Panel tasting results: Alluring Alentejo reds

Winemaker Júlio Bastos joined his father, Júlio Bandeira Bastos, in 1985 to help manage Quinta do Carmo, the family’s estate in Estremoz. Vinhos Dona Maria...

Robert Reynolds set down roots in Estremoz in 1850. His English father had arrived in Porto in 1820, where he set up a business exporting...

Wormwood, eucalyptus and tarmac frame black cherry and plum. Sage, rosemary and mint add regional character. Concentrated yet elegant, with vanilla-oak spice.

Lifted blackcurrant and blueberry lead into dark cherry, plum and blackberry. Fleshy, mouthcoating yet elegant. Robust tannins, black olive and chocolate. A mineral, savoury finish.

Sous bois, wet leaf and tobacco meet sweet-sour cherry and blackcurrant. Vibrant acidity, velvety fruit and resolved tannins, finishing long with sage, thyme and cinnamon.

Opens with potpourri, violet and black olive, followed by ripe black fruit, hay and forest floor. Velvety, persistent, mature and classically savoury. A warm, tobacco-spice...

Tobacco, black olive and Assam tea lead into dried dark fruit, leather and cedar. Svelte yet succulent, the mature palate retains juicy freshness beneath thyme,...

Cranberry, raspberry and red cherry gain leafy lift from eucalyptus and green wood. Fluid, silky and inviting, with soft zesty tannin, bright acidity and a...

Blackberry, plum and violet meet chocolate, leather and a stony mineral note. Full-bodied but poised, with crunchy fruit, ripe tannins, bright acidity and sweet spice....

Morello cherry, blackcurrant and plum, with a rose, violet and Earl Grey perfume. Succulent and concentrated, with balsamic freshness, minerality, anise, cardamom and cedar spice.

Dill pickle, forest floor and wet wood give a savoury cast to crushed blueberry, blackcurrant and cherry. Compact and full-bodied, with robust tannin, zesty acidity...

Focused blackcurrant and black cherry threaded with wet leaf, dried herbs and toast. Juicy and persistent, with muscular yet elegant tannins, citrus-zest energy and a...

Mint, violet and tobacco leaf mingle with blueberry, cherry and plum. Silky and evolved, with gentle tannin and bright acidity. Blood orange, cranberry and nutmeg...

Appealingly evolved, with sour cherry, plum and blackberry enlivened by pink grapefruit and rhubarb. Vibrant, juicy and finely delineated, with fresh acidity and a light...

Black cherry compote, plum and rose mingle with wet leaf, tobacco and Oolong tea. Generous and velvety, with charred oak, mocha and rockrose. Complex, with...

Blackcurrant, blackberry and plum edged with tapenade and violet. Smooth, powerful. Dense tannins, dark chocolate and earthy depth, enlivened by nutmeg, cardamom and saffron.

Strikingly fresh red and black fruit, joined by tobacco, sage and petrichor. Compact, powerful, poised. Wears its polished oak well. Spicy energy and tertiary earthiness...

Cherry and plum meet blood orange, pomegranate and pink grapefruit, with a touch of mace. Dense palate, with fine-grained tannin, gentle clove spice and a...

Blackberry and plum cloaked in cedar, eucalyptus, mint and dried herb. Rich and energetic, with refreshing drive. Mocha oak and a slightly drying edge narrow...

Raspberry, cranberry and orange peel, with floral perfume and balsamic lift. Energetic and fruit-driven. Combines bright acidity with smoky, assertive tannins. A strong sense of...

Wild strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate dance with lavender and bergamot. Juicy, fluid and vibrant, with an earthy, rustic edge. Fresh acidity and a savoury, characterful...

Caramel-tinged blackberry, dark chocolate, pomegranate, sour cherry and red plum. Dense and powerful, with smoky, slightly drying tannins, vivid acidity and tingling clove spice.

Blackberry, cherry and mulberry wrapped in thyme, sage and tarragon. Firm, concentrated, with dense, fine-grained tannins, chocolate and smoky grip, lifted by cherry-stone freshness.

Cherry and blackberry outlined by vivid acidity, wild herb and black olive. Concentrated, robust, with dense, grippy tannins and a tart lift. Oak remains slightly...

Blackberry and prune meet potpourri, Assam tea and mint chocolate. Dense yet elegant, the palate layers robust tannins, clove, black olive and forest floor. Finishes...

Opens with bramble, plum, dark berry, chocolate and baking spice. Plush, full-bodied, the palate with dried thyme, sage and tarragon. An earthy, balsamic, oak-spiced finish.

