Aragonez (Tempranillo), Alfrocheiro, Moreto, Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Carvalha & Castelão, Alentejo, Portugal

An herbaceous, structured and deeply Portuguese red ready to be discovered. Award-winning winemaker and consultant António Maçanita began his project in 2004, with a focus on Alentejano terroir, its regional varieties and organic viticulture. Today his lineup reaches from Douro, to Alentejo, all the way to the Azores Islands in an admiral attempt to represent the unique regions of Portugal with honesty and affection. ‘Tinto o Iluminista’ is a blend of spiced aragonez (tempranillo), berried alfrocheiro, earthy moreto, smoky alicante bouschet, mineral tinta carvalha, and animalistic castelão that were planted between 1979 and 1989 on granite and schist-packed soils. FUN FACT! Grapes are harvested by hand at night to avoid the heat of the day! The grapes are left on skins for 20 days to pull firm tannins and aged for 12 months between French oak and stainless steel for a balance between roundness and purity. Boysenberry, wild rose, pepper rub, a warm toffee fresh from your pocket, cacao bitters, scrubby herbs & dry undergrowth. Pour alongside Turkish lamb kofta.