4.5 Review: Herdade de São Miguel, Colheita Seleccionada
Recently, I’ve been focusing on red blends from Portugal — and more specifically, the Alentejo region of Portugal. The wine I’m highlighting today, Herdade de São Miguel, Colheita Seleccionada, continues that theme.
Some of the best wine in the world comes from vineyards in areas you might not think are great for agriculture, unless you know about growing grapes for wine. Many winemakers say the vines need to struggle to create great wine. I don’t know if they truly struggle, but a lot of vineyards are located in hot, dry regions — where vine roots grow deep in search of water, producers can control how much water they provide the vines (when irrigated), the sun provides plenty of opportunity for ripening and the dry conditions help control pests. This is pretty much how things are in Alentejo — hot and dry.
That’s not to say it’s easy to grow grapes in these regions. Quite the opposite. Producers need to know how to work with these conditions. For example, Herdade de São Miguel harvested the grapes for this wine at night to avoid the hot sun during harvest. This particular vintage comes from the third consecutive year of drought in Alentejo. The clay and schist soil where this vineyard is located, is conducive to maintaining productivity from the wines in such conditions.
The blend of grape varieties in this wine includes both native Portuguese grapes and international varieties. It’s made from 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Nacional, 10% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tasting Notes
Herbs and spices are the first things I notice on the nose of this wine, with cedar, mint and black pepper aromatics. Fruit aromas, like red raspberry and red plum, are also present. On the palate, it delivers bright cherry, raspberry and plum flavors along with a touch of spice. I’d call the body of the wine medium plus — it’s not a huge wine, but it’s bolder than what I’d typically characterize as medium-bodied. The mouthfeel is nice and the acidity is sufficient. The finish is fairly long, with raspberry and cherry flavors.
Wine: Herdade de São Miguel, Colheita Seleccionada
Varieties: 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Nacional, 10% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2017
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $15.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
What others say about this wine:
Video review from Wine World T.V.
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