Posts Tagged : Douro Wines

Refreshing news from Quinta do Portal

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

The project for Quinta do Portal originated in Douro in the early 1990s, and has its roots in a centenary property belonging to the family of proprietor João Branco. They have always produced Port Wine, and the project later included a boutique winery, where Paulo Coutinho has been working on oenology since 1994; he is the highest authority when it comes to their wines. Besides Port Wine, DOC Douro and Moscatel wines also emerge, supported by the four Quintas (Portal, Confradeiro, Muros and Abelheira), all of them in Cima-Corgo, composing about 250 acres of vines, 200 to 550 metres high.

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Wine Cellar – Photo by Nelson Garrido | All Rights Reserved

Quinta do Portal isn’t just about wines; adding to all of the above, the incredible cellar designed by prestigious architect Siza Vieira was one of the first signature cellars in Portugal. Casa das Pipas came along to complement it and is now an excellent spot for wine tourism, widely awarded inside and outside Portugal.

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Casa das Pipas – Photo Provided by Quinta do Portall | All Rights Reserved

Returning to the wine subject, and to the latest presentation by Paulo Coutinho, this time I would like to highlight wines of fresher aromas; more daring, and let’s say more appetising this time of year. The tasting unfolded in a quite relaxed way. Much to our surprise, a few wines from earlier harvests were also put to the taste, to help work out how easily Paulo Coutinho’s creations age. By the way, the evolution was obvious in every case. Even Mural white 2004 was caught in a moment of surprisingly good shape, having definitely gone under everyone’s radar back when it was on the shelves.


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Mural white 2004 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved



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Quinta do Portal Verdelho/Sauvignon Blanc 2014 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved


The first white to make an appearance was Quinta do Portal Verdelho/Sauvignon Blanc 2014, which came from the experimental plots in Quinta da Abelheira. Its charming fresh and fruity aromas form a graceful combination of the two varieties. The result is a very perfumed white, with clean aromas, highlighting the fruits (citrus, tropical, and orchard), which work well with fresh vegetables, and a light feeling of flint. In the mouth, the palate senses beautiful freshness, it’s rich, marking, and begins with very juicy fruit, however carrying a long dry finish.

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Quinta do Portal Moscatel Galego 2014 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

In the meantime, Quinta do Portal Moscatel Galego 2014 waited in the glass, exuberant enough to draw our attention. In the foreground, a floral note evoked roses, followed by ripe fruit, revealing plenty of orange. Deep freshness wrapped the entire blend, perhaps a little linear, but flawlessly escorting a broad range of starters as they made their way to the table.

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Quinta do Portal Rosé 2014 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Lastly, Quinta do Portal Rosé 2014, a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga and Touriga Nacional, in which fruits of the forest are predominant, albeit with notes of pomegranate. Somewhere in-between, a light note of peppermint in a blend that shows beautiful freshness, also felt in the mouth, where it becomes most expressive, even more than in the nose. I enjoy the dry finish, with a pinch of strawberry and blackcurrant lingering in the palate, all in a wine made for a table surrounded by friends.

Contacts
EN 323 Celeirós – 5060-909 Sabrosa
(Estrada Pinhão-Sabrosa)
Tel: (+351) 259 937 000
Mobile: (+351) 969 519 021
E-mail: reservas@quintadoportal.pt
Website: www.quintadoportal.com

Quinta da Touriga-Chã, the Douro Superior at its fullest…

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Not only did Jorge Rosas inherit this beautiful piece of land, but an entire genetic heritage, as well as the story of a family with ties to Douro, and to the production of quality wines.

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The Quinta – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

His great grandfather, Adriano Ramos Pinto, was the founder of Ramos Pinto in 1880; his father, José António Rosas, was a visionary in Douro Superior, having become infamous for buying lands where Erva Moira land now stands. Later, in 1990, José António Rosas bought Quinta da Touriga, in Chã, Foz Côa, also with the goal of producing wines. Once again, just like in Erva Moira, there was nothing but stones, schist.

