Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

This exemplary rural unit is located in the Alentejo interior, south of Beja, and it belongs to a German group.

In Albernoa, the Philosophy consists in combining a typical Alentejo hotel with a rural environment, where ecological care is a priority.

Firstly, the very beautiful lake gathers the perfect conditions for Ornithology. This unit produces many different goods, and wine is one of the best, its wines constantly earning awards across the world. They are produced from very good quality grapes covering about 170 acres of vineyards, white and red.

Much more is produced here, such as herbs, vegetables and fruit, which grow all year in a bio regime, and are mostly consumed in both hotels: Alentejo and Algarve.

Cattle are another great produce, comprising cows, goats and pigs, whose meats are widely consumed in the group’s restaurants.

The jumping horses are another of the land’s ventures, some of them being thorough-breed, and claiming excellent results internationally. Furthermore, the company produces a very high quality olive oil, jam, honey and several biscuits.

The Cellar – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The Cellar – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The cellar operates in the main building. It was built from scratch and includes all the modern technical facilities for producing quality wine. This has been achieved continuously, also thanks to the leader of the entire team (not only dedicated to wine), Luís Duarte, one of the most awarded Portuguese oenologists. He has vast experience producing wines throughout Alentejo, and in the hotel he is also the Manager. Rigour seems to be the watchword, with every member’s tasks and responsibilities well outlined. Luís Duarte has succeeded in putting a clearly winner team together. The results speak for themselves.

All Herdade dos Grous wines belong to this brand, maintaining a sober image, which has grown on customers. Only its label’s colours change and, of course, the year of the harvests. On this visit, we tasted six superb wines with a delicious meal.

The 2014 White proved very refreshing and young, with beautiful acidity, some fruit in the nose, and the wine quickly fading out of the glasses.

The 2013 White Reserva revealed a lot of elegance, soft woody notes, some freshness, very soft – quite velvety. To be drunk slightly less cooled – a beautiful wine.

The first red, Herdade dos Grous 2013, was solid, with a lot of ripe fruit, a lot of good acidity in the mouth, clean, round, a modern wine.

Then followed Moon harvested, also from 2013, with good aromas of very ripe fruit, complex but very soft spicy and woody scents, beautiful volume in the mouth, consistent and full of elegance, with a very lasting finish.

23 Barricas, of 2013, is made with Touriga Nacional and Syrah; a very structured wine, with good character and a complex but fascinating and slightly floral nose. In the mouth, it has volume, excellent acidity, a lot of dark fruit; it is lightly austere, deep, and with a never-ending finish.

By the end of the meal, 2012 Colheita Tardia slipped into our glasses. Here, they prepare it with the Petit Manseng variety. Its grapes were injected with “Botritis Cinerea”, to create the necessary features for a very special wine. Where sweetness is strong, it is compensated with amazing acidity and somewhere in-between are complex spicy aromas, notes of honey, jam and ginger. However, everything is very balanced, and served cool. Delicious!

The Meal Started With.. – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Cured Chease Paiola Paio From The Neck – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The meal, in the vineyard’s restaurant, started with bread from the region, olives, two different pates, normal butter and butter with herbs, tuna with black-eyed beans, cod with chick-peas, cured chease, paiola, paio (spicy pork sausage) from the neck and, of course, olive oil from the land in which to dip bread.

The Meats – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The Meats – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

After some scrambled eggs with wild asparagus came the meats from the land: lamb, black Iberian pork and Alentejo beef. They had been grilled only in salt, and served with a side of (literally) punched potatoes and sautéed vegetables, all local produce.

The mix of Alentejo sweets disarmed us all!

Outside, the peaceful Alentejo plane still reigned…

Contacts
Herdade dos Grous
Albernôa 7800-601
Beja, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 284 960 000
Fax: (+351) 284 960 072
E-mail: herdadedosgrous@herdadedosgrous.pt
Website: www.herdadedosgrous.com