Owned by Paulo de Santurninno Cunha, Quinta do Alqueve, in the Ribetajo region of Portugal has been reviewed by native wine journalists as one of the best young wineries in the country. Approximately 40 miles north of Lisbon, nearly 100 acres of tightly spaced vineyards were planted 20 years ago in the sandy, dry, calcareous soil. In addition to Syrah, Cunha has also planted the traditional grape varieties that originate from the region of Porto, including Touriga Nacional, Periquita and Tinto Roriz, better known as Tempranillo. Yields are severely controlled, crop-thinning is done twice each season and all the fruit is picked by hand and hand-sorted before vinification. The total quantities of wine available from this terrific property will be limited by the low yields the vineyards produce and the careful selection process that is done for these bottlings.

"Excellent value." Robert Parker

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Syrah
100% Syrah aged entirely in small, new oak barrels.
2001 $32.99

Touriga Nacional
100% Touriga Nacional aged in 100% small, new oak barrels.
2001 $26.99
Complex nose packed with powerful black currant, smoke and spice notes. Tightly reined in at first, with expanding notes of plum and black raspberry coming through as the wine sits in the glass. Rich and chocolatey on the finish, with richness balanced by firm tannic structure. A large scaled and full bodied wine that should benefit from a few years in the cellar, but is great now with grilled meats and aggressively flavored foods. If you like Howell Mountain Cabernets, you will fall in love with this wine.

Ancestral
A bigger, more structured wine, featuring a predominance of Touriga Nacional complimented by Tinta Roriz and Periquita. Entirely aged in small barrels of which 1/3 were new.
2001 $12.99
Very dark color. A solid core of plummy fruit in the nose is intertwined with interesting notes of minerals and spice. A bigger, more structured wine than the Tradicional, with more intensely focused flavors that turn smoky and more vibrant on the finish. Chewy tannins backstop the incredible fruit concentration.

Tradicional
A blend of 1/3 each Touriga Nacional, Periquita and Tinto Roriz aged in a combination of small oak barrels and large foudres.
2001 $8.99
Lots of bright red raspberry fruit on the nose. Vivid ripe currant, cherry and raspberry fruit layer the palate. Uncommon concentration of flavors for a wine in this price range. The finish is intense, with notes of minerals and cocoa powder turning the wine more complex at the end.