July 13, 2012 · 11:53 pm

Quinta Mendes Pereira – 11/07/2012

Branco Encruzado 2010
Bolder and more expressive nose not of fruit but lees contact and malolactic, slightly tropical creamy fruit. Bolder fuller heavier fruit, quite viscous and rich. More powerful broader riper profile, more in the pineapple region, certainly full but balanced with the alcohol.

Rose 2010 (touriga nacional)
Too bright and very fruity sweet, almost candied. Sweet, sweet, sweet. Volatile and looks cheap, hot, really bad. Not sure what happened with this one.

Tinto 2006
Nice bottle aged notes, some granitic volcanic notes. Slightly wild, but old-world interest, settled down in bottle, showing some savoury notes, really good drinking, particularly with food, unique and impossible to copy. Fantastic old-vine terroir wine.

Touriga Nacional Reserva 2005
Some interesting liquorice red and black fruit aromas, some earthiness and jubey notes. Nice bold full fruit, a bit of tang which adds to the interest. Good acidity, still looking very fresh. A more interesting expression of touriga nacional.

Reserva 2007 (touriga nacional tinta roriz)
Intense focused full yet tight and good grip. A much better treated wine, more gentle and less ripe, better balance and less influence of winery. Pure terroir wine, but perhaps just slightly lacking in fruit.

A Celtic tomb at Quinta Mendes Pereira

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July 13, 2012 · 11:49 pm

Quinta das Marias – 11/07/2012

Encruzado 2010 (tank fermented)
Nice crisp slightly herbaceous nose with some interesting grass elements and some flint. Quite textural and warm, full but focused and long. Fresh vibrant and more in the mouthfeel than the flavours. Sense of place, just a little forward at the moment, will develop nicely.

Encruzado Barrica 2010 (barrel fermented)
Leesy cheesy fruit nose, lime rind and some yellow apple. Warmer broader fuller and rich textural note. Good balance, some nice texture and ripeness, a little creamy sweet element. Oak well integrated but sense it is dulling the fruit somewhat.

Alfrocheiro 2010 (tank ferment, 11 months 3-year old barriques)
Ruby red fruits, cherries pomegranates plums. Fresh light soft mellow, quite crisp and showing the warmth at the moment, nice clean finish, a little sweetness from the fruit and old oak oxidation. Very good wine, good drinking with some nice character, a little young for the time being.

Lote 2010 (blended red wine)
A little darker but still good clarity. Denser fuller bolder fruit and tannins, more bang for buck, won’t last long in the bottle. Good acids, oak barely playing a part. Dark fruits doing a good job, nice concentration.

Cuvee TT Reserva 2010 (touriga nacional, tinta roriz)
Soft mellow subtle dark fruit nose, some earthy minerality. Wonderfully complex, but also very full and bold in fruit. Smooth and opulent but also showing some sweet spices and earthy texture. Showing more of the terroir in this wine. Exuberant and showing some oak sweetness, needs more time in bottle.

Touriga Nacional Reserva 2010
Quite dark and purple in colour. Intense rose and violet dark fruits, dark deep earth, a little funk going on. Full powerful hot and fruit intense, oak-strong and tannin exuberant. A little smashed, too extractive. Not hot or heavy, but a little aggressive in the tannins.

Touriga Nacional 2007
More mature subtle mushroom balsamic notes. Softer cleaner lifted fruit, brighter and fresher, certainly more mellow, frankly an older version of the 2010. Still hot and over-macerated, not going to improve on unbalanced wine. Opening up though, getting better.

Highlight of the tasting at Quinta das Marias

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July 13, 2012 · 11:47 pm

Fonte de Goncalvinho – 11/07/2012

Rose 2010 (touriga nacional, tinta roriz)
Nice rosey red fruit nose, kind of plummy and strawberry. Light clean fresh very dry, fairly simple fruit, easy drinking but lacking in character. Some nice tannins, but not really offering much more than that.

Colheita 2009
Nice dark fruits with some subtle spice elements, a little bit of meaty earthy old world, but generally all about the dark fruits. Juicy soft broad fruit sweet, generous approachable. Good quality, very delicate hints of menthol on the back, easy drinking with character. Not sure if I’m seeing the terroir yet.

