Malhadinha Nova Monte da Peceguina Tinto

New Label for the 202 vintage!

Hugely popular and delicious to boot, this smooth, balanced and dark red is one of the leading lights in the modern Portuguese wine scene and has helped reignite the country's image overseas for the past two decades. Made from Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tinta Miúda, it is difficult to find a comparable wine: but this is part of its charm. Independent and true, it is a pure, juicy and captivating wine that has won the hearts of wine-lovers for years.

The Malhadinha Nova farm is a stunning Alentejo estate that has grown to allow for the sharing of its beauty with anyone who wants to visit, through a series of self-contained apartments and villas across the estate. From a wine perspective, they got off to an unbelievable start when, only three vintages in, a holiday-making Robert Parker dropped in, tasted the wines and declared that a new Portugal had been born. But it's not as though they only have a Midas touch.

The family-owned and family-run operation is the result of the success of many years in the wine business of the Soares family who own a large number of shops in the predominantly touristic area of the Algarve. This knowledge of the industry gave them an understanding of the palates of their target market and also, critically, an outlet for their wines to be sold and appreciated. They remain humble and modest as owners of the estate, and though they are always looking for what to do next, they are immensely appreciative of what they have.

One charming example of this is the labeling of their bottles, which feature a drawing by one of their children for each new vintage that they produce. In this way they are true: the wines stay from the same estate but they change every year.