More rain to fill the barragem for summer irrigation
At last some heavy rain but not enough to make up for the autumn and winter shortfall. We are going to need plenty more rain to fill the barragem for summer irrigation of the younger vines.
My Vineyard Blog February 2008
Could it be that we will win ‘revelation of the year’?
To Santarém for the Revista de Vinhos Melhores do Ano dinner. I take the train from Portalegre. The single track railway crosses the northern Alentejo plain then snakes alongside the Tagus. I have to change trains at Entroncamento (Portugal’s answer to England’s Crewe). The journey takes me takes nearly three hours but costs only €9! Revista de Vinhos is Portugal’s leading wine magazine and the melhores do ano is like the Decanter World Wine Awards.
We spend the morning tasting
We spend the morning tasting the 2006 with the intention of making up the final lote for bottling in the spring. The wines have plenty of fresh, crunchy fruit but some vats are slightly lacking in structure compared to 2005. However by excluding some of the Trincadeira from the blend we come up with something very similar in style to the 05: opulent (reflecting the warmth of the vintage) with plenty of vibrant, spicy fruit, tempered slightly by well integrated oak. I think we have something we can be proud of.
Early spring in the Serra
Early spring in the Serra. The mimosa looks spectacular against the clear blue sky. A cold wind blows off from the mountains taking the temperature down to 4oC. But the sun has some warmth in it and we manage to lunch outside at Tomba Lobos restaurant.