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Schist – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

But that man’s vision and his wisdom and depth of knowledge of the territory, vineyards, and the climate in this region proved him right once again. Thus, red wines by Quinta da Touriga-Chã were born, and have evolved so well, they are among the best Douro reds. They are now in Jorge Rosas’ hand, who is still managing Ramos Pinto, however still giving a small part of his time and a lot of passion to continue his father’s work.

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The House – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The land includes a very interesting house; the work performed on it was not very invasive, allowing that extraordinary landscape to speak for itself.

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The Pool – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Rustic Buildings – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Even the swimming-pool already seems part of the scenery, alongside a few rustic buildings still standing, intact.

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Surrounding trees – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Besides a few surrounding trees, the vineyard slithers around the place, in the typical serpentine shape of plateau vineyards.

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The vineyard slithers around the place – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Typical serpentine shape of plateau vineyards – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

In the beginning, Jorge Rosas made wine in an outsourced cellar, very far away from Touriga-Chã. In 2000, he started building his own cellar, now a reality and a winning bet.

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The Winery – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Using Traditional Materials – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Sketched by the same architect who had designed the house, this cellar uses traditional materials, such as schist, but is mostly very functional and versatile, as a cellar should be. The must, and later wines, are very thankful. The wines from this land have constantly been evolving within the profile projected by the producer, in such a way that they are recognised and awarded anywhere they go. This happened besides his small production, of a little over 6500 bottles split into two levels of wine: Puro and Quinta da Touriga-Chã, the latter ranking highest. Jorge Rosas firmly states that he wishes to continue making wines which are good when released, but after 5, 10 or 15 years, they become excellent due to their strong ability to age.

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Vertical Tasting – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

It seems that time has proved him right, which we had the opportunity to confirm in a friendly vertical tasting of a few harvests still in his cellar.

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Quinta da Touriga-Chã red 2010 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Quinta da Touriga Chã 2010 presented a dark garnet colour; very deep, with purple shades, very intense. The nose is still closed, austere yet displaying the typical elegance these wines carry. Fruity, refreshing, with complex aromas of dark chocolate, wood, smoke and spices; it opens slowly, and needs time in the glass. In the mouth, this wine’s strength is impressive, with the tannins still very evident, yet still evolving, full of dark fruits, blackberries, plums, blueberries and some wild flowers. Light smoky notes, very refreshing, and good powerful acidity bring the blend together, and provide a lasting finish. It lasts a long, long time.

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Quinta da Touriga-Chã red 2011 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Next was Quinta da Touriga Chã 2011, an exceptional year; its colour a heavy garnet, very dark and shiny. It reveals several aromas of dark fruits, full of freshness, a little smoke and notes of tobacco. In the mouth, it’s powerful, full, intense, with a perfect combination of acidity and freshness, notes of dark chocolate, blackberries, figs, plums; however, this wine reveals a profound elegance; very seductive.

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Quinta da Touriga-Chã red 2012 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Quinta da Touriga Chã 2012 also presents great wines from this region. This example had the same shiny, very deep shade of garnet. In the nose, an explosion of complex aromas of wild flowers and fruits of the forest, notes of humus, very elegant, silky. The mouth reveals its entire dimension; very intense, velvety and at the same time powerful, the dark fruits very ripe, notes of dark chocolate and lightly spiced, revealing its great elegance in a very long finish.

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Quinta da Touriga-Chã red 2013 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Finally, Quinta da Touriga Chã 2013 was served (still unlabelled). The youngest in the family, which revealed precisely that above all else: its youth. It’s a very dark, opaque, shiny garnet. A powerful nose, full of dark fruits and wild flowers; very refreshing, even a little peppery. In the mouth, once again the very intense fruit, freshness and very good acidity; a promising delicious wine. With some more bottle time, it will certainly delight us.

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Surrounded by all that beauty lining the horizon – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

That done, and because of the suffocating heat, we slowly submerged in the pool, surrounded by all that beauty lining the horizon…

Contacts
Quinta da Touriga
Apartado 17
Vila Nova de Foz Côa , 5151-909 Guarda
Tel: (+351) 279 764 196

Alfeu, a grandon’s tribute to his grandfather

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

Thanks to Grandpa Alfeu and his dedication to vineyards and to the field, his grandson João Amado, founder of Amado Wines, felt inspired to begin a new adventure: producing his own wine. He created a brand that is, most of all, a tribute to a man in the field, in love with the earth, inseparable from his hat – now featured on the labels.

