If the dozens of small family-run adegas and tavernas serve as the chapels and parish churches keeping talha tradition alive and villagers in everyday wine, then José de Sousa is talha culture’s cathedral. 

Echoing Villa Romana de S. Cucufate’s gothic arched ceilings, cool, dark, atmospheric subterranean cellar and neat rows of 114 large talha, it certainly looks the part.

But there is a spiritual connection here as well. Just as the soul of home-made talha wine was nearly snuffed out in the late 20th century, José de Sousa’s direct link back to large scale Roman production came dangerously close to extinction in the 1980s. 

What most of us don’t realize in the 2020s is that back in 1986, outside of Georgia and a handful of villagers in Alentejo, virtually no one was making wine in clay pots. Hardly anyone outside of these areas even knew it was possible. This was a good fifteen years before the first Italian winemakers started playing around with this ancient technology that helped establish the modern ‘amphora’ movement. And it was twenty-five years before Alentejo established its Vinho de Talha DOC rules. 

The story of José de Sousa’s resurrection is central to the modern revival of talha winemaking (see historical overview section). Established on the outskirts of Reguengos de Monsaraz in 1878, Casa Agrícola José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes (with nearby vineyards at Herdade do Monte da Ribeira) was a massive wine making factory containing around 120 large (1500+ liter) talhas with production capacity well over 100,000 bottles. Among the most venerated of Alentejo’s grand old 19th century wine producers, Mouchao, Tapata do Chaves, Carmo (now Dona Maria), only Jose de Sousa has made talha wine continuously into the present era.

Many of its red wines are legendary. Some of them are still drinking remarkably well going back to the 1940s. These remain the oldest surviving clay pot-produced wines anywhere in the world today. This is a testament to both the winery and the technology that produced them.  

After the winery’s golden era (1940–60s), wine making at José de Sousa lost its way in the 1970s. The last generation of this great talha wine business had died and winemaking was turned over to consultants with little practical knowledge of talha winemaking.  Quality and volumes dwindled to their lowest level. After the 1974 revolution, the vineyards were confiscated by communists and run into the ground for lack of proper care. Then in 1984 three workers died of carbon dioxide asphyxiation, and production ground to a halt. 

A revival of fortunes came after José Maria da Fonseca, one of Portugal’s leading progressive producers, purchased José de Sousa in 1986. At that point the winery was in a ruinous state with only 20 or so talha still surviving, many of those cracked or stapled back together. 

Part of the original negotiating team, Fonseca’s University of Davis-trained chief winemaker, Domingos Soares Franco, had a deep respect for José de Sousa’s talha production, old wines and old vine, Grand Noir-dominant vineyards. If Franco hadn’t been both a family member and chairman of the board - not to mention, a visionary - José de Sousa probably wouldn't have been restored to its former glory. 

There were several major problems that needed solutions. No-one made talha anymore after factory production collapsed in the 1920s, so replacement of talha was an issue. Similarly, the cellar’s old 3000-5000 liter chestnut barrels were too leaky or dirty to use. These also weren’t being made at the time, so couldn’t be replaced. And crucially, there were no records or manuals concerning how talha wine had been made at José de Sousa, nor did the current cellarmen have any connection with past practices. Franco - schooled in the most up-to-date winemaking technology and techniques - had to puzzle it all out for himself. 

The first tasks were cleaning up the two old stone lagars, clearing out broken barrels from the cellar and weeding out all the leaky pots. Franco then started buying up all the talha he could find for sale at antique shops and gardening stores or hanging around as lawn decorations and architectural features. Eventually the old 120 quorum was restored. He also located the old head winemaker/cellarman from the great 1950-60 era, who proved instrumental in helping him understand how they made talha wine in the past. As importantly, he learned to approach talhas on their own terms, not from a modern perspective. It was, to say the least, a very steep learning curve.

But by the 1990s, José de Sousa was back on track, producing well-made, fresh, clean, enjoyable wine again. They also had reacquired the old vineyard planted in 1952 at Herdade do Monte da Ribeira and restored it to its former glory. The next phase was to work toward reproducing the great ‘Rosado Fernandes’ wines of the past.

José de Sousa’s large-scale production differed from small talha production in two significant ways. The first was the large, rectangular stone lagars that allowed grapes to be gently crushed by foot before being drained into talha below. 

The second were dozens of wooden 3000-5000 liter casks (foudres) which reduced oxidation and allowed talha wine to be aged for long periods before bottling. Lacking access to these large old chestnut foudres, Franco turned to standard 225-liter new French oak barrels instead. 

The first of Fonseca’s new talha style wine, called Mayor, was bottled in 1994. This was a ‘reserve’ blend of Grand Noir (55%), Trincadeira (35%) and Aragonês (10%) that was foot trodden in lagars with 30% stems added to the talha. Recalling that the old cellarmaster had told Franco they used lagars and talha in tandem, he fermented half the grapes in talha and kept half in lagar to ferment. After fermentation, both lots were blended together in November or December and transferred to French oak barrels for nine months of ageing.

