Portugal — wine

Alentejo

Portugal's sun-drenched plains southeast of Lisbon, producing powerful, food-friendly reds from Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, Aragonez (Tempranillo), and Touriga Nacional. The region's cork oak forests supply 50% of the world's natural cork. Eight sub-regions — including Borba, Reguengos, and Évora — each express different aspects of the region's warm continental climate and schist, granite, and marble soils.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Outstanding Alentejo vintage; Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira from schist soils showed extraordinary depth and freshness despite the heat.
2021 Classic warm-climate vintage; the region's ancient variety blend produced wines of excellent complexity and food-friendly structure.
2020 Benchmark year; Esporão Reserva and Mouchão Torre de Palma produced internationally acclaimed single-varietal wines.
2019 Outstanding vintage; Alicante Bouschet achieved extraordinary depth; Esporão Private Selection gained international cult status.
2018 Solid vintage; Aragonez and Touriga Nacional showed excellent varietal character from the cooler sub-regions of Évora and Grândola.
2017 Exceptional vintage — the best in a decade according to many producers. Concentrated, complex reds.