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Alfeu Wines – Photo by M&A Creative | All Rights Reserved

I first heard about this project last year, around the time when Festival do Vinho do Douro Superior (Douro Superior Wine Festival) takes place, in Vila Nova de Foz Coa, and is aimed entirely at producers from the Douro Superior sub-region. This event is one of the few where it is possible to discover new talents, meaning producers who, in away, have never been heard of, nor was a word ever written about their work. That is why these events are organised; to show us they welcome us with open arms and are happy to present their work.

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Alfeu white 2013 – Photo by M&A Creative | All Rights Reserved

This was how I came to hear about the wines; last year, when João Amado wished to pay tribute to his grandfather, and whose new harvests have very recently been tasted. Joana Maçanita oversees Oenology (see Maçanita Douro article). Both Alfeu white 2013 and Alfeu red 2012 have displayed a strong character – given the region – and a little boldness, which goes down so well on me.

Alfeu white 2013, comprising Viosinho and Malvasia Fina in a beautiful 12.5% alcohol, presents a cohesive body, with a lot of fruit alongside aromatic herbs, a touch of flowers and a refreshing background. The palate is also distinguished for its ripe fruit and jam, the wine is slightly dry and memorable for its strong persistence.

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Alfeu red 2012 – Photo by M&A Creative | All Rights Reserved

Alfeu red 2012 contains Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, the former in the lead. Cohesive, with a lot of ripe fruit surrounded by dark chocolate, and with a twirl of the glass, some flowers emerge, suggesting Touriga Nacional. A very faint austerity is present from the beginning in a serious body with good energy. A firm wine based on a solid structure. From the first sip, it shows vigour and a pinch of austerity that comes from the cheekier tannins.  The fruit bursts with flavour along with cocoa; it ends somewhat dry, and begging for a lamb roast, or for some more time in the cellar.

In the producer’s cellar, two more reds still age; two new releases composed of 100% Touriga Nacional, and one Reserve. In the tasting, they proved still a little green and not very ready to face the world. They are, however, as serious as the rest of the range, and are very centred on the fruit, but revealing a leap in quality.

Contacts
Amado Wines
Quinta do Meio, Relva
6430-075 Longroiva, Mêda
E-Mail: geral@amadowines.com
Website: www.amadowines.com

Poças: A New Era of Douro Wines With a Little Je Sais Quoi

Text Sarah Ahmed

Port is so emblematic of Portugal that it’s hard to believe that Poças Junior one of only a handful of Port Houses which has remained in the same family (and for that matter, Portuguese ownership) since it was founded nearly a century ago by Manuel Domingues Poças Junior.  When I met with Chief Viticulturist Maria Manuel Poças Maia, she left me in no doubt that her generation – the fourth – are absolutely determined to keep it that way.

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The new era uncorked by industrious Chief Viticulturist Port Maria Manuel Poças Maia of Poças Junior – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

Which is not to say that they are stick in the muds.  Far from it. I hadn’t realised until my visit earlier this month that Poças was among the first wave of Port producers to embrace Douro (table) wine at the outset of the modern era in 1990.  The trigger? Maia’s cousin, Chief Winemaker Jorge Manuel Pintão, had just joined the business fresh from his oenology degree in Bordeaux and an internship at Château Giscours in this famous French region.  She explained, “he wanted to make here what he had learned in Bordeaux and knew that the Douro had potential for good dry wines.”

Of course Pintão was not the first Douro winemaker to take inspiration from Bordeaux. Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, creator of Barca Velha, claims that distinction. But thanks to Pintão’s continuing relationship with the prestigious French region (Maia says “he never lost contact with Bordeaux”), Poças has now gone a step further.  Last year, the company secured the services of Bordeaux winemaker and consultant Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, owner of the acclaimed Château Angélus, in Saint-Emilion. Together with Philippe Nunes of Hubert Boüard Consulting (who, coincidentally, is of Portuguese parentage) the Bordelais duo helped craft Poças’ 2014 Douro wines.

