Handford Wines

The youthful Mario Sergio Alves Nuno founded this estate in 1990, and now has some 24 hectares, split between 11 hectares of white grape vines and 13 of red (including 5 hectares of ancient vines, and a proportion of the legendary Corga vineyard ) and a spiralling reputation both home and abroad. If one man can be said to greater influence on Bairrada than any other it is Alves. He is consultant to almost every single top estate in the region.

The Wine

Just 350 cases were made of the Reserva bottling. Obviously more deeply coloured than the Colheita, and with a terrific fragrance of pot pourri and rose petals ( which again becomes more pronounced after 24 hours) with more pronounced barrel character. The fruit is so ripe, that it is difficult to put down!. If you are going to drink it now, decant it the day before though, or keep up to 2007.

Single Bottle: £18.99

In a case of 12: £18.04