Monthly Archives: July 2012

July 21, 2012 · 10:17 pm

Quinta do Ameal – 19/07/2012

Branco 2011
Wonderful honey notes, quite waxy with lovely citrus rind notes. Lovely texture and ripeness but texture and finesse, focus and distinction, some richness and even a salty kind of acidity. Wonderfully fresh and will continue to open up.

Escolha 2009
Nice depth and richness on the nose, slightly broader and more floral elements, slightly riper and bolder, some honeysuckle notes. Still wonderfully fresh and light, but a very late wave of complexity and some creaminess. Wonderfully integrated oak, only adding an extra dimension of some texture and viscosity.

Solo 2011 (non-interventionist wine)
Wonderful floral sherbet notes, completely subtle and unique character, bright and pure, unadulterated. Pure and natural, no better way to describe it. Just fruit, wonderfully simple and shows what wine can be.

Branco 2003
Quite a funky oily oyster shell, water chestnuts, extremely complex, Japanese vegetables, daikon(!). Extremely subtle texture and fruit, soft and gentle, layers of complexity, very subtle creamy savoury notes.

Special Harvest 2010 (passito method)
Has kind of a spirit rum port kind of nose, oxidative and a little volatile. Good acids and focus, a little rich and textural on the front that softens very quickly. Very honey characters.

Quinta do Ameal Arinto 2006

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July 21, 2012 · 9:13 pm

Extremes (Douro, Portugal – Day Three)

Considering there are about 44,000 hectares of vineyards planted you can imagine the size of the region and the range of terroirs, so there are a myriad of opportunities for different expressions. There are so many elements of the Douro that are taken for granted in many other regions well-known for super-premium wines, such as very old vines, steep slopes and thousands of  different vineyard owners. Something that they haven’t had in the past was wine that was designated as a single estate or vineyard, something that is so common in places like Burgundy, Mosel and Alba. The Douro Boys are at the forefront of raising the Douro Valley to the same level as such iconic regions, highlighting the aspects generally regarded as of the highest quality. They are also attempting to differentiate the Douro through the very traditional elements like the great range of varieties planted often in a field blend, and the fermentation and maceration of red wines in lagares mostly made of stone. Having the abilities and technology to much better understand their terroirs, varieties and wines there is very little to stop Douro wines in the future.
Amazing vineyards at Quinta do vale Dona Maria

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July 21, 2012 · 5:51 pm

Alright, still (Douro Valley, Portugal – Day Two)

The shift of focus from fortified port wines to still wines could not have waited much longer in the Douro. The entire fortified wine market has been diminishing since the 1980s as more people have been drinking dry wines all over the world. The limitations of matching port with food don’t help with the accessibility of these wines as well, as there are only so many styles and they are generally sweeter and all more alcoholic. In the past fortified wines were one of the most popular categories – particularly port and sherry wines – and they were even produced as far away as the USA and Australia. The growth of still wine production of course has been seen all over the world to the unfortunate detriment of fortified wines. Thus in an effort to stay alive it was important for the producers of the Douro to explore the opportunities of still wine production, and in a sense it couldn’t have come at a better time. The climate is one of the biggest influences on the style of wine they can produce which is big, rich and red. This style of wine has been popular for about 20 years in a number of key markets around the world, thanks in part to the influence of US wine critic Robert Parker who loves this style of wine. Thus a confluence of factors has provided them a great opportunity into the future. The producers I visited on my second day are some of the most important producers of still wine in the region.
If it weren’t empty I would be making wine angels

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July 21, 2012 · 5:03 pm

Castro Martin – 20/07/2012

2011 Albarino A2O
Clean fresh very fruit-strong citrus lychee lime. Vibrant fresh fruit, quite tight and some nice sharpness. Looking a little too linear and sharp at the moment, needs to settle a little before bottling.

