Susana Esteban Special Edition 2018

Susana Esteban — Special Edition 2018

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate): 95/100

Context

Special Edition 2018 is, without any doubt, a singular wine in Susana Esteban’s career. Sourced from a naturally small and exceptional harvest in the Serra de São Mamede, this red wine is the result of a rigorous selection of just five barrels, chosen for their depth, complexity, and extraordinary aging potential.

Initially conceived as a pure Alicante Bouschet — a variety Susana regularly works with in Procura — the wine ultimately incorporated a small proportion of old-vine fruit (around 14% of the total), further enhancing its structural and aromatic dimension. Aging extended over three years in used 225-liter barrels, prior to bottling in December 2021.

According to Robert Parker, this is an “old-fashioned” Alicante, in the sense of the great wines of the past: deep, serious, powerful, yet with remarkable freshness and acidity — a wine clearly built for the very long term. One of those rare wines that, in his words, “happen perhaps once a decade.”

Terroir

The grapes come from high-altitude vineyards in the Serra de São Mamede, one of the coolest and latest-ripening zones in the Alentejo. Here, ripening is slower, nights are cool, and the natural balance of the grapes allows for wines of great structure without sacrificing freshness — a decisive factor for this wine’s longevity.

Vinification and Aging

The harvest was carried out manually, in 20 kg boxes, with strict selection at the winery.
Fermentation took place in lagares, followed by extended aging of 36 months in used French oak barrels (225 L), allowing for slow, deep, and fully integrated evolution of the wine.

Tasting Notes

The nose is intense, deep, and complex, with ripe black fruit, notes of graphite, spices, damp earth, and a very pronounced mineral backbone. Despite its power, it reveals surprising aromatic subtlety — something rare for Alicante Bouschet, which only in truly exceptional years reaches this level of finesse.

On the palate, it is broad, deep, and structured, with firm yet extremely polished tannins, excellent acidity, and an energy that sustains a long, serious finish. A wine of great concentration, yet never heavy, with a clear vocation for aging over decades.

Robert Parker recommends patience, emphasizing that the wine continues to improve in bottle and pointing to a potential aging window of up to 40 years.

Pairings

A wine of great structure and nobility, ideal with:

• long-cooked roasted meats

• lamb and game

• intense oven-baked dishes

• aged, long-matured cheeses

Service and Cellaring

Temperature: 16–18 °C
Decanting: highly recommended
Aging potential: exceptional (several decades)

Technical Sheet

Producer: Susana Esteban
Wine: Special Edition
Vintage: 2018
Region: Alentejo
Classification: Vinho Regional Alentejano
Grape origin: Serra de São Mamede

Grape varieties:

• Majority Alicante Bouschet

• Old Vines

• Touriga Nacional

Harvest: Manual, in 20 kg boxes, with strict selection
Vinification: In lagares
Aging: 36 months in used French oak barrels (225 L)
Bottling: December 2021
Production: 1,470 bottles (221 lost in an accident)
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Total acidity: 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.52

Score

95/100 — Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)