2019 Susana Esteban Procura Old Vines Red 3 x 0.75L 3 Bottles Alentejo Region WINEMAKER: Susana Esteban. AWARDS/RECOMMENDATIONS 18 Points, Vinho Grandes Escolhas 92 Points, Vinum Magazine (2017 Vintage) 95 Points, Revista Adega (2015 Vintage) WINE VARIETIES: Old Vines & Alicante Bouschet. VINIFICATION This wine is the result of my relentless search for very old vines in the Serra de São Mamede, at an altitude of 700 meters. I've been recovering them over the years. It was aged for 24 months in used French oak barrels brought from Burgundy, to preserve the vineyard's identity. TASTING NOTES Very dark red, almost black. Notes of ripe, intense fruit, though not overripe, are combined with tobacco and a mineral base, accompanied by a slight vegetal hint that adds an unusual complexity and tension. Vivid and powerful, austere yet delicate, it surprises with lively yet serene tannins, finishing fresh and vigorous. SERVING It goes well with game, red meat and cheese. Store in a cool, dry place, protected from light and temperature fluctuations. Serve at a temperature between 16ºC and 18ºC. Consume in moderation. HISTORY There is no one in Susana’s family connected to wine but Susana Esteban was born in Galicia, in the Rias Baixas region, Alvarinho area, which may have triggered her taste for wine. At 18 years old, when she didn´t know what to do in the future, she signs up for several wine tastings and enjoys it. She decides she wants to be a winemaker, when in fact she doesn’t really know what that means. She graduated in Chemical Engineering and completed a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology for two years in Rioja. It was on the final Master’s degree trip, in 1995, that she fell in love with Douro Valley. At that time she only knew Port Wine but Douro wines are a whole world that she is interested in discovering. She does an internship at Sandeman, which she considers a unique experience as she has the privilege of join the wine taster for a month. After that, a month of harvest in Douro and the certainty that she had to do something here was increasingly clear. Send several CVs, but nothing happens. She returns to Spain and works as a technical director in an agrochemical products distribution company. When she sees an advertisement in the newspaper asking for a production director for Quinta do Côtto she applies and is selected. This is where the great adventure begins, the Douro at the time had nothing to do with the Douro of today, the first steps were taken in exports. Susana stays at Quinta do Côtto for three years and is invited to Quinta do Crasto where she stays for another five years. She moves to Lisbon and the advisory services in Alentejo begin to be part of her days. In fact she still works with some of these wineries nowadays. It is in Alto Alentejo that she begins producing her wines, after searching for the best vineyards. It is no coincidence that its top wine is called PROCURA, word in Portuguese that means “search”. It is in Alentejo that she will continue making her wines, because it is here that she finds the terroir that she is most passionate about. She was the first woman to receive the “Winemaker of the Year” award in 2011 and in 2022 she was named “Producer of the Year”. National and international critics do not spare praise for its wines, which helped her to win a large number of important awards. PLEASE NOTE: This is a recurring auction. The seal number(s) you see on the photos might differ from the one(s) on your bottle(s).