Monte Branco Trincadeira | 2021

Trincadeira is not for everyone, and that’s a good thing. It’s one of Portugal’s most underrated red varieties, that makes it mark with its savory side— its dried flowers, warm stone, and wild herbs. Luís Louro’s version is pure and lovely, grown on the shale and limestone soils of Estremoz in Alentejo and aged for 18 months in used 300L French oak. If you think Alentejo wines are thick, ripe, and overly juicy, think again: this is the antithesis. Breezy and lifted, it lands somewhere between light and medium bodied, with a finish that feels French, a drawn-out dark and stony tang. Louro proves that southern Portugal is just as interesting and delicious as the north. ~Allegra Angelo