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Time for reflection at Poças – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

With 25 years under its belt, Poças is among the Douro’s most experienced Douro wine producers. I asked Maia why the family felt the need to hire a consultant.  Her reply is candid – “nowadays, the market is difficult and we wanted to expand our markets for table wine.  We are growing in terms of Port but want to see the same growth in Douro wines which are starting to be very known, but still need to be more known by people.”  In other words it’s not just about “someone from outside the company giving us new ideas to have an evolution,” but also about the profile which Hubert Boüard Consulting brings.  As she freely admits, “being from France, the status is important….Our work with Bordeaux is adding value in bottle of course, but in perception too.”

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Maria Manuel Poças Maia of Poças Junior against a backdrop of Quinta Santa Barbara – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

Still, Maia is quick to emphasise “they [Hubert Boüard Consulting] are helping us to grow our image of wines and styles, but always without forgetting that we want to use Portuguese varieties and keep the heritage of our grapes and terroir.”  The family were delighted that, given the consultancy’s experience of wines from around the world, “there is huge respect for what they found here in the Douro.”  If, before coming, Maia thought Boüard had “a bit of doubt” about the old vineyards, it was dispelled when he first visited Santa Barbara [Poças’ vineyard in Caêdo, the Cima Corgo] and saw the old vines and schist.  Glowing with pride the viticulturist who, at the tender age of 23, assumed responsibility for the family’s three quintas in 2005 reports, “he said ‘this is terroir’ and was really convinced he could do a very good wine.”

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New, improved Douro white Poças Coroa d’Ouro 2014 – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

Before I tasted samples of the new, improved 2014 wines (none yet released, the reds unfinished), we discussed what changes have been introduced following the appointment of Hubert Boüard Consulting.  Describing them as “slight refinements,” Maia explained that the overall aim was “to make a more international style – a lighter perception of Douro wines because Douro wines are seen as very tannic, very strong and difficult to drink.”  In the vineyard this pursuit of elegance, especially more refined tannins, has involved tweaks to fruit sourcing.  Grapes now come from riper parcels and Boüard has introduced a younger vine (15 year old) Touriga Nacional component to the predominantly old field blend flagship red Simbolo.

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In with the new, out with the old – Poças Vale de Cavalos 2014 – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

In the winery, changes have included different press settings (for the unoaked white) and different yeast and oak selections.  The reds are no longer aged in a combination of American and French oak.  From 2014 they were aged in 100% French oak barriques using different coopers or the same cooper as before but different woods.  Where the Bordelais are renowned for their blending skills, the premium wines are now made in a new location with more space “to have opportunity to try several [blending] options.”

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Great potential, flagship red Poças Simbolo 2014 – Photo by Sarah Ahmed | All Rights Reserved

Obviously, it is very early days to reach any definitive conclusions about this Douro/Bordelais relationship, or the 2014 wines.  However, having compared Poças Coroa d’Ouro white and unfinished (barrel) samples of both reds Vale de Cavalos and Simbolo with earlier vintages (the 2013, 2011 and 2007 respectively), I suspect Poças will not only be celebrating their centenary in 2018 but also a sound return on their investment.  Despite their youth, all three wines displayed greater refinement to the finish; the improved length of the white and tannin quality of the reds was especially striking. The 2007 Simbolo tasted fully mature and more developed than expected; rather drying tannins were already starting to out-pace the fruit. On the other hand, Simbolo 2014 impressed with its fine, fluent tannins. The sample I tasted was vibrant, perfumed, and mineral with a very long, elegant finish.  Showing great potential, I reckon it will deliver more pleasure and for longer than the 2007.  It’s a testament to the winemaking when 2007 was a highly acclaimed (classic vintage Port) year and 2014 was much trickier, with intermittent rainfall at harvest.   I look forward to tasting the finished article.

While, with a touch of je sais [Hubert Boüard Consulting] quoi Poças’ range of 2014 Douro wines may be new, improved and higher profile, some things don’t change. I’m told Poças intend to maintain the family’s tradition of focusing on a good relationship between cost and value (the current release of Simbolo retails for £30-35/bottle).   As Maia puts it, “we are about quality not quantity but without having unreachable prices.” I’ll drink to that!