Winemaker Júlio Bastos joined his father, Júlio Bandeira Bastos, in 1985 to help manage Quinta do Carmo, the family’s estate in Estremoz. Vinhos Dona Maria...

Robert Reynolds set down roots in Estremoz in 1850. His English father had arrived in Porto in 1820, where he set up a business exporting...

Wormwood, eucalyptus and tarmac frame black cherry and plum. Sage, rosemary and mint add regional character. Concentrated yet elegant, with vanilla-oak spice.

Lifted blackcurrant and blueberry lead into dark cherry, plum and blackberry. Fleshy, mouthcoating yet elegant. Robust tannins, black olive and chocolate. A mineral, savoury finish.

Sous bois, wet leaf and tobacco meet sweet-sour cherry and blackcurrant. Vibrant acidity, velvety fruit and resolved tannins, finishing long with sage, thyme and cinnamon.

Opens with potpourri, violet and black olive, followed by ripe black fruit, hay and forest floor. Velvety, persistent, mature and classically savoury. A warm, tobacco-spice...

Tobacco, black olive and Assam tea lead into dried dark fruit, leather and cedar. Svelte yet succulent, the mature palate retains juicy freshness beneath thyme,...

Cranberry, raspberry and red cherry gain leafy lift from eucalyptus and green wood. Fluid, silky and inviting, with soft zesty tannin, bright acidity and a...

Blackberry, plum and violet meet chocolate, leather and a stony mineral note. Full-bodied but poised, with crunchy fruit, ripe tannins, bright acidity and sweet spice....

Morello cherry, blackcurrant and plum, with a rose, violet and Earl Grey perfume. Succulent and concentrated, with balsamic freshness, minerality, anise, cardamom and cedar spice.

Dill pickle, forest floor and wet wood give a savoury cast to crushed blueberry, blackcurrant and cherry. Compact and full-bodied, with robust tannin, zesty acidity...

Focused blackcurrant and black cherry threaded with wet leaf, dried herbs and toast. Juicy and persistent, with muscular yet elegant tannins, citrus-zest energy and a...

Mint, violet and tobacco leaf mingle with blueberry, cherry and plum. Silky and evolved, with gentle tannin and bright acidity. Blood orange, cranberry and nutmeg...

Appealingly evolved, with sour cherry, plum and blackberry enlivened by pink grapefruit and rhubarb. Vibrant, juicy and finely delineated, with fresh acidity and a light...

Black cherry compote, plum and rose mingle with wet leaf, tobacco and Oolong tea. Generous and velvety, with charred oak, mocha and rockrose. Complex, with...

Blackcurrant, blackberry and plum edged with tapenade and violet. Smooth, powerful. Dense tannins, dark chocolate and earthy depth, enlivened by nutmeg, cardamom and saffron.

Strikingly fresh red and black fruit, joined by tobacco, sage and petrichor. Compact, powerful, poised. Wears its polished oak well. Spicy energy and tertiary earthiness...

Cherry and plum meet blood orange, pomegranate and pink grapefruit, with a touch of mace. Dense palate, with fine-grained tannin, gentle clove spice and a...

Blackberry and plum cloaked in cedar, eucalyptus, mint and dried herb. Rich and energetic, with refreshing drive. Mocha oak and a slightly drying edge narrow...

Raspberry, cranberry and orange peel, with floral perfume and balsamic lift. Energetic and fruit-driven. Combines bright acidity with smoky, assertive tannins. A strong sense of...

Wild strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate dance with lavender and bergamot. Juicy, fluid and vibrant, with an earthy, rustic edge. Fresh acidity and a savoury, characterful...

Caramel-tinged blackberry, dark chocolate, pomegranate, sour cherry and red plum. Dense and powerful, with smoky, slightly drying tannins, vivid acidity and tingling clove spice.

Blackberry, cherry and mulberry wrapped in thyme, sage and tarragon. Firm, concentrated, with dense, fine-grained tannins, chocolate and smoky grip, lifted by cherry-stone freshness.

Cherry and blackberry outlined by vivid acidity, wild herb and black olive. Concentrated, robust, with dense, grippy tannins and a tart lift. Oak remains slightly...

Blackberry and prune meet potpourri, Assam tea and mint chocolate. Dense yet elegant, the palate layers robust tannins, clove, black olive and forest floor. Finishes...

Opens with bramble, plum, dark berry, chocolate and baking spice. Plush, full-bodied, the palate with dried thyme, sage and tarragon. An earthy, balsamic, oak-spiced finish.