Highlights: Cartuxa Tinto Colheita 2020 Alentejo, Portugal
Website: https://www.cartuxa.pt/en/
I had this wine one evening last week when I was lecturing at the university in Vila Real. It’s a wine I have a lot of affection for – drinking a bottle many years ago I suddenly realized that Portuguese wines could be really amazing!
Cartuxa Tinto Colheita 2020 Alentejo, Portugal
14.5% alcohol. This is a blend, including Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and other varieties from the vineyards of the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation. Destemmed grapes are crushed then fermented in stainless steel, then aged a year in a mix of tank and barrel. This is a vivid, rich, but balanced red wine from the Alentejo, showing bold, spice-edge blackberry and raspberry fruit with nice structure and some fresh acidity under the ripe fruit. It’s classy and intense, with some notes of tar and dried herbs as well as sleek but not over-ripe fruit. There’s potential for ageing here, even though the alcohol is quite high. 93/100