2011 Albarino Family Estate
More subdued fruit and more floral notes, slightly richer but softer in it’s ripe citrus notes. Fuller texture and ripeness, even a little fruit sweet viscosity. Less sharp, but no less focused. More of a textural extension on the palate.

Val do Salnes 2010
Showing much more minerality, looking slightly tired and fat, but still retaining plenty of freshness and fruit characters. Riper and more viscous and round, matured nicely.

Family Estate 2010
More subtle and complex on the nose, slightly flintier and finer, slightly green and herbal notes. Wonderful lines, crisp straight and pure, zippy yet textured and characterful through the palate. Finesse and brightness with mineral concentration, very slight floral notes.

Angela and Andrew at Bodegas Castro Martin

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July 21, 2012 · 4:59 pm

Pazo Senorans – 20/07/2012

Albarino 2011
Lovely and flinty, very crisp and fresh, wonderful citrus and dried floral elements, nice purity and life. Nice lines, purity and freshness, quite precise but not sharp, very light.

Seleccion de Anada 2005
Lovely intense nose, showing candied floral, oily and slightly tropical ripe, really opening up. Creamy texture. Some very delicate cheese elements, ripe fruit texture but losing the sweetness on the palate, a little savoury and mealy in the mouth, in fact it has excellent mouth-feel.

Pazo Senorans wines

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July 19, 2012 · 10:11 pm

Niepoort – 17/07/2012

2011 Malolactic white
Very textural, creamy yet fresh and tropical in nature. Balanced and long, well-integrated but in need of some more time in the barrel.

2010 Vertente
Broad and soft, but focused with gentle tannins, some maturity and drive, great balance and already drinking well. Slight savoury character, almost reminiscent of tonkatsu sauce in a sweet and sour kind of way.

2010 Redoma Red
More intense and brooding, slightly more dark fruit characters, more of that mulberry. Slightly more classic Douro red profile, tighter tannins, but still a hint of tonkatsu.

2010 Red
Very intense and structured, powerful focused and expressive tannins, more layers of complexity that will take time to open up. More in the soy spectrum, beautiful with a sukiyaki. A sensational wine that is looking closed and reductive for now.

Dry White Port
Fine and focused, balanced but a little sharp and volatile. Needs more time to soften and then blended to make it a rich textural wine really good with food.

2010 Moscatel
Rich round and viscous, sweet profile and so similar to muscatel sherry they would be indistinguishable.

2010 Charmes
A truly unique wine, like Cote-de-Nuits made in the Douro. Whole bunch maceration and partial fermentation, completed in barrel to give the wine a soft but very savoury funky character, unbelievable complex and long, and will age interestingly.

LBV 2007
Rosy smoky toasty depth. Quite warm initially on the palate, but very focused and bold, nice concentration, dark fruits, velvety and full, will actually age gracefully in the bottle.

Bioma 2008
Nice dusty red earth characters, showing a little toastiness. Wonderful concentration and density, very tight and focused with a great core of acidity, the elegance is lurking in the background urging you to age it for at least 10 years.

VP 2009
Amazingly intense and brooding, concentrated but not expressive. Far too young to be showing anything, need to give it time to open up. Dense powerful bold and assured on the palate, wonderful integration of fruit, sweetness and alcohol. Very long and complex on the palate, supple and slightly savoury on the back. Need to see it again in a couple more years.

10-year-old tawny
Lovely subtle yet bright fruit nose, very elegant caramel influence, not a lot of nut or oxidative elements. Full and intense, exceptional focus and precision, balance and intensity, freshness.

LBV 1987
Very fine, complex and subtle, smoky creamy milk chocolate and wonderful orange characters, some bright red fruits, fresh and lively and full of life and vibrancy. Very special wine. Still retaining some sweetness but the savoury notes showing through beautifully.
Old Niepoort bottles

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July 19, 2012 · 10:06 pm

Eidosela – 19/07/2012

Arbastrum Condado de Tea 2011
Grassy green fresh citrus melon citrus apricot. Clean fresh precise, nice ripeness and richness of fruit, some subtle floral elements, kiwi and guava, good texture and depth but over-delivering on the freshness, acids and personality.

