|
 Adega Cartuxa – Fundação Eugénio de Almeida
Évora
http://www.cartuxa.pt/en/base/1/1
Cartuxa is one of the oldest and most prestigious wine estates of Alentejo. Coupled with the fact that it is conveniently located near the capital city of Évora, it is one of the most popular wineries visited in the region; particularly from visitors from Brazil and other countries in Latin America. It provides a significant contrast with Cortes di Cima which started from scratch in 1988 and has made a mark in less than 3 decades. Cartuxa was started by Jesuits at the Valbom Estate near Évora in 1540 as a part of the education process-University of Évora was also set up by them.
Jesuits were expelled from Portugal in 1759 and the Estate was taken over by the government. It is currently being run by the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, a philanthropic institution created in 1963. The great-grandfather of Jose Maria Eugenio de Almeida, the creator of the Foundation, bought the Estate in 1869 at an auction as part of a long-term plan, after the Church and Crown properties were nationalised and sold off to private buyers starting 1820.
Adega (winery) Cartuxa took its name because of its proximity to the Cartuxa Monastery which was built in the 16th century. The company owns 600 hA of vineyards and makes about 4 million bottles a year. The brands range from Vinea, EA, Foral de Évora, Cartuxa Scala Coeli and the iconic brand Pera-Manca.
Herdade São Miguel
Redondo (Évora)
http://www.herdadesaomiguel.com/
 Located a few kms out of Évora and owned by Alexandre Relvas, the estate was bought by him in 1997 as part of Casa Agrícola Alexandre Relvas. The total area of 175 hA of this Estate includes 97 hA of cork and 35 hA of vineyards he developed in 2001-03 after he decided to start wine production in 2001, following his passion for wine.
The winery is a remarkable example of the stat-of-the-art, magnificent architecture. As you enter the complex you feel you are entering a chic, modern office building with the classic white paint on the walls inside, and a generous use of Portuguese cork sheets outside for better insulation and uncommon looks, which have turned black with exposure to the sun.
The winery produces 3 million bottles every year-over two thirds are
exported to over 30 countries with Brazil, Belgium US and China being
the main markets. The company has a huge range of labels-9 of them. I
tasted a few of the wines and I found them quaffable and  reasonably
priced. It has tied up with the neighbouring vineyards to provide
part of the grapes required for the production. Although it produces several
local varieties including the popular Alicante Bouschet, it also cultivates
international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winery is excellent for wine tourism, particularly for its architecture and the ecosystem balance. From harvesting to flower buds 400 sheep move around in the vineyard, feeding on the grass and producing manure. Thus the use of weed control and herbicides is avoided.
Quinta de Dona Maria
Estremoz, Alentejo
http://donamaria.pt/en/
 One of the oldest wine producers in Alentejo, it was built by Quinta do Carmo in 1718. The name would ring a bell for many who remember the short-lived partnership between Carmo and the First Growth of Lafite Rothschild who bought 50% share from the owner, Julio Basto (pronounced Baash tu) who took charge of the Quinta in 1984. The partnership lasted a short time during which Lafite uprooted several old vines of local grapes and planted the Bordeaux grapes (many Portuguese consider this as a blasphemous step that could be a reason for discord). Julio sold off his 50% share to one Joe Berardo and started afresh, focussing on creating Quinta de Dona Maria wines.
We were received by Sandra Gonçalves, winemaker the Dona Maria who shared some of the above story with me before showing me the winery and tasting.
We tasted over 10 wines. For me the best was Dona Maria Amantis 2005-made
from only French grape varieties earlier but started adding Touriga Nacional
also in 2005. ‘We wanted to make it gentle wine, so we made it a
blend of 25% each for the four varieties. Using foot lagares
(technique of stomping with feet is still prevalent in Portugal where
they believe that the gentle process avoids the pips getting crushed along
with the pulp through regular presses and causing bitterness ) from the
18th century and after crushing gently, then ageing
for 1 year in Barrel causes oxidation that make
wine less alcoholic and you get wines that are more complex and long,
‘ says Sandra.
Also noteworthy was the wine Julio B Bastos, named in the memory of his father. Made from Alicante Bouschet, it is an iconic wine and produced only in some years-in 2004, 2007 and 2012. It was another example of how Alicante Bouschet, the grapes originally from Burgundy does better in this terroir as compared to the original-in Burgundy.
At around 300,000 bottles a year, this producer may be too expensive for the Indian market but is one of the top producers of Alentejo and Portugal. There was a beautiful garden that seemed like an oasis in the jungle. But unfortunately it appeared very unkempt. It was later that I was to learn that it was perhaps the victim of some disease and was suffering certain viruses. What a pity!
The remaining wineries visited, will be covered in a later edition.
For an earlier Article, please visit:
Wines and Wineries of Alentejo
Subhash Arora |