Susana Esteban "Aventura" Tinto, Alentejo '20

Susana Esteban began her career as a winemaker in 1999 in the Duero region of Portugal and has become one of the country’s most notable winemakers. Born in Tui, in Galicia, Spain, she worked in the Duero as the winemaker at Quinta do Côtto, then at Quinta do Crasto in the early 2000s. In 2012, she found old vineyards near Portalegre, near the Spanish border in the southern region of Alentejo, with the characteristics she sought for her own project. She then began producing “Aventura,” a wine made without wood to emphasize the freshness and character of the fruit she works with. While the wines of Alentejo are often assumed to be full-bodied reds, given the dry, warm conditions of the region, winemakers such as Susana Esteben are showing that the region is capable of so much more.
 
“Aventura” is a blend of about 40% Aragonês (Tempranillo), 40% Touriga Nacional, and 20% traditional varieties of Portalegre. The wine was produced in small, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and bottled in July 2019.

Classic Alentejo, with brambly dark berry notes, hints of violet and spice. Medium plus bodied, with more bright fruit on the palate, and soft tannins. Great on its own, or pair with a smash burger.