Eidosela Albarino 2011
A little brighter and fresher, more floral and fruit sweet, apricots and citrus. Full textured and rich but very light and fresh, textured and very slightly green in a nice way, a bit of bite and zing. Focus and drive on the palate, with a juxtaposition of sweet and green fruit.

Eidosela Albarino Espumante 2010
Nice fine bead, bright yellow green colours. Closed on the nose, but showing potential. Classic albarino fruit character, no yeast autolysis influence, good acids and freshness, really no more than a sparkling albarino. Just with a fine bead.

Seleccion Albarino 2009
Very quiet fruit. Ripe rich and more volume and texture, showing a little sweeter and a little more viscous. Bold yet restrained, not seeing as much fruit on the palate, some very late caramel nut characters.

Eidosela Albarino 2011

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July 19, 2012 · 10:03 pm

Valminor – 19/07/2012

Valminor Albarino 2011
Lovely grassy citrus notes, slightly floral and perfumed, some depth but just good solid fruit on the nose. Fresh fruits and acidity, vibrant texture and intensity. Great structure and flavours across the palate, fresh and vibrant but not one-dimensional. Body and expression.

Darila Blanco 2011 (albarino, loureiro, treixadura)
Slightly more brooding and intense, interesting character coming from the blend and/or the lees contact, deeper more honeyed notes, less citrus and floral. Finer broader and less fruit-driven, more lean through the palate, less expressive, more minerality and more sea influence.

Villa L100 2010 (loureiro)
Riper and more intense, more grassy and herbal, showing some toasty honey spice notes, along with some very delicate floral aromas. Riper and yet more subtle and soft, more textural but quite light, ripe yet fresh, citrus tropical notes and some very delicate honey sweetness.

Villa M100 2009 (albarino, louriero, caino blanco)
Denser and crunchier, quite noticeable influence from oak. More texture and body, slightly more warmth and crunch, nice partnership with the fruit, not overly expressive, more about the mouth-feel. A tad aggressive for now, perhaps due to vintage and youth.

Villa M100 2007
More golden oily colour. Honeyed maturity, more oily and rich on the nose, ageing a little quickly. Deeper darker notes, but still fresh and very delicate. Oak has softened out and gained some complexity. Very fine and rich wine, but not flabby at all.

Albarino leaf

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July 19, 2012 · 9:57 pm

Quinta do Vale Dona Maria – 18/07/2012

2011 Vina Ameio (200m 70 yr old south facing)
Very dark on the nose, really intense deep earth and black fruits, extremely brooding toasty elements. Juicy fruit sweet, retaining some R/S? Quite supple but dense and full.

2011 Alampassa (same as before, deeper into the valley, more tinto roriz)
Brighter more ruby in colour. Again, quite fruit sweet but drier and more intense in the tannins and acids, a little warmer profile too. More masculine and granitic and intense. Deeper, and earthier.

2011 Silvas (old vine north facing)
Quite serious deep and mature in character, concentration and finesse at the same time. The most complete component I’ve ever tasted. Exactly what I mean when I talk about approachability when young but deserving of cellaring. Fresh intense vibrant, wonderful balance and intensity.

2011 Vina Nova (7 year old vineyard, malo in barrel)
Quite simple and light, ice ripe fruit, fresh and full but very youthful.

2011 Abaixo + Ameio
Showing a lot more toastiness. Big soft and fruit sweet, some R/S from the Ameio perhaps, dense and yet supple and structured. Needs some more time to open up.

Van Zellers Branco 2010
Nice fresh vibrant green fruit notes, citrus and some very slight herbal notes. Excellent ripeness, perfect balance, very fresh but great character, harmonious to a ‘T’. Good intensity and focus, but clean and pure.

