“Iain Richardson produces impressive wines, deep, coloured, and complex.”
Soil Specificity
The soils in Alentejo can easily be divided into two sub-regions. Portalegre lies to the north east on the granite foothills of the São Mamede mountains, with cooler temperatures, giving complexity and freshness to the wines. Conditions are more challenging in the south part of Alentejo, with poor, limestone-based soils and a significantly hotter climate. Here, a new generation of producers has shown the potential of the terroirs around Vidigueria.
A Passionate Lineage
Herdade do Mouchao is a family business with history dating back to 1901. In 1974, the military dictatorship in Portugual seized the estate and the Reynolds and Richardson families had to wait 11 years before Herdade do Mouchao was returned to them. In 1986, the vineyards have been mostly replanted with Alicante Bouschet and other local grapes. Today, Herdade do Mouchao continues to be run by the descendants of the original family whose cellar and vineyard workers have been with them for generations. In the ever-changing world of winemaking, this estate remains traditional using process and techniques as it always has been.