Alentejo Talhas & Tiago Macena

Talhas create wine vessels, besides being crafted for winemaking they also serve as aesthetic art. Photo Jo Diaz, all rights reserved.©

My last trip to Portugal awakened my mind to the wonders of amphorae, being a world wine vessel of antiquity, and now revised modernity. Separate from my early adventures in Portugal, something very new was happening. It was the revived passion for vessels of clay with wine. One of the people playing a major role in my Talha education was Tiago Macena. And this is his story.

Tiago Macena, from their Website.

As an FYI, the following images were all photographed by David Morgado, who works with Tiago Macena. Tiago refers to David as the “guy behind” the camera. I know that gig well enough to kindly ask you to not copy David’s images, as all rights are reserved.

Gorgeous Nectar from Talha Gods

This is what makes us all want to sniff, swirl, and sip, right from a Talha. THIS is the fascination.

An Alentejo Talha, swilling with delicious flavors

Tiago Macena is referenced by Codigo Wines: “Meet the visionary mind behind wines that echo with heavenly poetry. Our winemaker is a true alchemist, he transforms grapes into masterpieces that tell cosmic stories through each wine.”

Tiago Macena is highly regarded in Portugal’s Alentejo region, and was part of the media presentation I attended. I recently wrote about Herdade Rocim’s Amphora Event and then decided to dig even deeper. Like wine, the amphorae are equally ancient, continually expanding ripples in history, and I find them fascinating.Questions And Answers ~ Tiago Macena

I decided that I wanted to know more, from Tiago Macena’s perspective, so I sent along some questions. His answers are historically and oenologically enlightening, and is someone for me to be continuing to follow.

Talha Production, in all shapes and sizes. Side by Side wine cellar. Talhas and Stainless Steel. Photo ©David Morgado

When did you first become curious about Talhas?

I started to pay attention to Talhas in 2018, and joined a project that was just starting then called Adega Marel, Alentejo in Amareleja. Amareleja is a small village, from the inland Alentejo DOC region. Here, along, other villages there is a strong and old tradition of the use of Talhas. Mostly they were used for producing wine for domestic consumption.

I was surprised in December 2017, when I tasted a superb white wine made in Talha from the previous harvest. It was made at home by the grandfather of the actual CEO of Adega Marel. So, I said to our team, at Adega Marel, “We need to work with this vessel,” from that moment on.

A cap of fermenting grapes.

And, what caused that curiosity?

My curiosity was triggered by the “hands off” approach to winemaking, and the superb result shown by that white wine. From that moment on, I kept on studying and trying other wines. I knew about Qveris, but I needed to know more. So, I kept on exploring the full versatility of the Talhas. This was regarding all of it, from fermentation and maturation, to the maturating of wines vinified in stainless steel.

Cap created by fermented grapes.

What do Talhas mean to you historically

Talhas are a very old Roman legacy, from a time where oak, stainless steel, and concrete were not an option. In the remote inland villages of Alentejo, that old tradition survived. Now there’s a niche market that’s available to try and consume this style of wines. When producing a Talha wine, we’re somehow, promoting travel back in time to the taste of ancient wines and techniques. Simultaneously, it’s a super versatile vessel that enhances wine complexity given the macro-oxidative fermentation and the micro-oxidative ageing.

Steps included in Talha wine making.

What do they add to a wine’s overall composition

Versus the use of barrels, besides the toasty flavors

Due to Talha’s porosity, we work with those that were “cooked” with no possibility of vitralization. As a result, it allow wines to receive micro-doses of oxygen during maturation, if well topped up. If we do a good job maintaining them, it lasts for a long period of time. We have a clay vessel – Talha, from the 1800’s.

The barrels, depending on the size, shape, and wood used, impart the wine’s character. It’s either more or less aromas of oak (toast, vanilla, smoke, spices), and tannins (wood tannins). Barrels are a vessel that add more elements to the wine, when young. As barrels age, they lose that input of aromas and flavours, which contributes to enhance their palate structure. Barrels have a shorter life span, due to the micro-oxygenation that wood allows.

Winemaking with Talhas in the Alentejo Region of Portugal.

What causes you to choose a Talha

Over the use of oak, for a specific wine?

My decision depends on the future wine itself. I work with both vessels, depending on the future brand. We may use one, the other, or even both. I have a white wine, in Dão (Terracota), that’s fermented and matured in clay (Talha), and then it ages in used old French oak 500L barrels. Both elements are part of the winemaker tools to build wine complexity.

Talhas for winemaking

Tiago Macena’s Perfect Last Thoughts

The only thought that I see as important to add is to clearly differentiate “Vinho de Talha” from clay aged or even fermented wines. “Vinho de Talha” is a quality designation, which is within the DO Alentejo geographic delimitation. Vinho de Talha has own rules, such as a minimum ageing up to November 11^th (St. Martin’s day), with full skin contact. Clay-aged, mature wines is a chance for exploration, in any winemaker and in any geography. Clay is a material that allows for a range of textures and flavors, according to the wine styles produced.