João Claro Negra Mole, 2020

Pale bricky red. A mix of herbal notes and red fruits. Lively sweet-and-sour cherry with chalky-chewy tannic finesse. Deep and sustained, the freshness and the smooth, velvety texture in harmony. Very long. This variety seems very happy here and is much more interesting than most other reds, typically made with international varieties. (Julia Harding, 17 points, Jancis.Robinson.com)

Negra Mole

Sourced exclusively from the original 1974 parcel of Negra Mole, the grapes for this flagship cuvée were handpicked and carefully selected at the winery. A third of the grapes were crushed into open lagares, then topped with another third, comprising whole bunches. The top layer of grapes was also crushed and, after a cold soak, the wine slowly fermented, with manual punch downs for a gentle extraction/ The resulting wine was aged for 18 months, one part in stainless steel, another in seasoned, medium toast French oak 228l barriques. The wine was bottled after spending a further 6 months in stainless steel.

Serve at a temperature of 16 to 18ºC. Drink 2022-2025