Quinta do Mouro, Tinto 2013

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Located just outside the walled town of Estremoz, this 22 hectare estate is referred to by eRobertParker as the 'Jewel of the Alentejo.' Astonishingly, the first release under the quinta's label was as recent as 1998. Perhaps unusually by Alentejo standards, the main wine here can age wonderfully, hence its release with a degree of bottle age already. Like the winemaking here (treading, open fermenting), expect few concessions to modernity. But that's what makes things special here, and of all the region's producers, perhaps now the best illustration of classic red Alentejo. Unusually, it is a very rare example of a Portuguese producer who still uses a proportion of native oak for maturing their top reds.