"The first wine made by Esporão in 1985. Obtained from grapes grown at Herdade do Esporão, it shows the consistency and rich character typical of the best Alentejo wines. Label illustrated by Albuquerque Mendes.
Palate Richness of the fruit is evident on the palate. Full-bodied, while the fine tannins also provide structure and intensity.
Color Intense ruby
Aroma Notes of berry jam, slight touch of spices and fresh cocoa, enveloped in the nicely integrated toast from the barrels.
91 Wine Enthusiast
"This is a full-bodied, rich wine from an estate with a 750-year history. The wine is built by a core of firm tannins, with generous, spicy black-fruit flavors filling it out. Drink now."
91 Mark Squires - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2016 Reserva red is roughly an equal blend of Aragonez and Trincadeira, with most of the last 20% being Alicante Bouschet and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon, all aged for 12 months in one-third new oak (60/40 American and French). It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. The Alicante may be a smaller amount here, but it seems to mark the wine strongly in flavor. The assertive power from all the grapes gives this quite a serious backbone, but the mid-palate is well up to the task of matching it. The fruit lingers beautifully on the finish. This may age better than indicated, and there won't be much problem keeping it for about a decade. It seems like the best in a while, even as many producers in the region complain about the vintage."
