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Quinta do ZambujeiroAlentejo

€79.80
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TECH SHEET

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Vintage
2021
Country
PortugalPortugal
Region
Alentejo
Type
Red
Producer
Quinta do Zambujeiro
Winemaker
Alain Bramaz e Luís Lourinho
Grapes
Alicante BouschetTouriga Nacional
Alcohol
15.5% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

Red

Body
Tannin
Acidity
Alcohol15.5% vol
Intensity

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · Red

Body

Level 4 of 5 — Full and broad – like single cream

In line with typical (3.8) · Typical: average of 711 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad This wine
  5. 5Full: dense and rich

In practice, for this wine

Wants dishes with structure: red meat, roasts, mushrooms, aged cheese.

Wine profile · Red

Tannin

Level 4 of 5 — Firm – like strong black tea

Above typical (3.2) · Typical: average of 708 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Tannins come from grape skins, seeds and oak. They give red wines structure and ageing potential, and soften with time.

Where you feel it

On your gums, inside your cheeks and on your teeth: that rough, drying feel, like after strong black tea.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

Labs measure total polyphenols (the TPI index), but that figure is rarely published. Our scale rates the amount and texture of the tannins in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: silky
  2. 2Medium−: soft
  3. 3Medium: present
  4. 4Medium+: firm This wine
  5. 5High: robust

In practice, for this wine

Shines with red meat and fat: protein softens tannin. Decanting helps.

Wine profile · Red

Acidity

Level 3 of 5 — Fresh and balanced – like a green apple

Below typical (3.6) · Typical: average of 702 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced This wine
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy

In practice, for this wine

Versatile at the table: grilled fish, poultry, warm salads. Moderate chilling lifts the freshness.

Wine profile · Red

Alcohol 15.5% vol

Level 5 of 5 — Warm and intense – a lingering heat

Above typical (4.2) · Typical: average of 716 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 15.5% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more This wine

In practice, for this wine

Wants rich dishes, served a little cooler to tame the heat. Small glasses, no rush.

Wine profile · Red

Intensity

Level 4 of 5 — Expressive – the aromas leap from the glass

In line with typical (3.9) · Typical: average of 84 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Aromatic intensity is how strongly the aromas come through: fruit, flowers, spice, oak, notes of age.

Where you feel it

On the nose, before you sip: how strongly the aromas rise from the glass. Swirling releases them.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

It is a sensory judgement, with no lab figure. We only show it when the wine's description or a review mentions it.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Subtle: you have to look for it
  2. 2Delicate
  3. 3Medium: clear aromas
  4. 4Expressive This wine
  5. 5Pronounced: fills the glass

In practice, for this wine

Holds up to aromatic cooking: herbs, gentle spice.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 16–18 °CIf the room is above 20 °C, 15 min in the fridge
GlassBordeaux glass
Open ahead 15 min · No decanting

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Description

Zambujeiro 2021 is the 2021 vintage of the wines made by the prestigious Quinta do Zambujeiro, in the Borba sub-region of the Alentejo. This vintage spans several well-known ranges.

The Wine AdvocateRP 93+Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2021 Zambujeiro, the estate's top wine, is powerful, ripe and generously oaked, made from a blend of 31% Alicante Bouschet, 29% Aragonez, 13% Touriga Nacional, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Touriga Franca, 6% Petit Verdot and 1% Tinta Caiada. It fermented in wooden and stainless-steel vats and aged for 26 months in French oak barrels, 80% new.

It has 15.5% alcohol, a full-bodied palate and abundant tannins. According to the producer, it's a concentrated, dense wine with intense, ripe aromas and solid tannins. It's a profile that will mainly please fans of this style; personally, I find it a little excessive, though very good within its expression. 6,600 bottles were produced. It was bottled in May 2024.

Quinta do Zambujeiro was one of the first estates to receive foreign investment in the Alentejo, in 1999. Today it has 28 hectares next to the winery and another 10 hectares in Estremoz. In 2026, more Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet vines are being planted. Vine ages range from 15 to over 60 years, at an average altitude of 400 metres in the Serra de Ossa.

The estate has 520 French oak barrels of 225 litres, up to 10 years old, used to age the wines. In the past the wines tended to be fuller, richer and relatively high in alcohol, but today they show a more balanced, refined expression. Annual production ranges from 100,000 to 120,000 bottles. Quinta do Zambujeiro currently has no importer in the United States.

The wet winter of 2021 replenished water reserves, while an equally wet spring increased fungal disease pressure. A very hot, dry summer followed, giving high yields and requiring strict crop control through bunch thinning. The result was wines with moderate sugar levels but excellent colour, tannic structure and phenolic complexity, helped by cool nights during harvest.

In 2022, a dry winter and spring meant the most sensitive plots had to be irrigated early in the summer. However, the combination of hot days and very cool nights during ripening gave grapes of exceptional complexity and high quality.

Published: 11 June 2026

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.