Sidecar Branco

Pale straw in colour. An old-vines (80 years) field blend from Serra de São Mamede in Portalegre aged for ten months in used French casks. Very dry, this quirky Branco remains more than a little unusual in flavour profile, with a notable touch of almonds. That will always be the defining feature of this Branco, but the rest is pretty special. It is round and mouth coating, but also tense and simply gripping. While that flavour profile is unusual, it is by no means unattractive—in fact, it is rather intriguing. What’s most impressive about this wine is the minerality, powerful and deep, but at the same time soft and delicate with an intense clean and pure finish.

Susana Esteban decided to establish herself as a wine producer starting her personnel project. She decided to make wines full of character in a slightly different style of the Alentejo traditional way. For two years she looked around (Procura) all of the Alentejo for the perfect vineyards to set her wines. She had to wait until 2011 to finally discover the two small vineyards that set the foundation for her two wines. In Portalegre, up in the mountains of S. Mamede, she found an old mixed planting of several different varieties, again with very small yields, that provide an amazing complexity and freshness. Susana Esteban has established a recent partnership with her good friend and also winemaker Sandra Tavares to make wines together.