Autocarro Nº 27 - red table wine from the Alentejo

This is a red wine on the nose is intense and refreshing with an aroma of plum and red berries.
It is a red wine with a lively and lively acidity with present but not aggressive tannins.
A fantastic blend of grape varieties Aragonez, Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon.
ABV: 14%
Vinification: Fermented in oak vats. Matured in 50 HL oak vats for 12 months.
Awards

• Silver Medal, Vienna Wine Contest 2014
• Silver Medal, Vienna Wine Contest 2015

The grapes
 

Aragonez
One of the most noble grape varietals of the Iberian Peninsula, Aragonez is renowned on both sides of the border, recognized as Tempranillo in Spain, and in Portugal as both Aragonez and Tinta Roriz in the north. It is an early maturing variety, vigorous and productive, and easily adapting to different climates and soils but it prefers hot, dry climates with sandy or clay-limestone soils best. In the Setúbal Peninsula it occupies about two-hundred and seventy hectares and its maturation occurs, as a general rule, one week before the Castelão grape varietal. If its force is controlled, it produces full-bodied wines that are very elegant and aromatic. The aromas of this varietal exude plum, dried plum, red berries, spices and sometimes licorice, becoming more complex as it evolves. Although Aragonez is often used in blends to harmonize with other varieties like Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Touriga Franca and Alicante Bouschet, it's also produced as a single–varietal wine, which has been met with great success and has become a hallmark for some of the producers in the region.

Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional is a very known and well-appreciated grape varietal, perhaps the most celebrated one in Portugal, having been disseminated to practically every region in the country. Its thick skin, rich in natural tint, provides intense color to its wines. The abundance of primary aromas is a characteristic of this grape variety, presenting both floral and fruity and always intense and penetrating. Touriga Nacional is the fourth most planted grape in the Setúbal Peninsula. It produces full bodied wines with powerful and exceptional aromatic qualities, providing a soft, warm flavor dominated by notes of ripe berries, such as blackberry and blueberry, with floral nuances that resemble violet, rosemary and cistus flower at times. It produces harmonious wines with a strong alcohol level and excellent aging ability, gaining aromatic complexity when aged in barrel.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most international of all French grape varieties, being widely grown across all five continents.
It has found a special niche and style in the Setubal Peninsula, one of the few Portuguese winegrowing regions where it can ripen to perfection.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those varieties that can be termed "enriching"; deeply colored and thick-skinned, it can spice up blends, imbuing body and consistency to well-composed, perfumed, fruity and spicy wines.
It is rarely bottled as a varietal wine in the Setubal Peninsula region, but is present in small amounts to give structure in many wines.
Appreciated for its versatility, resistance and correctness it yields wines of immense longevity that age with elegance and security.

The region
Located in the Alentejo region, close to the Atlantic and part of the demarcated wine region of “Península de Setúbal”, the vineyard faces the village of S. Romão, which used to be a pilgrimage stop on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
Just 1 h hour drive from Lisbon (South), it has a wonderful temperate microclimate - warm days and cold nights - affected both by being close to the ocean and to the Alentejo province.
Crossed by the river Sado and covering around 142 ha - 15 ha of vineyards, 38 ha rice fields and 79 ha forest (cork and pine trees) - the history of this place goes back to the ancient times of Roman occupation.

The vineyards and the grape varieties
As a result of its unique geographic location, the wine making choices at the vineyard are innovative and rather distinctive in style and personality.
The 15 ha vineyards were planted in 2002. An extra 10 ha will be planted shortly which will allow for the doubling of its current production. From these, 8 ha will be located by the Atlantic shore.
Different options were taken in terms of grape varieties and a considerable investment was made in the red varieties: Aragonez | Cabernet Sauvignon | Petit Verdot | Touriga Franca| Touriga Nacional | Sangiovese
In 2011, investment was made in white wine grape varieties and the new wines were launched in 2013: Sercial (Esgana-cão) | Galego Dourado

The winery and the production process
The whole production process is undertaken in keeping with a philosophy of consummate preservation in order to obtain top quality raw material. There is little intervention by man, allowing the wine to express its vigour and potential on its own. The wine harvest is carried out by hand and the bunches of grapes undergo a twofold selection procedure.
The modern winery has revived a series of traditional vinification processes which are currently considered state-of-the-art amongst the best wines, in particular fermentation in French oak vats.
Production is limited in order to produce a complexity of aromas, colour and flavour in the grape - an essential condition for the production of wines of exceptional quality.
The wine is matured in oak casks and then in bottle for at least a year before it is released onto the market.
All the wines are single vineyard and estate bottled.

The Wines
The wines of the vineyard enjoy a very intense and complex character allied to an extraordinary elegance and freshness.
These are characteristics which originate in their “terroir”, the key feature which sets them apart from all others.
These wines are especially made for the discerning, educated and sensitive consumer who enjoys distinctive products /experiences.
A distinction which can be felt in an enthralling region, in the producer’s passion for what he does and in his dedicated commitment to the production process.

An allurement which starts with the first sip…

For more information about our wines, please contact us or visit our website.