Herdade do Mouchão

Thomas Reynolds founded the estate in 1824 as a cork export business. Wine production began in the late 19th century, and in 1901 his descendant John Reynolds planted the first vineyards and built the winery that still operates today. The first wine was bottled in 1949. Following the 1974 Portuguese revolution the estate was expropriated, and the family recovered it in 1985. The winery did not receive electricity until 1991. Through nationalization, expropriation, and return, Mouchão has remained the oldest continuously active winery in Alentejo.

• Founded 1824 by Thomas Reynolds as a cork export enterprise
• First vineyards planted and winery built 1901 by John Reynolds
• Expropriated post-1974 revolution; returned to Reynolds family 1985
• Electricity connected to the winery only in 1991

The estate covers 900 hectares in total, with 45 hectares under vine in a eucalyptus-fringed valley crossed by two small rivers. Elevation sits at 230 metres above sea level. Soils vary across the property, ranging from well-drained alluvial soils on valley floors to clay, red Mediterranean soils overlying chalk, and gravelly soils on higher ground. Roughly half the planted area is Alicante Bouschet, the variety that defines the estate's identity. Mouchão was the first property in Portugal to plant Alicante Bouschet, sourcing it from professors at Montpellier in the late 19th century. Red varieties also include Trincadeira, Aragonês, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Syrah. Whites are made from Antão Vaz, Arinto, and Verdelho.

• 45 hectares of vines, approximately half planted to Alicante Bouschet
• Diverse soils: alluvial valley floors, clay, red Mediterranean soils over chalk, gravelly higher ground
• Old riverbed microclimate provides natural freshness in a hot, dry continental setting
• Deep underground water access allows dry farming without irrigation

The 1901 winery operates with nine stone lagares, four manual presses, and century-old wooden vats. All grapes are hand-harvested and foot-trodden in the stone lagares, a technique preserved without interruption since the winery opened. After fermentation, wines age for a minimum of four to five years in large old vats made from Portuguese oak, chestnut, mahogany, and macacaúba. No new oak is used. This extended aging in large, neutral vessels gives Mouchão wines their distinctive structure and longevity. The estate produces approximately 220,000 bottles per year.

• Nine stone lagares and four manual presses still in active use
• Minimum 4-5 years aging in large neutral vats of Portuguese oak, chestnut, mahogany, and macacaúba
• No new oak; extended maceration and aging are central to house style
• 220,000 bottles produced annually

The top wine, Mouchão Tonel No 3-4, carries a name rooted in the estate's difficult history. During the nationalization period between 1974 and 1986, only two wooden vats survived. The wine is named after those two barrels, Tonel No 3 and Tonel No 4, as a direct acknowledgment of what was nearly lost. The wine is Alicante Bouschet-dominant, aged for the full minimum period in old wood, and built for extended cellaring.

• Named after the only two vats surviving the 1974 to 1986 nationalization
• Alicante Bouschet is the dominant variety in the blend
• Built for long aging; not intended for early consumption
• Represents the unbroken winemaking tradition of the Reynolds family