Casal da Coelheira, Terraços Do Tejo Red, 2023

Grapes

Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah

Vintage report

The 2023 growing season in Alentejo was defined by heat and drought — not exactly a surprise in southern Portugal, but particularly intense that year. Rainfall was well below average across the season, and summer temperatures pushed hard in July and August, stressing vines and concentrating berries early. Growers with older, deep-rooted vines on schist and granite had the advantage, as those vineyards held up better under the pressure. Yields were down across the board, and harvest came early for most producers, with speed and precision in picking making a real difference to the final result.

What came out of 2023 is structured, concentrated, and often quite firm — Alicante Bouschet, as you'd expect, took the heat in its stride and delivered dense, ink-dark reds with real grip. Aragonez and Trincadeira are the variables: the best examples are focused and serious, the lesser ones a touch raisined where grapes were picked too late. The whites, particularly those from higher-altitude plots and Antão Vaz, are better than you might expect — taut and mineral rather than blowsy. Reds at the serious end need another year or two; the more approachable mid-weights are drinking well now and will hold until 2027 or 2028.