Contacts
Manoel D. Poças Junior – Vinhos, S.A
Rua Visconde das Devesas 186
4401 – 337 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel.: (+ 351) 223 771 070
Website: www.pocas.pt

Blend, All About Wine: Chaos Theory & The New Douro Symposium

Text Sarah Ahmed

One of my favourite varietal anecdotes concerns Cabernet Sauvignon about which Californian winemaker Sean Thackrey memorably intoned, “I wouldn’t want to sit next to it at a dinner party; too damn polite!”  Sure enough, this iconic Bordeaux variety is to grapes what pinstripe is to suits – it emanates poise, sophistication, power and control.

In case you are wondering how this has any connection to the Douro, stick with me.  In fact, cast your mind back to my February post about a Chyseia vertical with Bruno Prats when I reported how the renowned Bordelais winemaker, a born and bred Cabernet man, exerts a high degree of control over his raw material.  Prats professed only to find  Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca “interesting” and stated a clear preference for (single varietal) block planted vineyards over the Douro’s traditional varietally mixed field blend vineyards.  Why? So he could “be sure to pick at the right time.”

Cristiano Van Zeller in didu.com.br

The ‘right time’ is a topic in its own right (fellow writer Andrew Jefford explores it here) but, speaking at the annual New Douro tasting in London, Quinta Vale D. Maria’s Cristiano van Zeller begged to differ about the extent to which it is necessary to exercise control over the Douro’s natural assets.  Reflecting on the Portuguese character – one which has “liked chaos for a long, long time” – he asserted “we have to make use of our character – a little bit of chaos.  We don’t have to control everything. A little surprise every year, that’s what we have been trying to do in the Douro.”  Referring to grape varieties, he pointed out “plantings are very different from elsewhere in the world…it’s very difficult for any one grape to really express what the Douro is and what it has to say, so farmers try to find the Douro’s character by adding one to the other.”

There’s a local secret too. Van Zeller revealed, “if you plant by block, grapes have very different ripening dates but, when grapes are all mixed in one single field reasonably randomly, you find that differences in maturity between earliest and latest ripening are much reduced – maybe just three or four days.”   The icing on the cake is that field blends necessarily involve a co-fermentation of different grape varieties, a process which The Fladgate Partnership’s David Guimaraens has observed “brings greater dimension of flavour and balance.”  It is why he now favours a half way house for new plantings – micro-plots of one variety (just a few rows), which can be cross-picked with other micro-plots of different varieties and co-fermented (you can read his take on the evolution away from and back towards a more mixed varietal approach here.

This new approach might be described as organised chaos but, when van Zeller went on to reveal that old field blend vineyards’ varietal composition is adapted to different terroirs, it would seem that there has always been method in the apparent madness.  For example, he reported that the Torto Valley has around 7-8% Rufete, while the Pinhão Valley has more Sousão; Tinta Francisca has always been important at Quinta do Roriz.

For David Baverstock of Quinta das Murças who opened last month’s New Douro Symposium, organised chaos sums up life in the Douro well.  He explained the region’s challenges are “what drives us as winemakers – to try and control things as much as possible but knowing that in the end we have to just ‘go with the flow.’ Apart from the field blends and mountainous topography, the weather also plays a big part in any given vintage.”

David Baverstock in blog.esporao.com

The Douro’s diverse terroir was the headline topic for the symposium and, of the four speakers, Baverstock was ideally placed to speak to the progress which has been made navigating it since the 1990s when he left the region for Esporão in Alentejo.  He told me “[I]t has changed out of sight. It was very easy back in the early 1990s, there was really no competition back then. Barca Velha was recognized as a great wine but only rarely released.  Dirk and Cristiano were only just getting started, Duas Quintas likewise, it was easy to move ahead with projects like La Rosa and Crasto. Now the level of winemaking, quality of wines and understanding of the potential of the Douro with its different meso and micro climates has reached an incredibly high level.”

