Susana Esteban on why Alentejo makes as good wines as the Douro, plus her new label

2011 was quite a year for Alentejo-based winemaker Susana Esteban. She was voted Revista de Vinhos’ 2011 Winemaker of the Year for her work at Monte dos Cabaços, Tiago Cabaço, Azamor and Solar dos Lobos.  She also made the first wine under her own eponymous label.

I got a sneak preview of Esteban’s fledging Procura red (pictured) when we caught up in November. In Bairrada last week she told me about more wines in the pipeline – Aventura, the junior wine to Procura and Crochet, a Douro red joint venture with Wine & Soul’s Sandra Tavares da Silva.

In fact the Galician born winemaker’s Portuguese adventures started in the Douro (at Quintas do Cotto then Crasto).  She moved south following her marriage to wine writer Rui Falcão and admits, “when I moved to Alentejo, I never thought I could make serious red wines like in Douro.”

However, Esteban was surprised to discover that, not only can “Alentejo make as good wines as the Douro,” but also that it has the edge over the Douro when it comes to young vineyards.  Referring to Solar dos Lobos Grande Escolha 2007 (which was sourced from a three year old vineyard) she points out, “I never made such a good wine from young vines in Douro.”  It’s a precociousness which, she says, stems from finding the right vineyards, varieties and low cropped vines, hence the name Procura, which means quest.

In Alentejo’s warm, dry climate, Esteban has homed in on cooler microclimates, which are well suited to her elegant style.  It’s why her label is sourced from hilly Estremoz (which, rising to around 380m, enjoys 10-15 degrees diurnal temperature variation) and the even cooler, higher Portalegre in the mountainous Serra de São Mamede.

As for varieties, Esteban has a clear favourite.  She reckons “all good wines are made with Alicante Bouschet” subject, she cautions, to low yields. While others crop as high as 20 tons/hectare, she says quality-focused producers like her aim to crop at around 3t/ha.  Cropped low, Esteban compares it to Touriga Franca in the Douro for its structure and acidity, which can be tamed in barrel, when it becomes soft, even velvety.  That said, even at 3t/ha she isn’t convinced of Alicante Bouschet from Portalegra – “it needs to be riper.” So her Alicante Bouschet is sourced from Estremoz where, because it’s higher, grapes ripen perhaps two to three weeks later than in Redonda.

In Portalegre, the apple of her eye is the region’s aged vineyards which, varietally, are field blends – a hotch potch of grapes, some more readily associated with more northerly regions, for example Baga.  A fan of co-fermenting in lagares since her Douro days, she observes it’s “like when cooking – the acidity of one [grape] helps another and you’re integrating it [the blend] from the beginning.”

Since 2012, the wines have been made in her own cellar – a former garage which she has equipped with an old Titan basket press (another reminder of her Port-making days), four small tanks, lagares and a refrigerated room for barrels and bottles. Procura red was aged in French oak barrels, 30% new, 70% ex-Wine & Soul.

Here is my note on Procura, followed by my pick of the bunch of those wines which Estaban makes for those other Alentejo producers I visited in November:

Susana Esteban Procura 2011 (sample)

Very deep in colour and very perfumed, with lovely violet lift.  In the mouth, the fruit is vibrant without being sweet and fleshy – for me, wild fruits of the forest and tight, perfumed bilberries.  The tannins are fine grained and the finish really long and rolling with present but graceful acidity.  You’d never guess it comes in at 14.5%.  Terrific potential – very much looking forward to tasting the final bottled wine!

Solar dos Lobos Vinho Branco 2011

Solar dos Lobos have been working hard on consumer friendly wines and packaging for their entry level wines.  This unoaked blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Arinto and Antão Vaz is fruity and has interest, with its leesy tang and lively green edge.  Good. 13%

Solar dos Lobos Reserva 2009

Though this oaked blend of Antão Vaz and Arinto is a little more typical of the region, neither Esteban nor manager Filipa Lobo da Silveira whose family own the estate are fans of oaky wine.  Says da Silveira, “we love to feel the fruit…it’s a generational thing.” Aged for just 4 months in barrel it shows ripe but vivid pineapple (think pina colada) and stone fruits cut with lemony acidity.  The oak lends a dash of star anise and honeycombe.  Well done.  14%

Solar dos Lobos Tinto 2011

The unoaked entry level bottled red is a well conceived fruity, easy drinking red with a bright, fresh fruity nose and oodles of raspberry and chocolate in the mouth.  14%

Solar dos Lobos Le Loup Noir Colheita Selecionada Red 2010

Bag-in-box from Portugal – I think my first!  The boxed Colheita is sweeter, softer and more velvety than the bottled Colheita (see below). It’s well packaged and well made smooth and fruity drinking – 2 litres for 10 euros. 14%

Solar dos Lobos Tinto Colheita Selecionada 2010

A step up in quality the Colheita spends 8 months in oak.  It’s drier, more serious in style yet approachable too with its smooth tannins and juicy briary chocolate-edged fruit.  Atrractive floral top notes too. Very good.  13.5%

Solar dos Lobos Touriga Nacional 2010

This is the maiden Touriga Nacional – just 3000 bottles were made.   It shows good varietal typicity with its floral nose and Turkish Delight palate; black and red fruits are supported by ripe but present tannins.   Good. 13.5%

