Velvet black fruit Alicante plays a minor role in many of Portugal’s reds, but José Neiva Correia decided to give it centre stage. Madness, some thought, but 21 Golds over seven vintages prove him right.
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Fans of smooth, mouthfilling wines take note – this is a sure contender for the Big Red crown, with hundreds of 5-star reviews. A delicious blend of Portuguese grapes from a former royal falconry, it has lovely warmth, richness and spicy fruit.
Wine Spectator calls Portugal “the most exciting wine place on the planet”, with its terrific range of native grape varieties and wines that always offer standout value. The rich, mouthfilling Lobo e Falcão fits firmly in that category. It’s made at a 17th century estate owned by the Lobo de Vasconcelos family, once the location of the king’s falconry. Special barrels of wine were kept for the king when he visited. Today, talented winemaker Joana Lopes makes this red specially for us, blending Syrah with Portugal’s exciting native grapes. Previously awarded a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Award, the 2021 has lovely intensity of flavour due to another dry year. Generous wild berry fruit and spice with a velvet texture – a very moreish red.
Today it is famous for breeding Lusitano dressage horses – and, of course, its very fine wine.
Lobo e Falcão Centenário Grande Reserva 2020 comes from José's secret tiny vineyard. It’s his ancient‘illegal’vineyard of 100-year-old – and even older – vines.‘Illegal’because the authorities argue that these old vines should not have the right to the Tejo denomination … simply because the vines are planted amidst equally ancient olive trees. But José refuses to stop making it. One taste will show you why! Just like the old days, the grapes are hand-picked and trodden by foot in the cellar's traditional old‘lagars’(stone troughs). Lavishly dense with velvety black fruits, dark chocolate and spice on a long, sumptuous finish, It’s absolutely spectacular
Can you imagine buying 1,008 bottles of wine in one year? That’s 200 gallons to be exact – the same amount that each American household was allowed to make for ‘personal use’ during Prohibition. And the go-to grape during this DIY time wasn’t Cabernet or Merlot, it was the bold and juicy Alicante Bouschet - widely planted in California but originally from Portugal.
Today, award-winning winemaker Jamie Quendera has crafted a mighty, Reserva-quality red, from rare 100-year-old vines. And the unique twist? Jamie aged the wine for 12 months in custom double casks. The top and bottom are French oak (imparting subtle spice) while the long side planks are American (for vanilla notes). The result is an ultra-smooth, cherry-ripe, well-spiced drop!
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