Drilling down to the topic of soil type, Baverstock talked about the important role of  schist in the Douro.  Apparently, the Douro is one of the very few regions where the schist is vertically oriented, which allows vine roots to go into the soil between plates of rock.  Given the Douro’s limited rainfall, this combined with the friability of schist allows the vines to dig “very deeply” into the soil.  Top sites might allow the roots to go down 10 metres or so, which helps vines get through the difficult (hot, dry) growing season.  Conversely, schist (especially on steep slopes) is well-drained, which means that vines never get water-logged.  Schist is also advantageous because, in a constant state of decomposition, it yields up the trace elements which vines need to survive.

The Douro’s vine roots may go deep down but, as for producers, Paul Symington of Symington Family Estates confessed “we are only beginning to scratch surface of what the real story is in the Douro.”  Contrasting it with Bordeaux’s fairly homogenous terroir, he described the Douro “as the most diverse wine region of the great wine regions on earth.”  The cornerstones of this diversity?  Symington rattled through a long list of factors which impact on wine styles, including a surprisingly wide range of differences in rainfall and temperature depending on location, elevation and aspect.  Where “vineyards face each point of the compass,” even within one vineyard, the Symingtons harvest grapes into colour-coded boxes according to aspect.  Soil pH across the Douro is very different too, which impacts on a vine’s ability to absorb up trace minerals (it is impaired if soils are very acidic).

Paul Symington in symington.com

Van Zeller’s talk focused on the Douro’s great diversity of grapes and the trend back towards high density mixed varietal plantings, whether Guimaraens’ micro-plots or his own new blast from the past plantings at Quinta Vale D. Maria. “I am mixing it all,” he said, where he has come to understand that quality and character derive not from vine age per se, but from having a varietally mixed vineyard and co-fermenting the grapes (though Dirk Niepoort asserted his belief that an old vineyards “speaks much more loudly” about terroir than variety).  Working with a range of varieties is also advantageous where, he pointed out “not every variety is attacked by same disease at the same time or has the same production, so one way or another you can guarantee a certain capacity and the ability to produce excellence most of the time.”

Niepoort’s Dirk Niepoort concluded the symposium by emphasising that “New” in “New Douro” refers to the fact that, until recently, producers only thought about Port – “we all know which are the best vineyards and areas for Port, but something new happened, a different priority and we have to look at the Douro from a completely different perspective.”

Dirk Niepoort in adfwines.com

In Niepoort’s firm opinion the best vineyards for Port are not necessarily the best for DOC Douro wines because “Port likes extreme situations – a south-facing, particularly dry, particularly hot vineyard.  But for reds, especially whites, we need something less extreme – north-facing vineyards are much more interesting and, because of coolness at night for acidity, suddenly elevation does matter.”  He believes that the best sites for whites are becoming clearer.

Still, Douro DOC wines already represent one third (by value) of production and Niepoort believes that demand for more top quality wine will increase very soon.  While Symington had no doubt about top Douro wines’ ability to compete with the best of the rest or the scope for producing a lot more of it, he asked “is the average person on the street willing to pay £20 for a bottle of Douro wine?” For him, the answer is “we’re not there yet.”

Whether you are willing to pay £20, substantially more or less, I discovered plenty of wines to excite among the latest releases shown at the New Douro tasting.  The 2013 Whites represent one of the best vintages I have tasted while the best 2012 Reds are broachable, with an elegant charm.  Seek, and ye shall find!

Blend, All About Wine: Chaos Theory & The New Douro Symposium

Text Sarah Ahmed

One of my favourite varietal anecdotes concerns Cabernet Sauvignon about which Californian winemaker Sean Thackrey memorably intoned, “I wouldn’t want to sit next to it at a dinner party; too damn polite!”  Sure enough, this iconic Bordeaux variety is to grapes what pinstripe is to suits – it emanates poise, sophistication, power and control.

In case you are wondering how this has any connection to the Douro, stick with me.  In fact, cast your mind back to my February post about a Chyseia vertical with Bruno Prats when I reported how the renowned Bordelais winemaker, a born and bred Cabernet man, exerts a high degree of control over his raw material.  Prats professed only to find  Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca “interesting” and stated a clear preference for (single varietal) block planted vineyards over the Douro’s traditional varietally mixed field blend vineyards.  Why? So he could “be sure to pick at the right time.”