Tinta Roriz 2010
Quite subtle earthy red fruits, some fungal herbal elements, fairly bright with very dry spice notes. Nice balance and depth, quite complex, some late juicy sweetness, nice savoury on the front with great acidity and persistent tannins throughout.

Inconnu (incognito) 2010 (blend of varieties)
Bolder denser dark fruits, fuller savoury brambly Christmas pudding notes. Full fruit, much darker and sweeter in character, you don’t need to know what it is to know it is good full flavoured, medium-bodied red wine. Wonderful concentration and expression, looking quite young but I can see it being very popular with a wide range of consumers.

Touriga Nacional 2010 (tank sample)
Much darker purple colour. Bright purple fruit nose, plummy cassis blackcurrant, very intense. Soft mellow and full, not heavy but fairly warm. Looking a little astringent at the moment and perhaps a little acidic as it hasn’t completed MLF. Certainly has density and concentration, but somehow missing the fruit. Needs some time after bottling.

The best wine of the tasting from Foncalvinho

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July 13, 2012 · 11:44 pm

Barao de Nelas – 11/07/2012

Alfrocheira 2007
Noticeable oak influence, warm vintage reaction showing sweet ripe banana skin, jammy fruits on the nose, dark cherries and plums. Juicy full warm fruits, softens on the back nicely, ripe and somewhat extractive. Full flavour, classic Portuguese red(?)

Reserva Touriga Nacional/Tinta Roriz 2007
More meaty and stalky on the nose, closed fruit. Wonderful palate, excellent focus and drive, exquisite balance, great character and a sense of terroir. Complex and long, drinkable yet contemplative.

Touriga Nacional 2007
Most certainly dark brooding and masculine, very earthy and flinty, showing some granitic and gunpowder notes. Gentle generous fruity full rich. Denser tannins but lighter profile, focus and drive and integration of oak. Serious wine, bold yet subtle.

Reserva 2008
Brighter ruby colour. Rosey floral notes, a little flat on the palate, needs some more time to open up in the bottle. Nice concentration, wonderful acids, purity focus and longevity.

The best wine of the tasting from Barao de Nelas

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July 13, 2012 · 11:34 pm

Quinta da Fata – 11/07/2012

Encruzado 2010
Clean mineralic salty citric acid nose. Nice texture and balance, oxidised. Looking very flat on the back of the palate, not sure what is happening. Crisp fresh but somehow out of balance considering alcohol of 13.5%.

Classico 2008 (classic four varieties)
Really vibrant forest spice, clovey herby, dark berries. Excellent concentration and balanced fruit, good depth of tannins and nice structure. Strong expression without being heavy, but not mellow, robust. Red wine of the day.

Reserva 2009 (mainly touriga nacional)
Wild flower, clove, forest fruits, slightly menthol. Pure dense softer and more fruit sweet, certainly seeing the difference between vintage. Ripe but focused and not heavy, hot or too fruit-sweet. Elegance and respect in a robust vintage.

Touriga Nacional Reserva 2009
Something quite extraordinary, and I finally see the potential for mono-varietal touriga nacional. Perfect balance again, totally unique terroir character, showing the forest and wild pine, Christmas. Very special wine, would like to see more vintages and more age.

The guesthouse of Quinta da Fata

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July 13, 2012 · 10:57 pm

Baga me (Bairrada, Portugal – Day Two)

There are a small number of grape varieties can be set apart from all others. Their defining characteristic is that they can only be grown in a few specific parts of the world, and can only be made well in the best places by people who truly respect the partnership between the vine and the environment. Another of their defining characteristics is that they are the few that should always be made as mono-varietal still wines, and are also hugely influenced by the viticulturalists and winemakers who work with them. For white wines there is really only two in my humble opinion – riesling and chardonnay – although the latter is one of the most planted white varieties in the world. In terms of red wine there is a select group with a few knocking on the door. The outsiders are syrah, sangiovese and tempranillo, whilst the insiders are pinot noir and nebbiolo. There is one Portuguese variety that has been spoken about as joining this elite few, and that variety is baga. I agree that the variety has the potential to have the same silky tannins, delicate yet firm structure, and brightness of fruit that characterises the other two, but I need to taste more before I am certain it isn’t an also-run. I also believe the winemakers here need to get more experience, as they have only been making premium wines from this variety quite recently.
Above the vineyards of Campolargo in Bairrada, Portugal

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July 13, 2012 · 10:41 pm

Campolargo – 10/07/2012

Vinha do Putto Branco 2010 (mostly verdelho)
Green fruit nose, apples and pears, some ripe lemon and mandarin. Good ripeness and character, not so crisp but fresh and full flavoured. Nice clean finish, uncomplicated white wine.

