Tinta Amarela

Full bottle 1,193 g. The grapes were picked early for lower alcohol. This was the first variety picked, starting on 24 August. During fermentation, the skins were left in contact with the juice for just two days before the juice was fermented separately until dry. After fermentation, the wine was aged in a stainless-steel tank with lees-stirring once a month. Mid crimson and deeply coloured for a wine that spent only two days on the skins. Smells ripe, almost a touch of dried red fruits, a bit volatile? It is certainly light-bodied with very light tannins but it doesn’t taste totally fresh, as if there had been a little bit of oxidation along the way. Some volatility here. Fresher on the palate, light with the flavour of black cherry. I don’t think this was the intended style. (JH)

The 2022 Tinta Amarela is unoaked and comes in at just 11.3% alcohol, another new label added to the winery’s Q-Lab range. (This grape is also known as Trincadeira down south.) This is a young and fruity concoction with a few echoes of Beaujolais. It’s not exactly the type of Trincadeira-based wine you might get in Alentejo, and it’s obviously meant to be something different. It has obvious limitations and is meant to have them, but it will be a delight to drink as a summer red. Chill this easy, pulpy wine down a few degrees more than normal and it will be perfect for porch-sipping and picnics in warm weather. Don’t expect structure or depth. While fruity, it mostly finishes dry, not candied. For one thing, it’s probably not ripe enough to deliver intense fruit flavors. If your expectations are in order, this will work well in the short term. Drink it very young for best results.