2018 Quinta do Mouro Tinto Alentejo

The eponymous red 2018 Quinta do Mouro is possibly the first vintage that contains Trincadeira, which is a grape Miguel Louro hated in the past but only liked starting in 2015. 2018 was a very good year for Trincadeira, and I believe it shows in the aromatics and elegance of the bottled blend, as Louro defined it, elegant rusticity. It was produced with 35% Alicante Bouschet, 25% Aragonez, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% each Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira, aged in used oak barrels for 14 months and kept in bottle for three years before it was released. It's quite perfumed, with peppery notes of paprika, tomato vine and something earthy (brick dust), characterful and different, ever-changing in the glass. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with ripeness and freshness and some dusty tannins, 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and six grams of acidity. There's great balance here; it has a sense of harmony, and it feels like it should age for a long time in bottle. (LG)