Deep ruby color; raspberry, blackcurrant, chocolate, flowers on the nose; black cherry, black plum, blackberry, leather on the palate.
Dry; simple, smooth tannins; soft, balancing acidity. Blend of 50% aragoñez, 30% alicante bouschet, 15% trincadeira, and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Light body. Very light on oak. Not a serious or powerful red, but nice easy drinker with tasty, easily approachable fruit. Picnic/party wine; good second bottle follow up after you finish a more substantial red. Good QPR (quality-price ratio). 14% ABV
Casa Relvas is located in the Alentejo wine region of southern Portugal. They farm 865 acres of wine vines, more than 600 acres of olive groves, and more than 1,800 acres of forestland, much of it cork oak. The label proclaims “with pride from the land of cork.”
The 2018 vintage faced some hurdles. The winter was very dry, but also moderate temperatures. Summer temperatures were lower than average until August, when temperatures soared to 113 degrees. Grapes were harvested at night, then cold soaked after de-stemming. Fermentation occurred in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats with French oak staves. Some 10% of the wine aged in 400-liter French oak barrels for six months, imparting a hint of oak to the final bottling.
The winery scored 3.8 out of a possible 4.0 in the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program. The winery grows more than 100,000 cork oak and pine trees. They use sheep to control weeds in the vineyard.
Casa Relvas São Miguel Do Sul Tinto 2018 is easy-going, deliciously affordable. This is not a memorable pour, but it is a convivial pleasure. Portugal consistently delivers purely drinkable wine at excellent price points. This is clear example. Pair with beef; lamb; pasta dishes; veal; poultry; Mediterranean fare. Cheese—soft cheeses, manchego, brie without rinds, camambert without rinds, mild cheddar, fontina, havarti, monterey jack. $11-15
