The Reynolds family has been making quality wines in the Alentejo since 1850 when they arrived to start producing cork.
The Alentejo soon became the home of the Reynolds family in Portugal. Robert, the patriarch, was followed by his oldest son Robert Rafael who fathered, in turn, Carlos. Gloria Reynolds was the oldest daughter of Carlos. To honour his mother and all his Alentejo ancestors, Gloria´s son Julian produced a quality wine and named it after his mother - Gloria Reynolds.
Figueira de Cima is an estate of 200 hectares that enjoys the site climate of the Serra de São Mamede. This is a spot of immense beauty, with fields streaked with intense shades of green, gold and brown. The scenery there is filled with sky and hills whilst the oaks and cork oaks resemble flocks against the horizon. The 40 hectares of vineyard are located at the top of a hill which provides them with good, natural drainage and excellent exposure. The soils are schist-based and the undulating terrain produces an accentuated temperature variation between day and night, which promotes the best ripening conditions for the grapes. The traditional local grape varieties predominate: Trincadeira, Aragonez and Alicante Bouschet. The latter, in fact, was introduced into Portugal by the Reynolds family more than 150 years ago.
The winery is located in a building that used to house a stable. They winery was rebuilt and transformed, whilst maintaining the original structure: thick stone walls, ceilings panelled in chestnut and slate floors. It is the perfect place to craft an excellent wine, with an average temperature less than 20 ºC and good levels of humidity. Huge vats of French oak were made especially for this winery by the renowned cooperage Seguin Moreau. These vats are used for making the wines, just like in the great chateaux. During the harvest, each grape variety is picked by hand in small quantities.
The differing grape varieties are aged separately in French oak barrels made by the same cooperage as the vats. The different varieties are only blended immediately prior to bottling.
The winery produces three wines representing the last three generations of the family: Gloria Reynolds, Julian Reynolds and Carlos Reynolds. All are aged for at least a year in barrels. A liqueur wine in the style of the sweet desert wine of the past is also produced under the old family label Robert R. Reynolds.
Gloria Reynolds is only produced in exceptional years and is available exclusively through the Gloria Reynolds membership club.
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