Cortes de Cima Tinto 2016, from Alentejo

Cortes de Cima Red is a multi-awarded wine from the Alentejo wine region of Portugal, produced by Cortes de Cima winery.

This red is the emblematic wine of this winery from the vintage of 2016. That year was marked by an atypical time – a dry and temperate winter preceded a cold, rainy spring. The summer was hot and dry, allowing ripening without disturbance.

The story of Cortes de Cima is an epic that begins on a sailboat and passes through melon and tomato fields until it reaches the wine.

It’s the story of a Danish-American couple, who arrived in Portugal to plant a vineyard and raise a family. So they planted red grapes in a white region and vines in coastal pastures.

Cortes de Cima is today a reference in Portuguese wine, with wines that speak of innovation, passion and origin.

This is a blend of Aragonez, Syrah and other Portuguese varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, and Alicante Bouchet, among others, aged in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels for up to 12 months, and then blended to balance the varietal fruit and the complexity of the oak.

The wine presents a medium-deep ruby-colored wine.

On the nose, it shines through the harmony and proportion of the various components, fruit, barrel and spice. A good concentration of aromas is focused on fruits but not torrid.

On the palate, rich black fruits give a ripe character, laced with low acidity. It presents aromas of blackberry, plum, and blackcurrant with earthy notes and spices such as leather, balsamic, tar, pepper and licorice.

Elegant, hidden tannins in the mouth, that can be consumed now as they can be stored in the cellar. These still-present tannins add long life to this wine and give the fruit nice support, to make it a bit more serious in a long finish.

In volume, it is a medium-bodied dry wine with all freshness, lightness of components, and deep flavor.

Consume this wine at 16-18 °C temperature.

It goes well with cold cuts, meat dishes of all kinds, or any vegetable-based meals.

Cheers!

Edited on 30th January 2023.