Cristiano Van Zeller in didu.com.br

The ‘right time’ is a topic in its own right (fellow writer Andrew Jefford explores it here) but, speaking at the annual New Douro tasting in London, Quinta Vale D. Maria’s Cristiano van Zeller begged to differ about the extent to which it is necessary to exercise control over the Douro’s natural assets.  Reflecting on the Portuguese character – one which has “liked chaos for a long, long time” – he asserted “we have to make use of our character – a little bit of chaos.  We don’t have to control everything. A little surprise every year, that’s what we have been trying to do in the Douro.”  Referring to grape varieties, he pointed out “plantings are very different from elsewhere in the world…it’s very difficult for any one grape to really express what the Douro is and what it has to say, so farmers try to find the Douro’s character by adding one to the other.”

There’s a local secret too. Van Zeller revealed, “if you plant by block, grapes have very different ripening dates but, when grapes are all mixed in one single field reasonably randomly, you find that differences in maturity between earliest and latest ripening are much reduced – maybe just three or four days.”   The icing on the cake is that field blends necessarily involve a co-fermentation of different grape varieties, a process which The Fladgate Partnership’s David Guimaraens has observed “brings greater dimension of flavour and balance.”  It is why he now favours a half way house for new plantings – micro-plots of one variety (just a few rows), which can be cross-picked with other micro-plots of different varieties and co-fermented (you can read his take on the evolution away from and back towards a more mixed varietal approach here.

This new approach might be described as organised chaos but, when van Zeller went on to reveal that old field blend vineyards’ varietal composition is adapted to different terroirs, it would seem that there has always been method in the apparent madness.  For example, he reported that the Torto Valley has around 7-8% Rufete, while the Pinhão Valley has more Sousão; Tinta Francisca has always been important at Quinta do Roriz.

For David Baverstock of Quinta das Murças who opened last month’s New Douro Symposium, organised chaos sums up life in the Douro well.  He explained the region’s challenges are “what drives us as winemakers – to try and control things as much as possible but knowing that in the end we have to just ‘go with the flow.’ Apart from the field blends and mountainous topography, the weather also plays a big part in any given vintage.”

David Baverstock in blog.esporao.com

The Douro’s diverse terroir was the headline topic for the symposium and, of the four speakers, Baverstock was ideally placed to speak to the progress which has been made navigating it since the 1990s when he left the region for Esporão in Alentejo.  He told me “[I]t has changed out of sight. It was very easy back in the early 1990s, there was really no competition back then. Barca Velha was recognized as a great wine but only rarely released.  Dirk and Cristiano were only just getting started, Duas Quintas likewise, it was easy to move ahead with projects like La Rosa and Crasto. Now the level of winemaking, quality of wines and understanding of the potential of the Douro with its different meso and micro climates has reached an incredibly high level.”

Drilling down to the topic of soil type, Baverstock talked about the important role of  schist in the Douro.  Apparently, the Douro is one of the very few regions where the schist is vertically oriented, which allows vine roots to go into the soil between plates of rock.  Given the Douro’s limited rainfall, this combined with the friability of schist allows the vines to dig “very deeply” into the soil.  Top sites might allow the roots to go down 10 metres or so, which helps vines get through the difficult (hot, dry) growing season.  Conversely, schist (especially on steep slopes) is well-drained, which means that vines never get water-logged.  Schist is also advantageous because, in a constant state of decomposition, it yields up the trace elements which vines need to survive.

The Douro’s vine roots may go deep down but, as for producers, Paul Symington of Symington Family Estates confessed “we are only beginning to scratch surface of what the real story is in the Douro.”  Contrasting it with Bordeaux’s fairly homogenous terroir, he described the Douro “as the most diverse wine region of the great wine regions on earth.”  The cornerstones of this diversity?  Symington rattled through a long list of factors which impact on wine styles, including a surprisingly wide range of differences in rainfall and temperature depending on location, elevation and aspect.  Where “vineyards face each point of the compass,” even within one vineyard, the Symingtons harvest grapes into colour-coded boxes according to aspect.  Soil pH across the Douro is very different too, which impacts on a vine’s ability to absorb up trace minerals (it is impaired if soils are very acidic).