VZ Branco 2011
More leesy and creamy nose, but still showing the lovely citrus elements. Completely shut down and reductive, barely expressing anything. Good structure though, just not a particularly good vintage for the whites.

Rufo do Vale D. Maria 2010 (45/45 touriga franca and nacional, 10% tinto roriz)
Bright fresh vibrant red fruit nose. Nice and pure and fresh, but well structured with some nice approachable fruit sweetness. Bright acids and friendly tannins.

Van Zellers 2010
Deeper and more intense, showing more textured barrel characters. More savoury notes, structure but still great finesse. Looking quite shy at the moment, will really benefit.

Casa de Caval de Loivos 2010
Nice density and maturity, bold dark red fruits, slightly rustic lagar notes. Showing the fruit sweet, but not residual sugar sweet, very supple and well structured, warm but balanced. Full-flavour but lovely and velvety, old oak a perfect complement.

Quinta do Vale Dona Maria 2010
Very serious nose, really intense and mature, wonderfully floral dark fruits. Quite broad and soft, very supple, I think it’s lacking in structure. Quite easy-drinking, I think it needs more oak or tannins (can’t believe I’m saying it). Starting to open up, looking quite shy for now I guess.

CV 2010
Mostly showing fruit at the moment, really young and a little shy, very dark and full on the nose. Nice texture and sharpness, an interesting tang to it, focus and freshness but will integrate and express more once it is in bottle for a while.

A barrel at Quinta do Vale Dona Maria

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July 19, 2012 · 9:53 pm

Quinta do Vallado – 17/07/2012

Branco 2011
Vibrant fresh citrus and apple notes, very tight and direct. Brisk intense acids and quite lean and clean fruit, slightly unripe in a really good way, nice green fruit character.

Moscatel Galego Branco 2011
Lovely musky floral notes, clean minerality. Fresh and quite simple, not sure what’s missing in this wine, needs more character, maybe some texture, really make things crazy like skin contact fermentation…

Branco Reserva 2011
Certainly more barrel and lees notes, some creaminess adding to the citrus and lemongrass elements. Very slight green melon notes. White burgundy style, very young and only seeing the barrel elements. Has the structure and acidity to hold out but somewhat closed now.

Tinto 2010
Nice soft mellow nose of spice and red fruits, very subtle toasty elements, some earth elements as well. Bright fresh red fruits, n and good acids, a little warm on the front of the palate. Very pure and approachable, but lacking a bit of depth.

Souzao 2010
Deeper characters, slightly closed ripe black fruits, very well integrated oak but slightly rustic wild characters. Amazing texture, finesse and structure, not obvious fruit or tannins, not at all sweet or hot, all about mouth-feel. Truly unique wine, but agree that it is a polariser.

Touriga Nacional 2010
Slightly rosy and a little reductive, very classic touriga nacional on the nose. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant, not at all fruit sweet, showing some red fruits, some menthol and eucalypt notes. Wonderful consistency on the palate, but will soften quite nicely picking up some suppleness.

Reserva 2010
Expressive yet complex, bold yet subtle, fruit yet oak, young yet mature. Quite intense but also hinting at some suppleness in the future. Oak quite subtle and not interfering too much. Needs time to be sure, but easy to appreciate now. Layers and layers, more with time.

Adelaide VP 2009
Wonderfully floral, bright purple fruits, maraschino cherries, very subtle choc-mint characters. Bingo-bango-bongo expression of fruit, quite sweet at the moment, but a nice clean finish and some good extension on the back of the palate. Beautifully intense but far too young.

10 year old tawny
Smoky caramel, freshness and liveliness. Complex oxidative notes but also very fresh. Certainly exhibits a little bit of the nut characters, but is more about the freshness and the complexity of the age.

20 year old tawny
A little more aggressive on the nose, smoky and toastier, a little volatile on the nose. Sweetness and complexity comes through, but finding the texture a little too full. It almost distracts from the age and complexity.

Quinta do Vallado uses my favourite cooper, Francois Freres

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