The estate Herdade da Margalha lies on the northern limit of Alentejo, facing the river Tejo, in the county of Gavião, district of Portalegre, in central Portugal, about 200 km from the Atlantic coast.
It has therefore an adequate climate for winegrowing – under the intense sun of Alentejo, the heat is balanced by the cool and humid breeze from the Tejo valley, providing a unique and balanced grape maturation.
Production: The vineyards of Margalha estate were planted in 2002, where careful management of existing vegetation allows obtaining higher quality grapes. The vineyard plots selected to make this wine were subjected to grape hand removal before harvest in order to obtain an average output not exceeding 4,000 kg/hectare.
Terroir: The grapes come in exclusive from vines of the Margalha estate, located in one plateau area or gently sloping hillside and exposed to the south, near the valley of the river Tejo. Soils mainly calcareous and schist.
Grape varieties: Touriga Nacional (60%), Syrah (30%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Tinta Barroca (5%)
Viticulture: The vineyard is conducted under the rules of integrated production, with balanced production and a careful selection of grapes. Therefore the use of limited agrichemical treatments at the right moments led to grapes of superior quality being delivered at the winery. Vine hydric stress, during hot and dry days, was mitigated with the use of drip irrigation, thus ensuring the normal maturation of the grapes.
Harvest: Done by hand, into plastic boxes of 15Kg, in early September, when the different grape varieties had reached their full maturation.
Viticultural technician: Rui Pereira Coutinho.
Concept: Wine regarded as the standard of the winery, to produce every year, using modern
vinification techniques and partial aging in oak barriques. The aim is to have a wine of distinctive character, reflecting the terroir of the northern Alentejo region.
Vinification: Fermentation of full de-stemmed grapes, at a temperature of 28-30ºC, with one week of maceration and pump-over aeration.
Aging: About 60% of the volume of wine that went into the final lot, aged 8 months in oak barriques.
Bottled in June 2009.
Alcohol: 14% vol.;
pH: 3.94;
Total Acidity (as tartaric acid): 4.8
Colour: Grenade coloured wine.
Aroma: Truly seductive aroma, with floral and red fruit notes.
Palate: Well designed in a compromise between classicism and modernity. Balanced attitude, with noticeable and rich tannins promising an adequate bottle aging.
Consumption 2009-2016.
Winemaker: Prof. Virgílio Loureiro.
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