Buçaco Reservado Tinto, Vinho de Portugal | 2018

The Buçaco Palace Hotel was founded in 1917, about 150 miles north of Lisbon — not technically within the Bairrada region, but close. Here, its founder, Alexandre de Almeida, envisioned a storybook setting for Europe’s elite: a sanctuary of moss-covered pathways, enchanting grottoes, ancient chapels, and towering cypress trees. As great wine follows great food, Almeida set out to create a wine exclusive to the hotel. What he conceived was unconventional, a blend of Touriga Nacional and Baga, from two distinct regions, Dão and Bairrada. What he created was singular, a wine of poetic architecture, longevity, and sneaky elegance, influenced by its traditional and semi-secretive winemaking. There are foot-trodden grapes, fermentation in cement lagares, moderate aging in 300L French oak barrels, and substantial resting in bottle before release. The current vintage of Reservado Tinto is 2018. For decades, Buçaco wines were reserved for the guests of the hotel, served only in the dining room. Then, eventually, a few bottles snuck out, manifesting a cult mystique among wine lovers. Now, thanks to Dirk Niepoort's distinguished relationships, a tiny amount comes to the United States, and we’re fortunate to have a few bottles left. ~Allegra Angelo