Some very good wines have been coming out of vineyards on the Alentejo’s west coast over recent years, amongst them from Norwegian-owned Vicentino Wines located near Zambujeira do Mar, not far from the Algarve border, where 4.5 of the 60 hectares are planted with Pinot Noir.
The grape fares well in the cooler climate of the west coast and the winery makes an excellent oak-aged Pinot Noir Reserva – the 2016 is currently on the market costing just under €30.
But the decision was taken last year to make something quite different from the 2019 vintage.
What we have here is a relatively cheap and very cheerful rendition of Pinot Noir; a light, fresh and fruity red designed to be drunk young and slightly chilled and costing €9.95 at Apolónia supermarket.
The bottle carries a tag explaining that this wine is “Naked”, referring to minimal intervention and no use of oak and exemplified by being presented in a clear glass bottle, allowing the vibrant ruby red colour to show through.
Drink slightly chilled; an hour in the fridge is plenty and do not over-chill in order to enjoy the fresh aromas of cherries and strawberries.
