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august 2009 / the tasting panel / 87 The Roquettes, exiled in Brazil dur- ing the Communist regime, returned and reclaimed their estate. It took ten years, but in 1987, they were able to break the coop- erative requirement by building a state-of- the-art winery on the property—with the most modern cellars in Europe at the time, including wine caves located 55 feet below ground, with a 2,500-barrel capacity. Hiring visionary enologist David Baver- stock as winemaker furthered Esporão's reputation as an international entity. An Aussie with modern ideas, Baverstock grew international varieties to blend with tradi- tional Portuguese grapes. "In addition to the pure indigenous varieties such as Aragonês [the region's version of Tempranillo], Tou- riga Nacional and Trincadeira, international vines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah were planted to be an important part of the acreage. David also brought the win- ery up to modern international standards," Wright says. Baverstock was named Winemaker of the Year in 1999 by Revista de Vinhos, Portugal's most respected wine magazine, and just last year the same publication voted Esporão its Winery of the Year for the second time. "We are recognized throughout Portugal," claims Wright, "and now we are proud to be gaining more global attention." Wright may be referring to the winery's most recent honor: a series of medals pre- sented at this year's first Wine Competition at WSWA, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Esporão 2004 Private Selection Garrafeira Alentejo Red won a Double Gold medal and was selected as Best Red of Show. The Esporão 2006 Alentejo Reser- va Red and 2007 Reserva White were awarded Silver Medals. The Esporão 2007 Private Selection White received a Bronze Medal. The wines were blind-tasted by top wine judges from around the country (see our July 2009 issue). For more information on the wines of Esporão, contact Kelly Wright at 810-623-6443 or email Kelly.Wright@esporao.com. Esporão Estate An historic estate founded in 1267, Herdade do Esporão has be- come a Portuguese national icon. A third of its expansive 5,000 acres is planted to grapes and a third to olive trees, while the re- maining land harbors wild boars and features a dammed lake that provides much-needed drip irrigation in this warm-weather region. Twenty-four wines are produced at the winery, from the every- day table wines of the Vinho de Mesa tier, sourced from grapes outside the estate's D.O.C., to the middle range Vinho Regional (including Monte Velho, the number-one value red wine in Portugal),to the top tier Esporão Alentejo D.O.C. wines. Alentejo D.O.C. is Portugal's largest wine region, covering most of the southeastern portion of the country. In addition to wine and a large portion of the world's supply of cork, the region is also known, as is Esporão, for its production of fine extra virgin olive oil. At this year's Wine Competi- tion at WSWA, the flavors of the Esporão 2004 Private Selection Alentejo Gar- rafeira Red wowed some of America's top palates and showcased the excitement offered by still wine expres- sions from a region just now gaining notoriety outside its own country. (The designa- tion garrafeira refers to a wine from Portugal that has been aged for at least two years in wood and for an additional year in the bottle.) The wine possesses a bold, smooth profile: deeply rich plum notes backed up with tanned leather and cranberry. The fresh, if not edgy, acidity leads to chalky tannins. The grapes (Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Aragonês) are all hand-selected in the vineyard and foot-crushed. SRP $55 The Winning-est Wine