Quinta do Mouro 2018
Region: Alentejo
Producer: Quinta do Mouro
Why we chose this wine
A former dentist, Miguel Louro bought Quinta Do Mouro, north of the town of Estremoz, in 1979. In the 1980s, he re-established the vineyard surrounding the property. The first vintage of Quinta do Mouro came out in 1994, it has since become one of the main references in Alentejo and is assisted today by his sons Luis and Miguel.The estate is now 30 hectares in size, and is situated at an altitude of 400 metres on a soil of clay and rock (marble and schist).Miguel has a very traditional vision of wine production and therefore limits his use of modern technology. It often seems that it is at Quinta do Mouro that the best juice comes out of the press. All wines are aged for at least one year in oak barrels and the best vintages are then aged for at least 3 years in the bottle.
It is a wine of great aromatic complexity. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with good structure, an excellent balance of very pure fruit and more vegetal notes, and above all very fresh, something hardly found in Alentejo.
It is a wine of great aromatic complexity. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with good structure, an excellent balance of very pure fruit and more vegetal notes, and above all very fresh, something hardly found in Alentejo.
| Volume | 75.0 cl. |
| Grape Variety | 45% Aragonez, 35% Alicante Bouschet, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Drinking window | 2020-2032 |
| Alc. | 14.0% |
| Vinification | Cold pre-fermentation maceration with foot crushing for 2 days. Fermentation in stainless steel vats with temperature control, long maceration after fermentation. Pressing in vertical press. |
| Ripening | 14 months in 300-litre French and Portuguese oak barrels, 50% of which are new. |
What the critics say
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
94/ 100
Published 04-04-2024
Drink: 2024–2040
Drink: 2024–2040
“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. 16,500 bottles produced.”
— Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The producer
Quinta do Mouro
Miguel Louro bought the historic Quinta do Mouro near Estremoz in 1979. At the time there was no winegrowing there (any more).
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