Mouchao

Mouchao is one of the greatest and most traditional wine estates of the Alentejo and Portugal. 

Of the estate’s 900 hectares only 45 of the most fertile, have been dedicated to viticulture. Dating back to 1901, the earliest plantings were of the Alicante Bouschet variety, which accounts for about half of the grapes grown on the estate. Alicante Bouschet best expresses itself in a hot and dry climate and thrives in the deep, alluvial, well-drained soils of the valley floors of Mouchao. 

The Reynolds family, who built their business around cork for half a century, had strong ties with Portuguese viticulture with William Reynolds taking on the role as president of the National Committee against Phylloxera in the 1880s. The estate surrounded by the substantial whitewashed adobe walls and high, chestnut-beamed ceilings shelter nine open stone troughs, known as Lagares, four manual basket presses, dozens of century-old wooden vats, and a large wood-fired copper still – all continue to be used to this day. 

Whole-bunch fermentation in the open lagares is what predominantly imparts the underlying freshness and signature style of Mouchao’s red wines. Both the layout and operation of the winery have remained practically unchanged since its construction in 1901. Even with the arrival of electricity to the estate in 1991, the traditional winemaking methods have been carefully preserved. 

In today’s world, these meticulously guided traditions are a rarity, producing singular wines of exceptional style.