Marques de Montemor Tinto 2004, Vinho Regional Alentejano

Colour: dark red with purple.
Nose: very expressive, sweet, juicy, young, jammy and ripe fruit (strawberries, brambles), raisins, some spices, some reduction, not deep or complex, very straight forward and young fruity in an exotic and sun baked Beaujolais style.
Taste: initially very soft and round, nearly sweet because of its high alcohol content, subjectively low acidity and ripe and mild fruit, loads of jammy fruit (strawberries, brambles) and spice (nutmeg, cinnamon), but also some piquant tannins and a touch of liquorice, quite loose, velvety structure with a rustic twist.  
Finish: not long, with initial sweetness followed by rustic tannins, some acidity and loads and loads of ripe, jammy fruit, and strong spices (nutmeg, cinnamon).

* Richness, loads of sweet ripe, young, juicy, jammy fruit with spices, very soft and round body, with a piquant tannin structure shining through together with impressions of liquorice. Clearly originating from sun drenched vineyards and Portuguese grape varieties, an exotic and sun baked Beaujolais style.

- Can be drunk now, will keep up to 2006.

- Modern style wine, produced with rotary fermentors, fruit and juiciness clearly have been the key objectives in the production of this wine. A Beaujolais like upfront fruitiness in combination with the originally Portuguese exotic and spicy fruit from the Trincadeira, Aragonez and Touriga Nacional grapes. The Aragonez is also known as Tempranillo in Spain, but the others are typically Portuguese grape varieties. This gives this wine a specific character that is quite unique for Portuguese wines. Some may find this wine lacking in intensity, compactness and freshness, but I believe most of the consumers of today will like this wine very much. As a bonus it is not at all expensive. How this wine will develop is difficult to predict, I guess it will become quite soon less easy fruity and grow more earthy and animal in style, also the body might loose some of its initial volume and roundness.  

- lotnr.: L 1008

- tasted: 08-03-’05, same bottle after one week: less body, more earthy nuances, but still very attractive.

- estimated retail price ca. 5,50 euro

- average production: not known
 

- Export agent: Vinko, Rua Candido dos Reis, 575, 4400-075 Villa Nova de Gaia, tel.: + 351-22 377 33 30 / fax.: + 351-22-375 37 35 / e-mail:  vinko@vinkowines.com / web site: www.vinkowines.com