New Life in the Alentejo

25-Apr-11 - Wines from the north of Portugal - particularly the Douro - are now widely accepted as world class, as a new generation has explored new techniques in terms of viticulture, winemaking and ageing. The wood-heavy, semi-oxidised wines of the past have given way to bright, fresh wines with real depth, fruit and length, and the Touriga Nacional has been recognised for what it is - a world-class all-rounder for red wines as well as for Port.

Meanwhile, the rest of Portugal has been waking up, too, and nowhere more so than the Alentejo, which is a vast area stretching along the eastern border from Castelo Branco to the Algarve. On my first visit, about 20 years ago, the region was known only for everyday wines, mainly made by co-operatives, and mostly in the 'cheap and cheerful' category. The land tends to be fairly low in altitude and blazing hot in summer, which doesn't augur well for finer quality wines. Or, at least, it didn't. Recent developments have shown an increasing number of interesting wines coming out of this parched landscape: my wine-writing colleague Richard Mayson bought an ailing estate called Quinta do Centro in Reguengo, and he was quick to point out that there are highland places in the Alentejo - in his case about 560 metres. He has rejuvenated the quinta since taking over: I have yet to visit but am looking forward to it.

Another newcomer is Herdade do Rocim, between Vidiguera and Cuba, in the middle-south of the region. It was founded in 2000 and boasts a spanking new bodega and 60 ha of vines, with about 20 ha of old-vines Aragonez (Tempranillo in these parts, and not to be confused with the Spanish Aragonés, which is the Garnacha) and Trincadeira and the white Antão Vaz. The new owners planted the rest of the vineyard with Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet (Garnacha Tintorera), Syrah and Cabernet-Sauvignon plus the white Arinto and Alvarinho. The wines are classified as Vinho Regional Alentejano. The name of the adega means 'the nag estate' which presumably relates to a history of old horses, and one of the brand names is Olho de Mocho, which translates as 'Owl's Eye'. Make of that what you will.

They sent me four samples, a white, a pink and two reds:

2009 Olho de Mocho branco reserva - €12.00 - 13.5% - Antão Vaz. Very nice herby fruit, some weight and a 'grown-up' style of 'apple pie' fruit on the mid palate, with a long, dry finish. 17/20

2009 Olho de Mocho rosé - €8.00 - 14% - Touriga Nacional/Syrah/Aragonez. A good, 'meaty' rose thanks to the Touriga, with a hint of spice from the Syrah, completely dry, delicious. 17/20

2007 Rocim tinto - €8.50 - 14% - Aragonez/Trincadeira/Alicante Bouschet. This has real weight, class and style, with good fruit on the mid and soft tannins working well. Needs another year. 17/20

2008 Olho de Mocho tinto reserva - €18.00 - Syrah/Touriga Nacional/Alicante Bouschet. This has a dark, brooding fruit on the nose with hints of new French oak, and rich berry-fruits on the mid with tannins in strategic balance. This will be a blockbuster in a couple of years. 18/20

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