A Couple of Cracking Reds from Tasmania and Alentejo.

A Couple of Cracking Reds

from Tasmania and Alentejo

Eddystone Point Pinot Noir (Tasmania) 2018, 13%, €24.95, O’Briens Wine

This Pinot Noir, all the way from Tasmania, has a vibrant mid-ruby colour. Strawberry is the major actor in the moderately intense aromas. This juicy red is lively in the mouth, delicately flavoured, with strawberry and cherry, some spice too, and a natural acidity help keep the balance right to the finalé, where the smooth tannins softly tingle the lips and fruit and spice gently and pleasantly linger. 

Purity of fruit was foremost in winemaker Stewart Byrne’s mind during this vintage and he and his team hit the bull’s eye with this one. Very Highly Recommended.

 

Eddystone Point is situated in windswept North East Tasmania and features some of the most uniquely layered terrains on the planet. With its cool climate and prevailing winds it is ideal for growing Pinot Noir.

Eddystone say: One of the hardest of all grape varietals to make, this wine displays all the hallmarks of great Pinot Noir. …The unusually warm Summer and Spring conditions were able to ripen larger than average crops successfully, and vintage was done and dusted in the very short timeframe of just 5 weeks. Harvesting 100% hand picked…. Maturation was 9 months in 25% new French oak and a mixture of older oak. .. Drink now or cellar for up to 3-5 years. First released in 2013, Eddystone Point realises our vision to create wines that are drinkable, affordable and represent the undisputed quality of Tasmanian fresh produce.

Tasmania is a single wine region (Geographical Indication), with seven distinct and diverse wine growing areas. The climate is cool by latitude, not altitude, and the weather is highly variable. Many grape varieties are now found in Tasmania, with producers constantly innovating and experimenting. But Pinot Noir is the star, representing almost half of the island’s plantings for both still and sparkling wine. And those sparkling wines are pretty damn good too!

Marquês de Borba Colheita Alentejo (DOC) 2019, 14%, €17.95 O’Briens Wine

Like many Portuguese wines, this red is a blend; the grape varieties used are Alicante Bouschet, Arangonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The fruit is grown on the limestone and schist soils of Alentejo (a large area with the Algarve to the south, Spain to the east and the Atlantic coast, with Lisbon, to the west).

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And, like many Portuguese reds, the aromas are intense, a concentration of fruit (red and darker berries) and a touch of vanilla. The palate too is fruit-driven but not at all over the top as you’ll find a happy equilibrium between fruit, tannin and acidity. Very drinkable and Highly Recommended.

Marquês de Borba Colheita is made by the family owned João Portugal Ramos. He started his personal wine making project by planting his first five hectares of vineyards in Estremoz in 1988. Now joined by his son and daughter in the business, they have grown to be one of the most important wineries in Portugal.

They say: One of the most emblematic brands of João Portugal Ramos, Marquês de Borba combines the tradition of the Alentejo region with an excellent quality, present since the first vintage in 1997. The brand’s name comes from the happy coincidence of João Portugal Ramos’ vineyards and winery being located in Borba sub-region, and also of one of his uncles having the noble title Marquês de Borba, a title created in 1811. Present all over the world, the Marquês de Borba brand is today a symbol of the Alentejo region.