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Portugal's
Alentejo
Part
8:
Adega de Cartuxa
 Do you know the first wine that really switched me on
to Portuguese wines? It was back in the February 1999, when my
wife bought a surprise bottle home from Bentalls in Kingston,
which at the time had one of the best Portuguese ranges. It was
the 1995 Cartuxa, and with its complex, silky, slightly funky
fruit it had me hooked. This was when I decided to go track
Portuguese wines closely.
So it was with great anticipation that we embarked on
the last visit of this Alentejo trip to Adega de Cartuxa, and it
was a big shame that we got such an indifferent reception. We had
to wait for ages – it seemed that no one was able to receive us
and that our appointment had fallen somewhere between the cracks.
And then we got a pretty rapid fire tour and tasting. But at least
the wines showed well.
The Adega was founded in 1896, and refurbished in the
1950s by Eugenio de Almeida. He’s the dude who the Foundation,
Fundaçio de Eugenio de Almeida, is named after. As far as I could
work out this is a Catholic convent that is involved in various
agricultural projects. Altogether there’s an impressive 300
hectares of vineyards. 1.7 million bottles are produced each year,
with 26% of them being exported. The current winery has been used
as a winery since 1798 (which pre-dates Cartuxa, therefore), and
was originally a Jesuit rest house.
Cerca Nova 2004 Branco
This is a new brand, a second wine. Blend of Roupeiro, Arinto
and Antao Vaz. Fresh, tight, bright fruity nose leads to crisp
palate with some mineraliness and good acid. Very good+ 87/100
 Pera Manca Branco 2002
This is the white sister wine to the iconic red Pera Manca,
and it is a blend of Arinto and Antao Vaz. No oak is used, ad it
is kept for a year at 6 °C after fermentation finishes. The nose
is slightly shy with some subtle herby notes. The palate is full,
rich and slightly herby with nice texture and some straw-like
notes. Nicely poised. Very good+ 89/100
EA Tinto 2004
Lovely vivid bright red and black fruits dominate the nose,
with some cherryish character and a savoury streak. The palate is
vivid and juicy with nice supple fruit. Quite primary: a
midweight, fruit-dominated drinker. Very good+ 88/100
Cerca Nova 2004
Smooth dark fruits nose with a chocolatey edge. The palate is
quite full with a spicy chocolatey edge to the vivid fruit. Tasty
and rich. Very good+ 88/100
 Foral
de Evora Tinto 2003
Fantastic bright nose of vivid raspberry and blackcurrant
fruit. Really delicious and appealing. The palate is juicy and
rich with a lovely freshness and some spicy structure. Finishes
with drying tannins but it is a delicious drop now. Very
good/excellent 90/100
Cartuxa 2001
A quarter of a million bottles made of this wine, which is the
top of the portfolio, except in years when either the iconic Pera
Manca is made or when an intermediary wine, the Cartuxa Reserva,
is released. A slightly faded colour, this has an appealing
savoury nose with some spicy warmth. The palate shows a bit of
evolution but with lovely earthy spiciness. It’s rounded and
warm with good structure and nice length. A satisfying wine in a
rather old-fashioned style. Very good/excellent 92/100
Availability in UK: agent is Raymond Reynolds, and
the wines are stocked by a range of independents.
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