Solar dos Lobos Reserva 2008

A well structured blend of Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional, whose sinewy backbone of tannin is fleshed out by ripe, juicy blackberry and cherry fruit; nice freshness and floral lift here, some liquorice spice too.  The finish is a touch chewy.  Would benefit from decanting/a couple more years in bottle.  14.5%

Solar dos Lobos Reserva 2009

While the 2009 has firm tannins, it seems more elegant – more flowing – than the 2008.  Promising.  14.5%

Solar dos Lobos Grande Escolha 2008

I found the 2007 a little green.  It was a cooler vintage than 2008, but also da Silveira told me that 2008 was the first time the grapes were tasted prior to harvest.  It shows.  This has darker, purer fruit than the 2007, lively and juicy with a menthol sage hint.  Bony tannins are firm and sinewy.  Well crafted; keep a couple of years before broaching.

Solar dos Lobos Grande Escolha 2009

Like the Reserva, seemingly more fluid/elegant, though there’s no shortage of power or concentration to the glossy, juicy black cherry and berry fruit fleshing out its firm backbone of tannin.  Finishes long and juicy with lovely floral lift.  Lots of potential.

Tiago Cabaço .com 2011

The clean, sweeping lines of Tiago Cabaço’s new arched cellar and his simple but effective labels reflect the contemporary style and ambition of this 30 year old.  Since starting out in 2004, he has fast made waves, first with two value-driven ranges – .com (from comere, to eat), then .beb (from beber, to drink), now .blog, his top wine, which scooped the top red of Alentejo award in 2009. Grapes are sourced from Cabaço’s father’s eclectic 80ha vineyard, so he has access to a wide range of grapes from varied terroir, albeit all in Estremoz.  Esteban says “we play a lot with blends and, with lots of small tanks, we start small then go bigger and bigger.”  In the UK, the wines are sold by Adnams. This best selling white blend of Roupeiro, Arinto, Antão Vaz, Viognier and Verdelho has freshness and body with stony fruit, a hint of sweet tangerine and lemony acidity.  Not one to keep but delivers good bang for buck.

Tiago Cabaço .beb 2011

Another eclectic blend, this time focused on Encruzado (which is more commonly associated with the Dão) and Viognier, An element of this wine sees a touch of oak, but it retains good vibrancy and freshness.  The Viognier jumps out with its stone fruits on nose and palate.  It’s well tempered by the Encruzado’s freshness and cooler tomato plant and mineral notes.  Very good.

Tiago Cabaço .beb Rosé 2011

Esteban says no-one want to use Touriga Nacional for rosés but, because it’s so floral and fresh, it works very well.  This Touriga Nacional/Syrah blend is creamy yet delicate with a floral thread and subtle red cherry and raspberry fruit, a touch of bergamot too.  Such is the fruit sweetness I’m surprised it’s only around 2g/l of residual sugar.  A very smooth, drinkable rosé. 13.5%

Tiago Cabaço .com 2011

A deeply coloured blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragones, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It shows a hint of tobacco/chicory on the nose and in the mouth, violets too, which are a neat counterfoil for its sweet mid-palate of raspberries and black cherries. Well made with interest.

Tiago Cabaço .beb 2010

Once again, mid-range .beb – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional – sees a little oak (3-4 year old barrels).  It’s a creamier, richer wine, though plenty juicy with its black berry, currant and cherry fruit.  Tangible tannins too, which bed the flavours/finish.  Good. 14%

Tiago Cabaço blog 2009

First produced in 2006, blog is sourced from specific parcels of Alicante Bouschet, Syrah & Touriga Nacional, which are handpicked and foot trodden in lagares. This Bordeaux-bottled super supple, elegantly crafted wine has long, very fine tannins and fresh but well-integrated acidity which tease out its exuberant ripe raspberry, plum, red fruits, black berry, black cherry fruit over a long finish.  Very suave of texture, with lovely floral lift (Esteban says the cellar always smells of flowers when they crush the Syrah which, she adds, performs very well in Estremoz). 14.5%

Tiago Cabaço blog 2009

Confusingly, Blog comes in two versions, this one in a Rhone-shaped bottle is a co-fermented blend of Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. It’s a very deep hue and as befits the bottle, much more exuberant and fleshy in style – sumptuous even, with its bold, seemingly riper fruit – more fruit compote with a dash of sweet vanilla spice. Though 15%, it’s still balanced though, for my personal taste, teeters towards overripe.

Tiago Cabaço blog 2010 (sample)

The Alicante Bouschet, Syrah & Touriga Nacional version shows plenty of ripe Touriga qualities, with its chocolate and bergamot edge to the powerful, juicy blackberry fruit beneath. Ripe but present tannins and a touch of earthiness are part of this 14.9 percenter’s balancing act. Promising.

Tiago Cabaço blog 2010 (sample)

The Rhone-bottled Alicante Bouschet/Syrah blend is, once again, inkier and more voluptuous. This vintage is quite glorious in its arc and concentration of fruit, well supported by firm but ripe tannins and juicy acidity (Esteban says you get an “amazing pH in Estremoz”). A long finish shows liquorice spice and a rolling undertow of mineral acidity. Carries off its 15.2% alcohol with aplomb.