Herdade do Rocim Alicante Bouschet, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal

羅西姆酒莊紫北塞紅葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：2372

The 2021 Alicante Bouschet was aged for one year in second-use French oak and comes in at 14.6% alcohol. A sturdier and deeper wine than the Touriga reviewed in this report (not surprisingly), this is bigger on all fronts, from depth to power. It is not careening into bombast, though, and it retains its balance. It is expressive but hardly hitting you over the head with big fruit. Consistent with its price category, while it does have reasonable structure, the tannins are not hard. This can be approached now. That said, it certainly will be better in the middle of 2024. It should hold a reasonable time thereafter. Don't expect great rewards if you hold it a long time, though. It is still crafted to drink well on the younger side.

The 2020 Alicante Bouschet was aged for one year in 40% new French oak and comes in at 14.3% alcohol. A restrained and balanced Alicante, this generally still expresses itself well while showing fine precision. The structure is a bit better than the fruit profile, though. A perfect food wine, it has the components to perform well without overkill anywhere. It isn't drinking badly now, as the tannins are not hard, but this probably will show better at the end of the year or next spring.

The 2019 Alicante Bouschet was aged for one year in 40% new French oak. It comes in at 15.1% alcohol. Big and dense, this has fairly ripe tannins, notwithstanding some grip on the finish, but also very ripe fruit. The beefy nuances around the edges give this some complexity. In a similar style to the monovarietal Touriga reviewed this report, this seems like the better wine. This Alicante has better structure and more concentration. Of course, it also has all that Alicante personality and it is another $8. So reasonable minds might differ on what choice to make. This should age decently for several years, but the tannins are ripe enough so you can approach this now without a problem. It's worth leaning up for the moment, but this does have to demonstrate it can age a bit to justify my current enthusiasm.

The 2018 Alicante Bouschet was aged for one year in 40% new French oak. It comes in at 14.1% alcohol. Fruity and straightforward, this has a creamy demeanor from some wood, but that gets better with some aeration. It is otherwise a laid-back Alicante with average depth, not a lot of power and a middle-of-the-road approach. It tastes great, though, and it has a balanced and somewhat refined feel. You can drink this now, but it might be better in six months. It won't be the best bet for long aging, no matter how long it theoretically holds, but it does have some structure and it can hold a bit. It's a good value for a house pour.

The 2015 Alicante Bouschet was aged for nine months in 60% new French oak. It comes in at 15% alcohol. Concentrated and powerful, this is quite an offering at the price level. It is also bursting with flavor, mingling red fruit and beef. As it airs out, it even shows a bit of finesse, although that's hardly the biggest selling point. This has a lot going on and it demonstrates some potential for improvement in the cellar, too. Let's take that in stages, since these monovarietals don't have much track record, but it seems to be built well and more elegantly than the Touriga, a bit of a role reversal. If this holds form as it ages, it's a lot of wine for a modest price. I could say "let's see what happens in a year," but after playing with it for a couple of hours, it seems better to lean up on it. It does have some things to prove in the cellar. It might be best to give this until next year before opening it, although it is approachable with aeration.