Exploring Portugal’s Tejo wine region (2) Pedro Sereno and Marquês de Tomar
Pedro Sereno represents the new face of Tejo. He’s making relatively small quantities of terroir-focused wines from the Tomar in the north of the region, which is unique because of its schist-based soils. This is the transition zone, where the Tejo ends, and it’s marked by the presence of a large lake, a small mountain, and these schistous soils.
His family owned a wine company for 20 years, and then three years ago sold it. So Pedro started out on his own, in a rebuilt winery of his great grandfather. The focus is on old vineyards in the Serra de Tomar. Marques de Tomar is the main brand with Superior (30 year old vines) and Reserva (50+ year old vines) bottlings, and then also wines under the Pedro Sereno name for small quantities of wines from very old vines.
One of the jewels in the Pedro Sereno crown is a small high-density-planted (10 000 vines/hectare) vineyard of Alvarinho and Encruzado planted in the late 1990s. This had become abandoned for eight years, and three years ago he rebuilt it. It had become a jungle, but now it’s back on form and making very nice wine.
THE WINES
Pedro Sereno Alvarinho Encruzado 2021 Tejo
13% alcohol. Fermented and matured in 60% 500 litre French oak barrels and 40% stainless steel. Clay/limestone soils. A tense, brisk, stony wine with lovely mineral notes as well as wet stone and lime, and lovely acidity. Very linear with good concentration. Such a pure, direct style with focus and freshness. So lemony and taut, this has lots of potential. 93/100
Pedro Sereno Vinhas Velhas Branco 2020 Tejo
13% alcohol. A blend of Fernão Pires and Bical from schist soils, with a pH of 3.1 and a TA of 8 g/l. 60% in 500 litre barrels, 40% in stainless steel. Juicy, lively, stony and mineral with delicate lime and lemon fruit. There’s a hint of mandarin and some green herbal notes. Taut, with good acidity, and lots of potential. 94/100
Marquês de Tomar Reserva Branco 2020 Tejo
13% alcohol. This is Arinto, Bical and Fernão Pires, 35-40 years old, grown on schist. 40% aged in 500 litre oak. Lively, focused and crisp with citrus and pear fruit, as well as a lively acid line. Nice purity and intensity here with a saline twist on the finish. 93/100
Marquês de Tomar Reserva Tinto 2020 Tejo
14% alcohol. Trincadeira, Baga, Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet, from schist soils. This is sweetly fruited with black cherry and blackberry fruit with olive and some nice graininess, as well as some wood spice. There’s some liqueur-like plum character, and also some freshnes. Great balance and personality to this with texture and also structure. 93/100
Pedro Sereno Vinhas Velhas Tinto 2020 Tejo
14% alcohol. 90 year old Trincadeira, Baga and Castelão on schist. Concentrated refined black cherry and blackberry fruit with lovely definition. There’s a taut saline quality here with some structure as well as lush fruit, showing a hint of olive and a subtle lift. 94/100
- INTRODUCING THE REGION
- PEDRO SERENO
- CASAL DE COELHEIRO
- QUINTA DO CASAL MONTEIRO
- A LARGE TASTING OF TEJO WINES
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