2018 Divai Alicante Bouschet Alentejano
Alicante Bouschet is a vine cross that was developed in France in the 1850’s and made its way to Portugal where it took off in popularity as a blending component. Here, it’s beautifully handled as a single-varietal in a manner that takes full advantage of this unique, red-fleshed grape. Deep and rich with dak plum and berry flavors on a subtle backdrop of oak, this has ample but fine tannins on a full-bodied frame. It’s an elegant, balanced affair with good aging potential.
This is a young house in an ancient region, producing magnificent wines that reflect the unique character of the terroir. They pride themselves on combining the best traditions of the past with the most modern winemaking techniques, melding craftsmanship and technology to get to the soul of the grape. We chose the Alicante Bouschet from DIVAI as much because of the uniqueness of the varietal as the skill of winemaker Luis Duarte. Alicante Bouschet is a rarity in that its flesh is as red as its skin. It’s prized as a blending grape for its intensity in both color and flavor, but also for its vigor. It was a life-saver just after the phylloxera blight and during prohibition, when desperate folks could order bricks of the stuff for making “bathtub wine”!