4.5 Review: Esporão, Monte Velho Red
Regular readers of this site are probably aware of my appreciation for Portuguese wine. One driver of that appreciation is the quality to price ratio (QPR) for their wines, which tends to be very good. That catches the attention of a bargain hunter like me and makes me seek out more.
This wine comes from Herdade do Esporão in the Alentejo wine region, where they produce wine as well as olive oil and other produce. The name of this wine, Monte Velho, translates to mean “old mound” and is a reference to a high point on the estate where the Esporão Tower, illustrated on the label, resides.
Aragonez, or Tempranillo as it’s called outside of Portugal, accounts for 40% of the juice in this blend. Arogonez/tempranillo may add some plum characteristics to the wine, but it can be a fairly neutral part of a blend, which allows the characteristics of other grapes to shine. It’s followed closely by 35% Trincadeira, a native Portuguese grape which adds texture to the mouthfeel and floral aromatics. Touriga Nacional, another Portuguese grape, makes up another 20% of the blend, and likely adds blackberry flavors and structure to the wine. The blend is rounded out with 5% Syrah, which likely adds dark berry flavors and spices.
Tasting Notes
This wine is quite fruit forward on the nose, offering blackberry and plum aromas. But it’s not all fruit. Whiffs of violet and baking spices add complexity and intrigue. The mouthfeel, which is nice and silky, is the first thing to strike me about the palate. The flavors reflect tart red plums, blackberries and spices. The acidity is good and the finish relatively long. This is a great wine for the price.
Wine: Esporão, Monte Velho, Red
Varieties: 40% Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), 35% Trincadeira, 20% Touriga Nacional, 5% Syrah
Vintage: 2019
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Average price: $10.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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