Portugal | An Indulgent Afternoon at Herdade do Esporao Restaurant & Vineyard
Perched atop a small hill overlooking a valley of vineyards without another building in sight sits the Herdade do Esporao property. The working winery, tasting room and restaurant make for a perfect afternoon in Portugal's Alejanto region.
Upon entry you realize this is a place that celebrates art and design not only in food and wine but also in architecture, interiors and artwork. The central lobby has a stunning skylight, the restaurant lobby has several comfortable sitting areas decorated with local textiles and artwork is on the walls.
Wine Tasting
According to my host, the winery has over one thousand hectares of vineyards between the Alentejo, the Duoro in the north and closer to Portugal. They produce only organic wines and are one of the largest organic wine producers in the world.
Unlike American or French wines where single varietals are favored, Portuguese wines are trypically blends. Herdade do Esporao uses over 200 varietals to create their dozens of wines on offering.
In the tasting room I enjoyed a sampling of the winery's standard and reserve wines. The reserve bottles have beautiful labels designed each year by a new Portuguese artist. Some of the winery's favorite labels from past years can be found on the wall entering the restaurant across the lobby.
We started with the 2017 Colheita white. I found it light, crisp and refreshing.
The second was the 2016 white Esparao Reserve. It had moderate body, a mineral quality and was lightly oaked from the barrels it is aged in for a year.
Our third was the 2016 Trincadeira, a lighter red. It was a bit young tasting and is said to keep for 5-6 years.
Fourth was the 2015 red Esparao Reserve cabernet-heavy blend. It had some weight to it and was full-bodied.
Last was the red Esparao Private collection, the nicest bottle available to taste. A 95 or so score, said my host, it was quite dry and very heavy. A powerful wine that is meant to keep for 25 years.
As a bonus, they also shared a few of their beers for tasting. I tried the bock, a smooth and creamy version. I would have a hard time going back to a standard bock if I had this one on the regular! I also tried the Stout. Light for a stout and full of flavor.
I enjoyed the wines and walked away with a few bottles to take home.
Lunch
I heard the lunch was good but had no idea how wonderful it would really be. I opted for the 5-course tasting (there is also a la carte and a 7-course tasting as additional options) with wine pairing for 65 euros.
The restaurant is simple and has a full length patio covered by sprawling vines with views of the valley.
To start I was brought a series of spreads and warm bread basket. The spreads included goat milk butter (my favorite!), pork butter and olive oil, all freshly made on property.
My first course was an artful pigs head and fennel mustard toast.
Second was a slow-cooked gelatinous egg surrounded by crisp garlic and lime-aroma greens. In the bowl they poured a pureed purslane soup, a Portguese succulent I hadn't heard of before, and shredded goat cheese to finish the room temperature dish.
Third was the pike fish with small dried river shrimps and a lemony mint garnish from the property, only grown here in this region of Portugal. The dish also included a smokey pepper puree and grilled zucchini. The salty, fragrant dried shrimp add a beautiful shellfish fragrance. The shrimp and smokey pepper touches took what could be a somewhat straightforward vegetable puree and fish dish to another level.
Fourth was the locally-celebrated Alentejo pork. The meat was from the neck so extra tender, topped with a very thin slice of belly that was almost like butter melting on the pork. The dish also included mushrooms and peas with a garlic puree.
For dessert I enjoyed a lemon balm granita, strawberry ice cream and strawberries from the region. Bits of meringue with an earthy seasoning created a meld of salty, earthy and sweet.
Before sending me off they shared some sweets made from the property's wine. They had a strong acid to make them bright and salty.
The most memorable part of the meal was the amazing balance of salt. Truly, the dishes were so perfectly salted it was noticeable. The balance of earthiness, salt and sweet was perfect. Nothing was too sweet or heavy and all dishes were clearly ingredients-forward. It was a meal worth traveling for.
