Portugal's winemaking goes back centuries. Wine was already being successfully produced in the 17th century. The entire wine industry received a boost with the discovery of port. From then on, port became the dominant wine. After Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, thanks to the availability of EU subsidies, many winemakers were bold enough to switch to "regular" wines. A successful move, as Portugal is now increasingly featured in many top ten lists.
Casa Santos Lima is a leading Portuguese wine producer that has been focusing entirely on winemaking since 1990. They invested, renovated, and expanded. New vineyards were purchased and replanted by the Santos Lima family. The estate now exceeds 400 hectares and was established in several leading regions: the Algarve, Douro, Alentejo, and Lisbon. They have become a major player, particularly in the latter wine region, which is not entirely coincidentally the home base of Bons Ventos Tinto Casa Santos Lima.
One of the winery's true gems is this Bons Ventos Tinto Casa Santos Lima. It's a wine where the Santos Lima family's expertise truly shines. It's a quartet of Portuguese grapes. Grapes that may not be famous by name, but are certainly famous by taste. They are Castelao, Camarate, Tinta Miuda, and Tourige Nacional. The latter is well-known, partly because of its port. By creating a balanced blend and giving it a short oak aging, you get an unparalleled flavor palette: blackcurrant, fresh figs, plums, herbs, licorice, and, of course, oak. Exceptionally deep.
