine has been made for a long time here, it’s only since the late 1980s that its wines have achieved international acclaim, under the direction of Júlio.

In 1992, he sold 50% of Quinta do Carmo to Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), but Julio later ended up selling his stake to return to his own operation. While he still owned Quinta do Carmo itself, he was no longer able to use the name. So he started a new operation, Dona Maria.

Hi ancestors were responsible for introducing Alicante Bouschet to Portugal and much of his red hectares are devoted to this grape. 

The ancient estate winery has been restored, keeping the 19th century marble “lagares” where selected grapes are vinified using the traditional foot treading method.