While the name Gloria Reynolds may not sound very Portuguese, the Reynolds family  history in the country goes back nearly 200 years. It all started in 1820 when English merchantThomas Reynolds moved to Oporto with his two sons Thomas and Robert, lured by the wine business and seeking to supply their London commercial store with an array of Iberian products. In 1838 they entered into the cork industry where they established a factory just over the border in Albuquerque, Spain, where they remained for 11 years, continuing to open more factories in both Spain and Portugal. Then in 1850, Thomas and his namesake moved to New Zealand never to return, while Robert remained in Portugal to look after the family business, which he soon expanded with a land purchase where he began producing wine. Since then, the Reynolds family have made their home in Alentejo, where Robert’s son Robert Rafael, had a son named Carlos, who in turn had a daughter Gloria, the wineries namesake. Gloria’s son, Julian, looks after the family business to this day and continues the Reynold’s winemaking legacy.

The wines made at Gloria Reynolds are produced from traditional varieties in the Alentejo region; Trincadeira, Aragonês (Tempranillo in Spain), Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro, as well as the French variety Alicante Bouschet which the Reynolds family introduced to Portugal over a century and half ago. Using only large oak casks from the famous French cooper, Seguin Moreau, the Gloria Reynolds wines are truly artisanal. All the grapes are hand picked during harvest, fermented, and each lot is aged separately in oak barrels also from Seguin Moreu-the end result are wines with power, structure, and finesse.

Website: www.gloriareynolds.com

2006 Gloria Reynolds “Tinto Real”

Varieties: 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Alfrocheiro

Color: Deep pomegranate

Nose: Mix of old and new Portugal. Ripe red berries, subtle oak notes, hints of exotic spice, earth and barnyard.

Mouth: Round and chewy palate, with red berries and dried cherries on the finish.