A fruit bomb sensation
This wine is bright ruby red in colour. On the nose, generous aromas of strawberries and raspberries stand out. It is vibrant and supple on the palate with elegant tannins, a delicately balanced acidity and a lovely fresh finish. with ripe and juicy blackberry, black cherry and plum flavours.
For almost thirty years, Herdade do Peso has focused on making premium wines in Vidígueira, one of the cooler Alentejo subregions, traditionally famed for its white wines. Today, Herdade do Peso’s wines are made by Luís Cabral de Almeida, who believes his primary role is to “interpret nature”. Luís is heavily involved in the estate's vineyard management, having mapped their 12 soil types and matched each variety to its ideal plot. Named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in 2024 by Portuguese wine magazine ‘Revista de Vinhos’, Luís’ wines reflect Vidígueira’s sense of place, being exuberant, ripe and generous, yet kept in balance by refreshing acidity.
Comprising 457 hectares of gently rolling hills, including 160 hectares of vineyards and olive groves that date back to Roman times, Herdade do Peso is defined by its rich natural heritage. Since acquiring the property in 1997, Sogrape has continued to develop Herdade do Peso with a focus on sustainability and a great respect for nature. This is evident in the construction of a 20-hectare on-site reservoir to capture rainwater and feed the drip irrigation system across the vineyards, the building of a new eco-friendly winery (completed in 2022), and the planting of wildlife corridors of indigenous species of plants and trees, including cork and holm oak.
‘Sossego’ translates as ‘tranquillity’, referencing the peaceful Alentejo countryside. The ‘Sossego’ white blends Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro to create an unoaked expression defined by fresh and vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes. The ‘Sossego’ rosé blends Aragonez (Spain’s Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira, harvested early to retain refreshing acidity. The ‘Sossego’ red combines Aragonez with Syrah and Touriga Nacional, aged for six months, in used French oak barrels resulting in ripe and juicy red and black fruit flavours with a subtle spiciness.
‘Trinca Bolotas’, which translates as ‘acorn muncher’, is a nod to the acorn-eating Iberian black pigs native to the Alentejo region. An unoaked blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and the teinturier grape Alicante Bouschet, it is bursting with ripe and juicy blackberry, black cherry and plum flavours.
'Trinca Bolotas' translates as 'acorn muncher' and is a nod to the acorn-eating Iberian black pigs native to the Alentejo region. The grapes for this wine come from the Herdade do Peso estate located in Vidígueira, one of the Alentejo's cooler sub-regions, which benefits from cool Atlantic air funnelled inland from the coast by a gap in the surrounding mountains. The vineyards are planted on rolling hills and 12 different soil types have been identified with a predominance of limestone, which controls vine vigour and lends elegance to the wines. Precision viticulture is carried out on the estate and each grape variety has been matched to its ideal plot. All of the Herdade do Peso vineyards are sustainably farmed and the on-site reservoir provides much-needed water to irrigate the vineyards during the warm Alentejo summers.
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and underwent a soft crushing followed by a 3-4 day maceration. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, at a controlled temperature of 26ºC and with gentle pumping over. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked off the skins and aged in stainless steel.
Tapas all the way