EVG Red 2015 Alveirão Winemaker: João Nunes Region: Tejo, Portugal Grapes: Trincadeira (20%), Castelão (40%), Tinta Roriz (40%) Profile: Earth, slate, underbrush. This is mostly red fruit driven by its acidity and rusticity. Tart blackberry and herbaceous notes on the nose turn to a more tannic, and more tart raspberry profile on the palate. Alc: 13.5% Grape Growing: Castelão is quite malleable, the grape likes sand as PH: 3.48 much as it likes our limestone soils, a truly vigorous variety that can succeed in many types of settings. Trincadeira - one of the strangest and TA: 5.5 g/L most difficult varieties ever - big cluster, low ratio (cluster/vine), keeps its' metabolism under drought and very hot climate. It has high sugar, RS: 0.6 g/L low tannin, low color, high acidity - it has some kind of yellowish leaf, Sulfur: 42ppm total, 17ppm (that's why in Portugal we also call it Tinta Amarela- Red/Yellow). free, twice added, prior to Finally, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) is sensitive to mildew, very vigorous malolatic fermentation and a variety, lower acidity, high on tannins! little before bottling Winemaking: Minimal approach, using native yeasts. No new oak, all Soil: White Limestone aged in stainless steel. Altitude: 200m (656ft) More About the Wine: It's Alveirão inside the bottle. EVG - is not a medical exam, instead it stands for Encostas do Vale Godinho, the Vineyard Age: 18 years regional appellation for this wine. Production Size: 8000 bottles Pairing: Duck, pheasant, veal, pork tenderloin, farro with mushrooms, roasted mushrooms of any kind, pork ramen, beans, burritos Cuisines: Portuguese, Mexican, Japanese, Spanish, Southern French, Piedmontese. Bliss Wine Imports www.blisswineimports.com.