It does not come as a surprise that the largest Portuguese agricultural property presents us their wines. But the Companhia das Lezírias’ exceptional portfolio graces and enrichens, like a unique gem, the already remarkable prestige of the Tagus region. Bernardo Cabral, its oenologist, has just been nominated by the Portuguese wine magazine “Revista de Vinhos” the best of 2015.
The Tagus region, extended up north of Lisbon, gently reveals its secrets. Companhia das Lezírias, the largest farm, cattle and forest area, has been producing wine since 1881. But it also produces cork, wood, olive oil, rice, beef, hunting and horses. One could think that all these countless activities would overshadow the vineyards for these cover only 130 hectares of the thousands that make the estate. But that does not happen.
Companhia das Lezírias is proud to present some of the most stimulating creations in the market. They would not exist if it weren’t for the wide selection of vine varieties, particularly the red ones, where Alicante-Bouschet stands out followed by Castelão, Trincadeira, Aragonez, Touriga-Nacional, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Touriga-Franca, TintaBarroca e Tinto Cão. Among the white ones, there is FernãoPires,Trincadeira das Pratas, Arinto, Roupeiro, Tália, Verdelho and Vital. A cold system and stainless steel vasts have been installed in the Cellar. Some renovations have also been made having special care in what concerns the balance of the fermentation in Algerian amphora – symbol of the House.
The portfolio exhibits the diversity and reach of the operation. The name Companhia das Lezírias designates wines of the vine varieties Castelão – a red wine, and FernãoPires – a white one. The regional ones have been named Catapereiro, a blend of several indigenous vine varieties. Every other year, a small blend of red is selected to age in small French oak barrels and the result is the Catapereiro Escolha.
The brand Tyto Alba has been standing out in international contests and among very demanding connoisseurs. The wine critic João Paulo Martins emphatically elects several instances of the portfolio in his 2016 wine guide.
The 2014 white Tyto Alba, reveals itself as “citrus with golden hints, ripe fruit aroma, with plums, apricot and lemon pie (…), soft and round on the mouth, but balanced by a good acidity”. A blend of Fernão Pires and Verdelho. The Vinhas Protegidas red Tyto Alba, a blend of three vine varieties with “ripe fruits, small violet hints, dense yet elegant profile, a suggestion of dry vegetable and light menthol”, gives “a very pleasant tasting and it will be a success at the table”, concludes the critic. Finally, the Vinhas Protegidas Touriga Nacional red Tyto Alba is a much appreciated vine variety “embedded in a ripe fruit cover with astringent notes (…) with light hints of menthol and eucalyptus”, with a good mouth proportion, fine tannins and adjusted body, perfect for consumption or collecting.
This small tour through the Companhia das lezírias’s wines would not be complete without homage to the extraordinary 1836 Grande Reserva red of 2012, deeply concentrated in color, with closed aromas with “some floral, hints of chocolate, black fruits, cocoa (…) the tannins are thin but still well noticeable, the texture is smooth and rough (…), the acidity is perfect. Is the wine great? It definitely is!” concludes the famous Portuguese Critic.
Summing up, the triumphs and consecrations of Companhia das lezírias are proof of how well the wine production has been ennobling the region. The art of Bernardo Cabral and his team, combined with the fervor of their origins, the respect for nature and the creativity of those who aim at success, allow us to prophesize a future as diverse and stimulating as the vast estate that harbors them.