Eventually an elevated ‘grand reserve’ brand was added in 2007. This was produced only in the best vintages and called ‘J’. Here the grape blend changed to Grand Noir (55%), Touriga Francesa (30%) and Touriga Nacional (15%). Importantly, they were sourced exclusively from the old vine, mixed variety ‘José de Sousa Vineyard’ planted in 1952/53, a vineyard that had replanted vines directly from an older vineyard which had supplied the great Jose de Sousa wines of the 1940s. Another major difference with Major is that ‘J’ was fermented only in talha and then was aged in French oak barriques for 9 months. 

Over time Franco realized he still hadn’t cracked the classic ‘Rosado Fernandes’ styles made in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. French oak’s dominant characters were overshadowing the transparency of talha-fermented fruit. This begged for much more neutral, less intrusive, large chestnut casks. 

The culmination of a decades-long search to recreate one of talha’s greatest wines, Puro Tinto, appeared in 2015. José de Sousa’s first wine to gain Vinho de Talha DOC certification, it was made along the lines of ‘J’, but with two subtle changes. The grape blend was tweaked slightly with addition of Moreto, an old Alentejo, talha-associated, variety. This lightened and freshened up the blend. More significantly, ‘J’s ‘modern style’ French oak maturation was replaced by maturation in 600-liter chestnut casks.

One cannot over-stress how radical it was in the 1980s for José Maria da Fonseca to throw its energy and treasure behind such a crazy concept as making wine in ancient clay pots. This was an ultra-modern wine company selling its products all over the world to consumers with expectations of squeaky clean, fruit filled, easy-to-appreciate wine. 

Much of their task has involved teaching people throughout the world that old technology isn’t primitive technology, but one capable of making a distinctive style in its own right. Rather than reproduce a wine for daily consumption, they chose instead to make serious, labor-intensive wine that would command the highest price and the respect that talha wine deserved. 

After more than thirty years of championing talha wine, few realize that Jose de Sousa remains the oldest producer of talha wine in the world. It’s not something they mention, although they could easily brag about it. They may also be the longest-running producer of wine made in clay pots anywhere in the world as well. All this says more than enough about what they’ve accomplished (or maybe...Enough said). 

José de Sousa Wines

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1940-1965

The wines below are from José de Sousa’s historical ‘golden era’.

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1940 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1945 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1953 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes Tinto Velho 1961 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1964 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1965 

José de Sousa Garrafeira 1986-1994

Early revival period.

José de Sousa Garrafeira 1990 

José de Sousa Garrafeira 1991 

José de Sousa Mayor 1994-

First modern hybrid style. Approximate blend Grand Noir (55%), Trincadeira (35%), Aragonês (10%). Foot trodden in lagars with 30% stems added to talha at fermentation. A hybrid 50/50 talha/lagar fermentation, thereafter transferred in November or December to oak barrels for 9 months. Originally from 1.8h vineyard, but recent vineyards also draw from other vineyards. 7-8.800 liters =  9,300-12,000 bottles. 

José de Sousa Mayor 1994 

José de Sousa Mayor 1997 

José de Sousa Mayor 1999 

José de Sousa Mayor 2001 

José de Sousa Mayor 2004 

José de Sousa Mayor 2007 

José de Sousa Mayor 2009 

José de Sousa Mayor 2012 

José de Sousa Mayor 2014 

José de Sousa Mayor 2017 

José de Sousa J Super Premium

Talha-made plus French oak. Only produced in best vintages. Foot trodden in lagars, then fermented in talha and aged in French oak barriques for 9 months. Generally a blend around Grand Noir (55%), Touriga Francesa (30%), Touriga Nacional (15%). Exclusively from the old mixed variety ‘José de Sousa Vineyard’ planted in 1952/53. Approximately 2500l = 3500 bottles.

José de Sousa J 2007 

José de Sousa J 2009 

José de Sousa J 2011 

José de Sousa J 2014 

José de Sousa Puro Vinho de Talha DOC 2015-

A return to Jose de Sousa’s Rosado Fernandes traditional historical style. Puro Tinto follows the path begun by ‘J’ using the same old vineyard, the red grapes from the old mixed variety ‘José de Sousa Vineyard’ planted in 1952/53. It also is produced by foot treading in lagars, with 30% addition of stems, and 100% fermentation in talha. Where it significantly departs is by following Vinho de Talha DOC certification after St. Martin's Day and maturation in large 600-liter Portuguese chestnut barrels (production under 6,000 bottles).

José de Sousa Puro Talha Tinto 2015 

José de Sousa Puro Talha Tinto 2017 

Jose De Sousa Puro Talha Branco 2017 

Jose De Sousa Puro Talha Branco 2016 

José de Sousa Private Collection

Jose de Sousa Private Collection Sarigo 2021 

Jose de Sousa Private Collection Sarigo 2022 

Jose de Sousa Private Collection Pote Grande Noir 2018