Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto
I tasted this wine for the very first time at a lunch organized by Sogrape, at the Largo Restaurant, right in the heart of Lisbon’s Chiado.
By the hand of Chef Miguel Castro e Silva, we tasted several different dishes well harmonized with wines from Herdade do Peso (Peso Estate).
© Blend – All About Wine, Lda.
The motto for this meeting was precisely the presentation of this new wine from Alentejo and the table couldn’t have been better decorated. It was full of bonsai shaped corktrees that, at the end of the lunch, were kindly offered to the guests.
Like the table, the name and image of the wine couldn’t have been better.
The color orange reminds us of the light and warmth of the plains in Alentejo and the name “Trinca Bolotas” pays tribute to the traditional “boloteiro” pig (acorn eating pig), the sole survivor of Europe’s grazing pigs.
Cachaço de Porco – © Blend – All About Wine, Lda.
Sure enough, the chosen dish by Chef Miguel Castro e Silva to harmonize with Trinca Bolotas, was a tender and delicious pig nape. Excellent match!
According to Luís Cabral de Almeida, the winemaker now at the head of Herdade do Peso after spending 10 years at Finca Flinchman – a Sogrape estate as well and situated in Mendonza, Argentina – given its exceptional quality-price ratio (€ 5,99), this wine is a serious candidate to becoming this region´s winemaking ambassador.
This is in fact a wine made from grapes produced in accordance with the integrated production guidelines for sustainable agriculture, and we can easily predict its great commercial success.
Trinca Bolotas – Photo provided by Sogrape Vinhos, SA | All Rights Reserved
TRINCA BOLOTAS TINTO 2013 – DOC ALENTEJO
Actually this wine couldn’t be more from Alentejo! It does full justice to the region, in name, in image and also in its intrinsic characteristics. Made from the Alicante Bouschet (44%), Touriga Nacional (40%) and Aragonêz (16%) varieties, it aged in new French oak and Caucasian barrels for 6 months.
The charm of Alicante Bouschet made in Alentejo can be strongly felt in the color, in the volume and in the aromas of great quality black fruit. Touriga Nacional gives it its floral side and Aragonês closes the set with ripe red fruit aromas.
The mouth is quite fresh (yes, Vidigueira, even though many may disagree, is a heaven of freshness) and reveals also a good structure, the right acidity and tannins that, although present, are soft and very suited for the harmonization of this wine with different delicacies, such as the traditional and delicious meat dishes from Alentejo.
A wine that was missing from the Sogrape Vinhos Alentejo portfolio!
Trinca Bolotas. Da sua mesa vê-se o Alentejo | 2014 – (c) Sogrape Vinhos, SA
And because the best is always saved for last (at least I like to) here is a short video depicting the life of the Trinca Bolotas (and the pig itself!) in its natural habitat – the plains of Alentejo or better yet the Herdade do Peso.
Contacts
Herdade Do Peso E Anexas – Sociedade Agrícola, Lda.
Rua da Misericórdia 46
Site: www.herdadedopeso.pt
GWHenry
A recent rip to Portugal ,our first,introduced us to a wine we had never experienced. WE were amazed by the quality and price, the Trinca Bolatas was a favou..rite amongst many others. I reside in Scotland and would like to know where i can find the best selection of your wines.
Kind Regards George