Branco Bical Barrica 2010
More sancerre white burgundy type aromas of barrel and lees, creamy malolactic butter. Bold texture not heavy, but looking a little flabby. Lacking in focus and drive, but not oppressive or lazy. Somehow the fruit has been a little bit overworked and has disappeared.

Branco Arinto Barrica 2010
Pretty rich yellow colour. Completely overoaked toastiness, too smoky toasty. Very ripe and bold, full and fruit sweet on the palate. Far too aggressive in the texture, might improve somehow but it seems unlikely considering the lack of balance. I can’t work out whether it is too traditional or too modern…

Entre II Santos Rose Pinot Noir 2010
Good texture balance freshness, nice acidity, clean red fruits, purity approachability, a very good example of a rose made from this variety. Great everyday drinking wine.

Entre II Santos Tinto 2009 (mostly baga, castellao)
Nice fairly rustic earthy herbaceous characters, warm slightly spicy nose, almost a mulled wine character. A touch hot and over extractive, aggressive in texture. Not heavy, good acids, but a bit strong on the palate, lacking subtlety. Quite cooked to be honest.

Pinot Noir 2008
Classic pinot noir aromas, nothing more to say. Actually very good, but perhaps not hard to see considering the resemblance to baga. Balanced elegant pure, not being interfered with at all, good extension on the palate, structure and potential for ageing. A very pleasant surprise.

Baga 2010
Slight volatile spice and alcohol aromas, dark red fruits, currants and blackberries. Quite light on the palate, fresh good acidity and length, nice depth, good structure, balance. Some spice elements, powerfuly and expressive but not hot or heavy. A little more subtlety would be nice.

Rol de Coisas Antiagas 2009 (baga, castellao, bastardo, trincadeira, souzao, alfrocheiro, tinta pinheira)
Wilder denser earthier darker, bolder yet more focused acids and tannins through the middle of the palate. Bigger and possibly more approachable for more consumers, more intense experience.

Castellao 2009
Wonderful aromas, very floral and beautifully fruity, very ripe. Heavy intense, very focused and powerful, huge expression but not heavy or alcoholic. Tannic yes, fruit yes, oak not interfering at all. A fascinating wine that requires more attention over the years.

Valdazar 2009 (trinca daira da bairrada, baga, touriga nacional, tinta barocca)
Hauntingly subtle aromas of red fruits and some creamy oakiness. Bright and quite fresh on the palate, not heavy but on the hot side, struggling to see fruit, what is the missing ingredient? More fruit? More maceration? Good drive and focus, healthy acids, but a little warm at the end.

Calda Boraleza 2008
Quite a subtle nose, very serious aromatics, classic Bordeaux like characters, perfect balance between the varietal blend. Great intensity, balance harmony, wonderful character and style. Expertly crafted example of the style.

Alvarelhao 2011
Exceptional character, truly authentic. Fresh acids, bright drinkable and eatable tannins, tight and intense, grippy and astringent in a really nice way, fruit in harmony with savoury characters. Outstanding with food.

Brut Rose 2009
Bairrada bubbles are really good.

Mr Campolargo himself

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July 13, 2012 · 10:37 pm

Quinta das Bageiras – 10/07/2012

Bruto Natural 2010 (maria gomes, bical, cerceal)
Quite vibrant fruit driven, citrus, golden delicious. Clean balanced very fresh unassuming, clean pure fruit, light minerality. Sits somewhere between prosecco and cava.

Bruto Natural Rose 2010
Bright pure fruit, fresh red berries, a little salty and like purified water. Fresh fruit, very light balanced, slightly fruit creamy on the back, pleasant full balanced.

Grande Reserva 2004 (old vineyards, bical and maria gomes)
Marked difference in the autolysis characters. Some really interesting almond croissant aromas, like almond biscotti, rich ripe nose. Very smooth opulent, broad and rich, some savoury salty cured notes as well, a little cheesy. Very refined and opulent, an amazing example, one of the best I’ve tasted.

