Astronauta Talha Tinto Portuguese Wine
The Wine Advocate tasting notes a 95 rating.
The 2016 Astronauta Vinho de Talha Portuguese Wine is a field blend, mostly old-vines (80 years) Moreto aged in clay amphorae. The winery describes this process: "Total skin and stems fermented and clay aged. Sealed inside with resin and honey wax, protected on top with olive oil, Roman style. [It spent] six months on the amphora, 18 months on steel." It comes in at 14.5% alcohol.
This is beautiful on all fronts. It has velvet for texture, serious tannins and dried strawberry/cherry flavours on the finish. There's a touch of garrigue and a nod to restrained Grenache. Focused, precise and long on the finish, this is also brilliantly structured. It's not impossibly hard, but it is nowhere near ready. The tannins stop short of truly astringent, but they are too much right now. It's penetrating on the finish too.
Overall, this is tightly wound and precise—and very much needed a few years in the cellar to become more expressive and harmonious. It should improve over the next several years and age well. There were just 1,300 bottles produced.
WINEMAKER, Aníbal Jose Coutinho Jose Piteira
CULTIVAR, Vieilles Vignes de Moreto, autochtone du Alentejo
ALCOHOL, 14,5 % vol.
WINEMAKING, Natural grappe entière wine. Fermentation, 6 months in roman
1000 litres amphora. 1 year in a stainless steel vat. 6 months of bottle
ageing.
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