About this WINE
Dom Rafael
The Alentejo region covers nearly a third of continental Portugal, stretching all the way from the coast eastwards to the frontier with Spain. The moderating influences of the Atlantic diminish sharply inland, with late Spring frosts and low summer rainfall being continual problems.
In Portugal the majority of ex-pat English winemakers seem to have settled in the Douro Valley and to focus on making top quality ports with distinctly English names such as Taylor and Graham. One or two more adventurous souls, in this instance the Richardson and Reynolds family, have ventured further south, to the fecund vineyards of Alentejo, which are located between Lisbon and the Algarve. Braving the wilder excesses of the intense climate, the wild rabbits and pata negra pigs, not to mention, in April 1974, the Portuguese Revolution, they have persevered and the vinous results are outstanding.
Dom Rafael is the 2nd label of the celebrated Herdade do Mouchão and the wines are softer and more approachable in youth than their illustrious sibling. While Mouchäo is made using strictly traditional methods, the Dom Rafael wines are made using modern technology in their own spanking new state of the art winery. The red wines (from Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, Aragonez) are packed with concentrated fruit whilst the whites are aromatic and vibrant and rounded on the palate.
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Portuguese white wine does not usually achieve Parnassian heights of excellence, and has often, in truth, been rather clumsy and oxidised. At Mouchao there has been no sacrifice of local colour with the use of local grape varieties (Arinto and Antão Vaz) but a real effort has been made in the winery, with stainless steel and temperature control both employed to add a crispness and freshness .
This is an expressive wine from a good vintage with plenty of weight and character, fresh certainly but with Iberian warmth and a citric dried fruit twist on the finish; all in all a perfect match for local dishes such as seared scallop or salt cod.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)
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