Wine Concept

The first wine made by Esporão in 1985. Made from estate grown grapes, shows the consistency and the rich, ripe fruit characters which are typical of the best Alentejo red wines.

We defied the plastic artist Rui Sanches to illustrate this year’s label.

Awards

2011, Essência do Vinho – 17 points

2012, Concour Mondial Bruxelles – 82,03 points

2012, Revista de Vinhos – 16 points

2012, Wine spectator – 89 points

Agriculture

Integrated Production (certified)

An extremely dry year, with rainfall concentrated between December and February. The period from March to August was hotter than average, resulting in an early vintage. With these higher temperatures during the growing season, most grapes were picked in very ripe conditions resulting in rich wines with body and depth.

SOIL TYPE
Clay loam soils with granite and schist mother rock.

AVERAGE AGE OF VINES
15 years

Grape Varieties

Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon

Vinification / Maturation

Each variety hand picked and vinified separately, fermented in open tanks with robotic plunging and temperature control (22ºc – 25ºC), membrane pressed, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks following inoculation.

12 months ageing in French (30%) and American (70%) oak barrels. 1 year of bottle ageing prior to market release.

More Information

Esporão Reserva was the first wine produced by Esporão, in 1985. It was born from our desire to produce the best wines in Alentejo. Over the years, it has been a wine that has led us to innovate, to grow, to look at our origins, to care about nature and see beyond. We have adopted sustainable agricultural practices, more recently we have converted all our vineyards to organic farming, built new wineries and traveled to other markets, taking Alentejo and Portugal to the world.

Art accompanies Esporão Reserva from the first moment. Every year we invite a new artist to illustrate our labels and each work tells a story that is completed within.

Wine Makers

David Baverstock and Luís Patrão

Colour

Clear, deep red.

Aroma

Intense spicy aroma of ripe red berry fruits with soft, new oak integration.

Palate

Rich and full bodied, well balanced with robust tannins, good bottle ageing potential.

Formats

750 ml   ·   1,5 l   ·   3 l

Bottling

March 2011

Alcohol/Volume

14.5 %

Total Acidity

6.38 g/l

pH

3.59

Reducing Sugar / Baumé

2 g/l