Casal da Coelheira, Reserva Red, 2023
Casal da Coelheira, Reserva Red, 2023
- Red Still
- 75.0cl
- 14.0%
- Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah
Casal da Coelheira is a family estate sitting in the Tejo, that broad, sun-baked river basin between Lisbon and the Alentejo that rarely gets the credit it deserves. This Reserva red is their calling card: a blend of native and international varieties that leans hard into the region's warmth without losing its footing. It has the structure of a wine made to last a few years in bottle, with tannins that still want a little time to settle, and a savoury, earthy backbone that keeps the ripe fruit honest.
We find this a confident, characterful wine that sits somewhere between the rusticity of the Alentejo and the lighter grip of the Dão.
- ❖ ABV: 14.0%
Grapes
Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah
Vintage report
Tejo in 2023 sat within a broader Portuguese vintage shaped by a warm, dry growing season — the kind that demands careful attention in the vineyard but rewards those who got the timing right. The region's continental interior meant heat accumulation was significant through the summer, and water stress was a real factor for less well-positioned sites. Producers who managed canopy and yields carefully harvested fruit with good concentration and ripe, well-integrated tannins; those who pushed their luck into the heat got something coarser. It was a vintage that sorted the attentive from the complacent.
The results lean toward richness rather than freshness — Castelão, Touriga Nacional, and Aragonez all produced wines with real body and depth, though the better examples hold onto enough acidity to give them shape and life. Whites from Fernão Pires and Arinto came in aromatic and full, best drunk sooner rather than later. The reds are drinking well now and will continue to do so over the next three to five years, with the more seriously made wines having room to settle until 2028 or beyond.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep, opaque ruby with a dark garnet core and minimal rim variation.
NoseSun-dried plum and blackberry lead, backed by dried rosemary, cracked black pepper, and a faint whiff of warm cedar from the oak. There is a pleasant earthiness underneath, like turned soil after rain, that gives the fruit a grounding weight.
PalateMedium-full bodied with firm, still-resolving tannins and good acidity for the vintage warmth. Dark fruit plays alongside cured olive and a hint of tobacco, with the oak sitting in the background rather than dominating. It wants food.
FinishWarm, spiced, and moderately long, with the tannins leaving a pleasant grip and a lick of dark chocolate on the back of the palate.
Overall impressionA serious, food-driven Reserva that punches above its price point and has a few good years ahead of it.
Food Pairings
In the Tejo, this kind of wine is made for the table rather than the tasting room. Locals would reach for it alongside ensopado de borrego, a slow-braised lamb stew with bread soaking up the cooking juices, or migas com entrecosto, the region's satisfying pork-and-fried-breadcrumb combination. Grilled black Iberian pork with roasted peppers and coarse salt would be a natural match, as would a substantial aged ewe's milk cheese like Serpa. In autumn, game dishes such as wild boar with chestnuts are a classic pairing throughout the Portuguese interior and suit this wine very well.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 17°C, no warmer given the wine's natural warmth. We would decant for at least 45 minutes, ideally closer to an hour and a half, to let the tannins open up and the fruit breathe. A large-bowled Bordeaux-style glass will give the wine room to expand. If you are drinking it young, decanting is not optional.
The Tejo's vineyards occupy a broad alluvial and plateau landscape either side of the Tagus river, with soils that range from sandy loams near the water to heavier clay-limestone on higher ground. Casal da Coelheira's estate sits on this denser, more mineral clay-limestone ground, which gives the wine its firm tannic backbone and keeps the fruit from tipping into over-ripeness despite the warm continental summers. Atlantic influence from the west provides diurnal shift that helps retain acidity and freshness in the finished wine.
Tejo (formerly known as Ribatejo) is a large DOC stretching along the Tagus river east of Lisbon, producing mainly red wines from both native varieties like Castelão and Aragonez and international grapes. For many years the region was associated with volume production on the fertile riverside soils, but estate-level producers on the higher, leaner ground have steadily shifted the conversation towards quality. Compared to its neighbour the Alentejo to the south, Tejo reds tend to be slightly less opulent and more structured, with the best examples offering genuine age-worthiness at accessible prices.
Tejo in 2023 sat within a broader Portuguese vintage shaped by a warm, dry growing season — the kind that demands careful attention in the vineyard but rewards those who got the timing right. The region's continental interior meant heat accumulation was significant through the summer, and water stress was a real factor for less well-positioned sites. Producers who managed canopy and yields carefully harvested fruit with good concentration and ripe, well-integrated tannins; those who pushed their luck into the heat got something coarser. It was a vintage that sorted the attentive from the complacent.
The results lean toward richness rather than freshness — Castelão, Touriga Nacional, and Aragonez all produced wines with real body and depth, though the better examples hold onto enough acidity to give them shape and life. Whites from Fernão Pires and Arinto came in aromatic and full, best drunk sooner rather than later. The reds are drinking well now and will continue to do so over the next three to five years, with the more seriously made wines having room to settle until 2028 or beyond.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
It is a firm, earthy red built around dark plum and dried herbs, with a backbone of grippy tannins and a warm, spiced finish. Think more structured and food-driven than opulent or easy-drinking.
When should I drink it?
It is approachable now with food and a good hour of decanting, but the sweet spot is probably 2028 to 2031 when the tannins soften and the fruit and oak fully knit together. We would drink it by 2032.
Is it worth cellaring?
Yes, in a modest way. This is not a wine that needs a decade in the cellar, but two to four more years will genuinely improve it. If you have a few bottles, open one now and sit on the rest.
What food should I serve it with?
Slow-braised lamb or pork, grilled Iberian black pork, aged Portuguese cheeses, or any robust meat-and-root-vegetable dish. It is firmly in the food-wine camp rather than a glass-on-its-own proposition.
How should I serve it?
Serve at around 17°C and decant for at least 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Use a large-bowled glass to give the wine room to open up.
How does Tejo compare to Alentejo?
Tejo tends to produce wines that are slightly less opulent and more structured than the Alentejo to the south. The better estate wines, particularly from higher ground with clay-limestone soils, have genuine grip and age-worthiness, and usually represent excellent value compared to their neighbours.
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