Quinto do Mouro 2017 Vinha de Mouro Tinto

The Wine

The wines of Portugal - what can I say? First and foremost, they offer really great value. But yes, their success in the US is hindered by the fact that their grape varieties are damned near impossible to pronounce and few Americans have ever heard of them! But this means the curious wine lover has access to some very interesting wins without spending a fortune.

This wine, for example combines deep, dark fruit notes with earthy undertones balanced by refreshing acidity. This wine has received high acclaim, with several vintages scoring 90+ points from those whose palates have been touched by God.

Still, a wine like this needs to be tasted, selected and then endorsed by our management team, then our whole crew needs to be educated, because there's no way around it - this wine requires an enthusiastic staff member who wants to share their latest discovery. Fortunately, we have a good supply of such people!

The Winery

Quinto de Mouro is a distinguished winery located near the town of Estremoz (pop 13,000), within Portugal's larger Alentejo region. The winery was established in 1979 by a dentist named Miguel Louro, who decided he preferred working in vineyards over people's mouths. Today the estate has become known for its traditional winemaking practices and its robust, character-driven wines that typify those from this region, often considered the pinnacle of Portugal's red wine regions.

Situated on an 80-acre estate, Quinta do Mouro is the exception in a region dominated by large-scale "Herdade" estates. Their vineyards are planted on schist-based soils (think Priorat) with no irrigation, forcing the vine's roots to grow deep into the earth in search of water and nutrients. This promotes low-yielding vines whose harvests produce fewer tons per acre, but with grapes that are very concentrated in their flavors.

Louro's farming approach is hands-on and minimalist, emphasizing manual harvesting, gentle foot treading of the grapes, and spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and aging in both Portuguese and French oak barrels. This methodology aims to preserve the essence of Estremoz's unique terroir