We should all know by now that there’s more to Portuguese wines than the cheerful ‘plonk plonk’ of Mateus Rose. Pirr wines can hold their own with the very best from Spain and France
Portugal is so in love with wine that it created the World Of Wine educational museum/theme park out of the massive old disused port sheds in Porto. When I visited last year I was amazed, and a little humbled, at just how many different wine regions there are in Portugal and just how many wines are available. My ignorance was embarrassing, but I left a wiser man.
Pirr Wines is a new Portuguese label from the Alentejo region that has already picked up a number of awards in its first year.
It’s a collection of white, red and rosé, each reflecting the warmth and character of the region. The white is crisp and mineral with bright citrus and stone fruit notes and the red smooth and expressive with ripe dark fruits and soft spice.
And now they have just released a new rosé for spring and summer.
Now I get a bit fed up with all the rosé marketing at this time of year, it becomes something of an avalanche of emails. Some that I taste are very good, some are very gimmicky, and some are rather disgusting and aimed squarely at the Prosecco pack. You know you’re in trouble when Goldie Looking Chain take the P out of you in a song.
Pirr have brought new life to ancient farming ground that had been neglected for a long time, the vineyards are at an altitude of 350m which makes them some of the highest in the Alentejo region.
Here the vines roots have to go down deep to find sustenance, which adds character to the grapes. A cooling ‘gentle breeze ‘ flows through and Pirr is the old word word for that wind.
At £23.95, Pirr Colheita Rosé is certainly not going to be found on the shelves at CostCutta. A blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonês, Pinot-Gris and Gewurztraminer grapes from north-facing vineyards at Vinha dos Toucinhos, Almodôvar, it’s a very unique and aromatic, its fresh red fruit notes, with tropical and oral undertones, the unique taste of Alentejano.
Each of those grapes adds to the wine’s structure, some grapes from the coast add a subtle salinity while the Gewurztraminer brings layers of aroma.
This a crisp and freshrosé with real appeal, seductive notes of red and tropical fruits are to the fore and there’s a balanced elegance that means it’s as happily at home on the dinner table as it is in a sunny garden.
Pirr Rose Price: £23.95
Available: Online via the PIRR Wines UK shop