XXVI Talhas - Palhete do Tareco

The “Do Tareco” series pays tribute to the small-scale winegrowers of Vila Alva. For thousands of years, they have upheld this tradition, crafting wine in small clay pots—known locally as “talhas”—using artisanal winemaking techniques in their own homes. These wines are produced in limited quantities and express a pure form of what can be considered the “new” Talha wine.

About the Vineyard

Location: Vila Alva

Soil: Schist and granite, low fertility

Planted: 1985

Farming: Organic (uncertified)

Vinification

Fully destemmed and gently crushed. Fermented with native yeasts for three months in clay talhas, without temperature control, in contact with skins and lees.

Harvest period: Late August

Harvest method: Hand-picked

Malolactic fermentation: Yes

Fining: None

Filtration: Naturally filtered as the wine passes through stems and grape solids inside the talha

Notable Rating

16.5 points – Julia Harding MW for Jancis Robinson, 2023 vintage

“Field blend of red and white grapes, including Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, Tinta Grossa. Officially, in the Alentejo, a palhete should be 85% red but that would make a red wine, says winemaker Ricardo Santos.Juicy red cherry, super-fresh and slightly smoky/sweaty (lapsang-like). Finely dry tannins and deliciously drinkable, which is the idea.” (JH)