The Enxarrama wine dates back to the late 13th century, making it one of the oldest documented winemaking regions in Évora. It is named after Évora's most significant river, now called Xarrama.
In the late 19th century, before phylloxera struck, it was considered the best wine in the region. According to Ferreira Lapa in 1867:
"Among all the wines of the Évora region, Enxarrama is the most appreciated and fetches the best price (...) It is more sought after than any other (...) for retail sale in the capital's warehouses (...). In Évora, there are other sites known for their wines; among them is Pêra Manca."
In this edition, at the location where the Enxarrama River originates, in our winery, we make our best effort to revive this important and iconic wine in the history of Alentejo and Portugal.
Our vineyards are dry-farmed, without irrigation, and certified organic, adhering to the Alentejo sustainability program.
Night manual harvest. The grapes are then hand-selected on a sorting table to ensure only the best fruit reaches the vat. The grapes are gently transferred to the fermentation vat by gravity, ensuring a smooth, long extraction. Fermentation is spontaneous, and maceration lasts 25 to 40 days. The secondary malolactic fermentation occurs partially in barrels (30%) and the rest in vats.
Predominantly granite with some schist.
The wine ages for 10 years before release, divided into 36 months in 228-liter French oak barrels, about 12 months in 500-liter vats, followed by 6 years in the bottle.
"Enxarrama wine is quite red and full-bodied, crystalline, tart-smelling, not sweet, with a warm and smooth flavor, well-pronounced tannins. It’s not alcoholic or aromatic, but strong and robust, which due to its tannins can tolerate its alcohol content (...) Perhaps for these reasons, as much as for its other qualities, it is sought after in retail stores in Lisbon more than any other Évora wine."
25 to 30 years old.
1,218 numbered bottles. Released in September 2024.
