Mouchão 2016
49,95€ VAT included
The estate’s flagship wine in all its typicity. First bottled in 1949, it reflects the expression of Alicante Bouschet, terroir, and tradition.
This wine is crafted using only the best estate grown Alicante Bouschet grapes. A small amount of Trincadeira from our renowned Carapetos vineyard, is also added in the final blend.
Winemaking methods used are the estate’s trademark and tradition. The hand-picked grapes are transported to the winery in small baskets, carefully foot-trodden and whole bunch fermented in open stone lagares. The wine is then aged in the ancient 5000L barrels, made of Portuguese oak and mahogany, for at least four years. Once bottled it will cellar for a further 18 months. The resulting wine clearly reflects its origin, the Alicante Bouschet character, respect for tradition and slow aging process.
Mouchão is deep coloured and concentrated. Full, complex but equally fresh and elegant. The unique tannin structure enhances its cellaring potential. It can improve significantly if kept for up to two decades, or longer.
MOUCHÃO 2016 – TECHNICAL INFORMATION
VINIFICATION
At Mouchão, all our red wines are vinified in open stone troughs, known as lagares. Whole bunches, including stems, are included in the maceration process making harvest timing especially critical to find the delicate balance between sugars, acids and overall phenological maturity, as well as stalk lignification. The handpicked bunches are foot-trodden twice daily and allowed to ferment for roughly 4-7 days. The wine then undergoes malo-lactic fermentation in large 5000L wooden tonéis. Racked in mid-winter, the wine then remains undisturbed for a further four years. Once bottled, it is matured in our cellars for a further 18 months before being released.
VITICULTURE
Responsible husbandry and care in the vineyard is critical for harvesting the best fruit and sustaining our healthy bee population. Vineyard plots and varieties are harvested separately. The Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira were sourced from 27-year-old vines grown on the well-drained, alluvial loams of the Carrapetos vineyard. A low yielding vineyard block, contributing significantly to concentration, overall quality, and expression. The 19-year-old Dourada Vineyard, characterized by Mediterranean red loams and an underlayer of chalk, contributes a riper, plummier Alicante Bouschet.
GROWING SEASON 2016
Following a second consecutive dry winter, mid to end of season growing temperatures were unrelenting and the harvest arrived some 10 days early. Diligent winemaking ensured that quality expectations were exceeded, resulting in another great Mouchão.
TASTING NOTES
Intense garnet colour and aromas of spicy black fruit, plum jam, ripe olives with the underlying stemmy-minty hallmark. Wonderfully fresh and structured yet balanced and with exuberant tannins that guarantee its longevity.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Decant or open 12 to 24 hours beforehand, particularly before 2036. Best served at 17ºc, alongside roasts, game, or hearty casseroles.