Time to revisit my all-time favourite wine producing country, Portugal. It’s the varietals, styles, flavours and techniques that continue to interest me more than any other country in the world. My wine of the week is from a grower located in the Alentejo region in the very south of the country. Herdade Sao Miguel Tinto (£13) is a classic and a wine that really opened my eyes to the brilliance of what this region and country can offer. A complex blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon. That’s the thing with Portugal, they use varietals that most have never heard of but each come to party and show exactly why they have to be there.
A modern Alentejo classic. The last three vintages of this wine have been on fire, with beautifully defined dark fruit (there always seems to be a generous lick of cassis in this wine, even when the Cabernet component is actually quite modest), just a frame of toasty oak (although that roasted Alentejo character amalgamates with that too), and just enough Alicante crunch to keep it all fresh and energetic. If it all sounds a bit baffling or you’re just not 100% sure about Portuguese wine, just pop in and ask, I’ll happily waffle away about a few examples.
