Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Amidst the vast Alentejo region, between the towns of Estremoz and Vimieiro and right by national road N4, Herdade das Servas takes up a large piece of land, mostly filled with its vineyards.

Twenty-two white and red grape varieties, national and imported, comprise the 540 acres of vineyards. The latter are divided into four separate vineyards. They were originally planted by the Serrano Mira family and are still kept in the family after several generations.

Modern Vineyards – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Budding Vineyards – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Modern, well-guided vineyards, using the drop-by-drop watering system, they are well presented and we got to see them budding.

Also on the same land are the headquarters, the shop and a modern restaurant, already in full-speed.

And, of course, the cellar, lately expanding due to the pressing need to make wine out of more grapes in the last few years.

This cellar is very well-equipped, with the latest temperature-control technology  and stainless steel reservoirs, where they firstly ferment and then age most wines. This happens after the grapes are carefully selected when they first arrive in the cellar, from the end of August.

Also in the cellar, there is a room with casks; very cool and with stable temperature, where the great reds from Servas rest before bottling.

On another note, a few years ago, Herdade das Servas bottled and launched a red wine from the 2006 harvest in partnership with the Amália Rodrigues Foundation. This red wine is called Amália, paying tribute to the great diva of Fado.

In the new restaurant, of very well decorated beautiful facilities – somewhat luxuriously even – we had a meal of Alentejo scents and flavours, as you do, in the company of Luís Mira, oenologist and owner, and Tiago Garcia, resident oenologist.

Two siblings, who know their way round this business, manage this restaurant, which despite being inside the farm grounds is open to the general public. She manages the kitchen and he takes care of the room. Tables excellently set and remarkable staff help make this a relaxed meal, leaving us to enjoy the food and wines in our own time.

Alentejo Bread – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Butter And Butter With Chorizo – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Delicious Alentejo bread was always present – to enjoy with normal butter or butter with chouriço; on the side, a delicious black pork paio (smoked sausage with garlic, sweet pepper and white wine).

Then came the Farinheira Puffs (farinheira is pork sausage made with flour and spices), toasty and tasty, better known as papa ratos/”mouse eaters”.

 

Representing Alentejo mushrooms were the sautéed túberas (truffles) in olive oil and garlic and the huge stuffed silarcas (Amanita family) – very good.

Huge Stuffed Silarcas – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Main Dishes – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

As for main dishes, we ate breaded small ribs of steer, quail pie, the typical pork feet in coriander sauce and a beautifully oven-roasted steer with a side of fried potato slices or chips (both styles were excellent) and mouth-watering asparagus crumbs.

Quail Pie – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Oven-Roasted Steer – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The meal ended with simplicity and good taste – a delicious “pêra bêbeda”, or drunk pear (cooked with red wine and port).

One of the restaurant’s bets is to have only Herdade das Servas wines on the menu, which is perfectly understandable.

During this beautiful meal, we firstly tasted the 2014 white Monte das Servas Escolha (Selection), a young yet lived wine, fresh and elegant, bold, of great acidity and balanced white fruits, and served fresh. It performed very well.

Then, we started on the reds, with 2012 Herdade das Servas Colheita Selecionada (Selected Harvest), a modern Alentejo wine – fresh, good notes of red fruits, clean, very round tannin – ideal with food.

We finished with another red, Herdade das Servas Reserva of the 2011 harvest, a serious wine, full of elegance, a little complex in the nose, some intense notes of dark fruits, very balanced acidity, excellent volume in the mouth and a long ending, further extending the pleasure in this wine.

There was still time to relive the memory of a very typical digestive drink in Alentejo, along with an espresso – Poejo liqueur…

And so we left, longing to return soon.

Contacts
SERRANO MIRA SA
Herdade das Servas
Apartado 286
7101-909 Estremoz -Portugal
Tel: (+351) 268 322 949
Fax: (+351) 268 339 420
E-mail: info@herdadedasservas.com or restaurante@herdadedasservas.com
Website: www.herdadedasservas.com