Terra d'Alter Telhas Branco is a complex and sophisticated Rhone style Viognier with light gold colour alongside visible green reflections.  The nose is lifted with a great deal of pronounced fruit including apricots, greengages and a hint of toasty vanilla spice.  On the rather full palate the same fruit presents with ripeness and a refreshing crisp spine.  The finish is balanced with the rich fruit complementing the elegant oak flavours and complex structure of the lees aging.

Vineyard and Winery

The Viognier for Terra d'Alter Telhas Branco is planted on the top ridge of the producer's Antas vineyard.  This is a probable site of a Roman Villa as this block is littered with terracotta tile fragments hence the name 'Telhas' which is Portuguese for roof tiles.
The fruit, which was handpicked, is grown on the austere granitic soils of the Antas vineyard.  After picking and sorting the fruit was crushed and left with the skins for two days before fermentation which took place in new oak barrels.  The wine was then aged on lees for 11 months.  Very similar to the traditional methods of Condrieu in the Northern Rhone.

About the Producer

The Alto Alentejo is a high-quality wine-producing region two hours’ drive inland from Lisbon where vineyards date back to Roman times. The landscape is mainly flat with some hills and is characterised by distinctly Mediterranean edaphoclimatic conditions, though some areas have a continental microclimate. Its soils are notable for their diversity, ranging from the granitic soils of Portalegre and the calcareous and crystalline soils of Borba to the brown and red soils of Évora, Granja/Amareleja and Moura and the slate soils of Redondo, Reguengos and Vidigueira.

The Terra d’Alter vineyards are structured according to the new world approach, designed with the assistance of the University of Fresno, California. The vines are planted using modern training and irrigation techniques, facilitating treatment and ensuring quality. They cover extensive plains and gentle hills, always providing intense exposure to sunlight which assists the grapes’ development, maturation and quality. Many indigenous varieties are grown plus international varieties such as Viognier.

Peter Bright is the oenologist. Peter is the original ‘flying winemaker’, a dynamic and enterprising Australian who has lived in Portugal since 1982, his motto is “experiment, but don’t mix styles”.