Herdade Do Esporao Private Selection Red 2013
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Wine
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Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark berry fruits, mainly blackberries, mocha and dark chocolate notes, smoke and leather complexity. Deep and dense fruit on palate, creamy texture, good supporting tannin structure, long and persistent finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A lavish, full-bodied red, with polished tannins that encase plum tart and cherry coulis notes, focused by a beam of graphite and herb. Elements of olive, tea and baking spice sail into the espresso-tinged finish. Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez and Syrah. Drink now through 2025.
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Wine Enthusiast
A rich blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez and Syrah, this wine is ripe but still elegant. It is dense in color, almost black, with layers of dark fruits, structured tannins and a fine, juicy aftertaste. Drink this impressive wine from 2019.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Garrafeira Private Selection is a blend of 40% each of Aragonez and Alicante Bouschet, with most of the rest Syrah, aged for 12 to 18 months (depending on lot, presumably) in new French oak. It comes in at 14.6% alcohol. Smooth and a bit creamy on opening, it has an overlay of oak at the moment, but also the structure and concentration to absorb it. Sexy, fresh, aromatic and delicious, yet still possessed of some finesse and structure, it has ripe tannins and a long, blueberry-laced finish with notable length and grip. This is a beauty. You can approach it young, but it will hold pretty well, too. Sourced from Canto de Zé Cruz Vineyard (for the old-vines Aragonez, planted in 1980), Telheiro Vineyard (planted in 1998) and Palmeiras Vineyard (planted in 1996), there were 30,000 bottles produced.
Other Vintages
2016-
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Enthusiast
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Robert
Parker
Herdade do Esporão ("The Esporão Homestead") with nearly 700 hectares of organic vineyards and olive groves, proudly stands as the largest organic estate in Portugal. Located in the Alentejo’s, Reguengos Sub-Region, Herdade do Esporão produces full-bodied yet elegant wines that are rounded and seductive, due to the combination of poor, stony soils, and a dramatic climate. It is here, that Alentejo wines are most balanced, whilst powerful, appealing, lively and with good aging potential.
Herdade do Esporão boasts a rich history, with its boundaries that have remained unchanged since the year 1267. The winery is often represented by the iconic white tower, built in the 1400's which stands a symbol of the historical shift from Mid-evil to Modern times in Portugal. Today, Herdade do Esporão remains under the ownership of the Roquette family. Together, both family and estate represent a winery that is founded on sustainability and organic agricultural practices. These practices reflect a commitment to making the finest products that nature provides in a responsible and inspiring way.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Responsible for a majority of Portugal’s fine wine production—and over half of the world’s cork production—Alentejo represents a major force in Portugal’s wine industry. This southern Portugese region is characterized by stretches of rolling plains and vineyards dotted with majestic cork oaks. Access to land enables the farmers of Alentejo to produce wines in great economies of scale, without compromising quality, compared to those regions to the north. The region of Alentejo indeed covers a third of the country.
Its classified (DOP) wines must come from one of eight subregions, where elevations are a bit higher, air cooler and less fertile soils are perfect for vines. The optimal regions are Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Granja-Amareleja, Vidigueira, Evora and Moura. Alentejo is not without the conveniences of modern winemaking as well. Irrigation supplements low rainfall and temperature control in the winery assures high quality wines.
The potential of the area has attracted many producers and its wine production continues to grow. Alentejo’s charming, fruit-forward wines have naturally led to local and global popularity.
White wines tend to be blends of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto. However, in growing proportions, the white grapes Verdelho, Alvarinho and Viognier have been enjoying success. But red varieties actually exceed whites in Alentejo. Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Castelão grapes blend well together and are responsible for most of the Alentejo reds.