Vinho Branco 2011 (maria gomes, bical, cerceal)
Very bright fresh aromatics, quite similar to viognier, apricots, spice, oranges. Light fresh clean pure, again very similar to a blend of marsanne and viognier.

Garrafeiera Branco 2010
More complex fruit aromas, riper drier citrus and stone fruit notes, slight toasty cheese elements, some flinty minerality. Wonderful texture, very opulent and long, creamy still great freshness, but it is all the mouth feel.

Pai Abel Branco 2010
Spicy slightly green peppery notes, more wild style, skin contact stalky, slightly smoky toasty notes from barrel fermentation and battonage. Richer fuller texture from the barrique, crunchier and needing more time in bottle.

Colheita 2010 (baga 85%, touriga nacional 15%)
Spicy syrah like fruit profile, wild whole bunch characters. Soft smooth full and long, great tannin structure and fruit vibrancy, showing somewhere between pinot noir and syrah.

Reserva 2009 (40% touriga nacional)
Much more subtle smoky toasty bramble spice. Bold powerful fuller on the palate, denser bigger tannins, but more mellow and broad. Generous and approachable, a little fruit sweetness very late, slightly Italian traditional wine.

Garrafeira 2008 (100% baga)
Deeper darker fruit and floral aromas, rich meaty sweetness on the nose. Denser fuller and more powerful structure, broad yet focused, wonderful balance, quite young and in need of some development in the bottle, not opening up at the moment, quite forward. I’m sensing a pattern with baga wines.

Garrafeira 2003
Wonderfully rich smoky toasty maturity on the nose, opulent open aromatic nose, complex meaty. Soft rich silky and complex, fruit opening up very expressively and confidently, assured, I agree it would be difficult to distinguish between old pinot noir, nebbiolo and baga.
The first vintage in the cellars of Quinta das Bageiras

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July 13, 2012 · 10:34 pm

Living on the edge (Bairrada, Portugal – Day One)

I could have picked a lot worse places to celebrate entering my fourth decade on the planet than Lisbon, a city that lives up to its status as a European capital city. Much alcohol and little sleep was enjoyed over the weekend, and many visits to the Bairro Alto part of the old town as well. Whilst it was nice having five days off from the wine as I celebrated my 30th birthday, it was almost relief to get back into the familiar territory of visiting wine regions. The only problem with that idea is the fact that I know almost nothing about Portuguese wine, even the most famous one of all, port. I’m always up for a challenge, and relished the chance to learn about a country not really appreciated outside their borders, mostly because they aren’t great at promoting their regionally distinct premium wines, and partly because most of the good stuff is consumed within the country. I chose to visit only three regions which represent the top quality wines and are all in the northern part of the country within Oporto, the second largest city. The first was the coastal region of Bairrada, which has been known for its sparkling wines for many years but is starting to gain recognition for its red wines made from the indigenous baga variety.
Traditional method sparkling wines at Sidonio de Sousa

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July 13, 2012 · 4:29 pm

The Sherry Revolution (Jerez, Spain – Day Two)

As I talked about in my previous post, most people think sweet when they think sherry, but there is far more to it. Different styles were developed over time, but essentially the principle of the fortification process was to allow the wines to age in an oxidative process whereby barrels were not completely filled and in the case of the dry styles a thin layer of yeast was allowed to form on the surface of the wine known as flor. With the sweeter and higher alcohol wines this flor does not exist and are thus more oxidative in nature, and often age for longer both in solera and bottle. After all, if the wine is already oxidised in the barrel it hardly matters if you drink it several months after opening the bottle. With the sherry rainbow of styles on offer, it actually means that sherry is a versatile and unique companion to food. Possibly one of the most famous food matches with manzanilla for example, is freshly grilled sardines which are very salty and pair perfectly with the fresh acids of the sherry. There is currently a sherry revolution as new generations are discovering this ancient wine style, most notably in London and New York. Several wine experts still maintain that sherry is woefully undervalued and I couldn’t agree more. It just takes a little while to understand the wine, and shake the image of it being for old fuddy-duddies.
Can you tell I’m missing home?

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