2013 Mouchao Tinto
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The 2013 Tinto, the regular estate bottling, is a 76/24 blend of Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira. It was aged for 36 months in used 5,000-liter tonels of varying ages and comes in at 14% alcohol. Still elegant, this has fleshed out a bit and certainly doesn't seem thin. It does many other things brilliantly, though. Alternating silk and velvet for texture, it is simply sensual, and caressing on the palate. The nuanced finish with waves of beefy Alicante adds complexity. This is also a little restrained—the tannins are moderate, but they certainly increase with air. You can drink this now, but it should still improve and will steadily get better. This is lovely. I'm not convinced it is a truly great one yet, at least in the context of this winery's history.
Critic scores
Average Score
Mark Squires
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
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Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira from the Carapetos vineyard (planted 1988, field grafted in 1989) and Alicante Bouschet from the Dourada vineyard. Vineyard plots and varieties are harvested separately. All bunches are hand-picked, foot-trodden in stone tanks (“lagares”) without destemming and allowed to ferment for roughly 5-7 days. The fermented wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in large wooden tonéis (5,000-litre vats). It is racked in mid-winter where it remains undisturbed for a further three years. Once bottled, the wine is matured for a further two to three years before being released. Deepest black cherry colour with opaque core. Utterly seductive aroma of ripe blackberries and a combination of spice and a dusty/mineral quality. Ripe with some notes of dried fruit but not overripe thanks to a more savoury spice built in. On the palate, deep and chewy with both fruit richness and tannic firmness and a balancing bitter-fruit bite. Really tannic for now but just needs time to reveal much greater complexity, and the freshness is there to carry it along for many years in bottle. A little awkward now, like a gangly teenager, but one with great potential for those with patience. (JH)
The 2013 Tinto, the regular Estate bottling, is a 76/24 blend of Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira. It was aged for 36 months in used 5,000-liter tonels of varying ages and comes in at 14.0% alcohol. On first pour, this was unassuming, but with air it fleshed out, showed its power and became impressive. Reasonably concentrated, intense and beautifully structured, this is a bit backwards just now. It also needs time to develop some expression of fruit, which it lacks just now. I also tasted a pour that had been open for 12 hours, and it was like a completely different wine. It developed a darker flavor profile, with beef and chocolate. It seemed expressive. This is an unevolved young pup; just give it some time, though. It looks potentially super, at least in a few years. Then, it will need some reevaluation. This will be released shortly after this article appears. Aug 2018, www.robertparker.com