Alentejo / Herdade do Esporão

Esporão Private Selection White 2017

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Red White

Wine Concept

This wine was created in 2001 with the intent to challenge the classic profile of great Alentejo wines. The maturity of the vineyard, the underestimated Semillon grape variety and the careful selection of barrel suppliers, have enabled us to build this wine’s solid, rich and complex character. Photograph on the label by Albuquerque Mendes.

Agriculture

Autumn and winter were colder and wetter than the previous year, with more rain and the lowest temperatures between November and February. Nonetheless, temperatures and rain remained within the average of the past 18 years. The spring featured higher temperatures than in 2016, leading to earlier phenolic stages. The hot and dry spring ensured healthy grape development. Summer began hotter than in 2016 (+2.0ºC), which led to earlier ripening. Temperatures in August and September were lower than in 2016, making grapes ripen more quickly and producing higher sugar levels, which led to more full-bodied white wines with notes of ripe fruit, and red wines that are rich and concentrated.

Grapes from the Palmeiras vineyard at Herdade dos Perdigões, one of Esporão’s properties. Northwest and southwest exposure, protecting the grapes during the hottest times of day.

SOIL TYPE
Predominantly clay, deep and well drained, ideal for balanced production, aromatic development and to preserve freshness.

VINEYARD AGE
22 years old.

Grape Varieties

Semillon

Vinification / Maturation

The grapes were delivered to the winery in the morning, when temperatures are at their lowest, and were placed in the pneumatic press. Long pressing cycles at low pressure enabled careful extraction for a rich must. Decanting was shorter than usual, which helped maintain the complexity of the centre. Fermentation took place in new French oak barrels (550 litres) in a temperature-controlled cellar (18ºC).

On the lees with batonnage to help combine the oak and wine, thereby increasing the creamy texture and depth. After bottling, the wine aged 6 months in the bottle, ensuring controlled maturation and giving the wine the complexity that characterises it.

More Information

Private Selection Red:

Over time, we have been expanding the knowledge about our land in Alentejo. We have a better understanding of its potential and make the most of the uniqueness of the vineyards to produce fine wines, at nature’s pace.

That knowledge takes shape in Private Selection, through a combination of select parcels from the different territories, along with separate vinification and ageing, according to each variety’s profile. This is a full-bodied wine, with texture, intensity, and vitality, that reflects the diversity and richness of Esporão’s territories in Alentejo and, in exceptional years, results in Torre do Esporão.

Private Selection White:

Esporão Private Selection white was launched in 2001 under the name “Garrafeira”. The desire to make a distinctive white wine that would challenge the classic profile of the great wines of the Alentejo, led winemaker David Baverstock to bring the Sémillon grape variety from Australia to our Herdade dos Perdigões estate. This French origin grape variety is iconic in the Barrosa Valley region of Australia, where it grows in a climate similar to that of the Alentejo.

Planted in granitic soils, clayey and deep, the Palmeiras vineyard has adapted well to our soils and the Alentejo heat. It is from this vineyard that the Private Selection White was born.

Every year we invite a new artist to illustrate our labels, and every piece of artwork has its own individual story to tell.

Wine Makers

David Baverstock & Sandra Alves

Colour

Clear, straw colour.

Aroma

Notes of white pulp fruits and ripe tangerine, combined with discreet touches of toasted oak and spices like clove and white pepper.

Palate

Creamy, rich and intense. Long, deep and persistent finish.

Sizes

750 ml

Bottling

July 2018

Alcohol/Volume

14.5 %

Total Acidity

6 g/l

pH

3.2

Reducing Sugar / Baumé

2.6 g/l