Paul Symington in symington.com

Van Zeller’s talk focused on the Douro’s great diversity of grapes and the trend back towards high density mixed varietal plantings, whether Guimaraens’ micro-plots or his own new blast from the past plantings at Quinta Vale D. Maria. “I am mixing it all,” he said, where he has come to understand that quality and character derive not from vine age per se, but from having a varietally mixed vineyard and co-fermenting the grapes (though Dirk Niepoort asserted his belief that an old vineyards “speaks much more loudly” about terroir than variety).  Working with a range of varieties is also advantageous where, he pointed out “not every variety is attacked by same disease at the same time or has the same production, so one way or another you can guarantee a certain capacity and the ability to produce excellence most of the time.”

Niepoort’s Dirk Niepoort concluded the symposium by emphasising that “New” in “New Douro” refers to the fact that, until recently, producers only thought about Port – “we all know which are the best vineyards and areas for Port, but something new happened, a different priority and we have to look at the Douro from a completely different perspective.”

Dirk Niepoort in adfwines.com

In Niepoort’s firm opinion the best vineyards for Port are not necessarily the best for DOC Douro wines because “Port likes extreme situations – a south-facing, particularly dry, particularly hot vineyard.  But for reds, especially whites, we need something less extreme – north-facing vineyards are much more interesting and, because of coolness at night for acidity, suddenly elevation does matter.”  He believes that the best sites for whites are becoming clearer.

Still, Douro DOC wines already represent one third (by value) of production and Niepoort believes that demand for more top quality wine will increase very soon.  While Symington had no doubt about top Douro wines’ ability to compete with the best of the rest or the scope for producing a lot more of it, he asked “is the average person on the street willing to pay £20 for a bottle of Douro wine?” For him, the answer is “we’re not there yet.”

Whether you are willing to pay £20, substantially more or less, I discovered plenty of wines to excite among the latest releases shown at the New Douro tasting.  The 2013 Whites represent one of the best vintages I have tasted while the best 2012 Reds are broachable, with an elegant charm.  Seek, and ye shall find!

The Javali (wild boar) terroir…

Text João Pedro de Carvalho

The Douro has been one of Portugal’s wine regions with more media coverage lately, where there are many Quintas of undeniable historical importance in the sector of Port Wine and that most recently have gained notoriety as producing still and sparkling wine (table wine). Trying to discover a latest project that distinguishes itself above all by the quality of table wines without having the weight of history falling back on their vineyards will not be easy but won’t be impossible either.

Proof of this is the Sociedade Agrícola Quinta do Javali, a family-owned company founded in 2000 with the objective of producing and marketing (it exports 80% of its production) their own wines DOC Douro and Port. Located on the left bank of the Douro River in Nagoselo do Douro, São João da Pesqueira (Cima Corgo). The Quinta do Javali saw 10 of its 20 hectares being replanted with the grape varieties of the region: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional.

The owner and winemaker, José António Mendes is passionate about his work, you can see the brightness in his eyes when the conversation shifts and we are talking about their wines. While we are tasting the new releases from Quinta do Javali, António explains that he tries to do all the work in the vineyard, avoiding interfering with the winery, the yeasts are indigenous, the wines are all made of mill with foot treading and combine power with an incredible freshness. We don’t find here easy wines with the capacity of an immediate satisfaction, they require patience, showing a greater density, layers of flavors and aromas, freshness with structured tannins still present that makes decanting almost compulsory.

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Quinta dos Lobatos 2013 | Quinta do Javali Reserva 2011 | Quinta do Javali Vinhas Velhas 2011 – Photo by João Pedro Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Quinta dos Lobatos 2013 (DOC Douro)
Just launched on the market, austere with lots of mature fruit, nuts with some jam, but all very clean, spicy, note of herbs, fleshy, wins with time in the glass. Mouth full of force and freshness with the fruit to explode with flavor, dryness in the end, black pepper, minerality with a very good finish.

Quinta do Javali Reserva 2011 (DOC Douro)

Spends 18 months in barrel, more impressive than the Quinta de Lobatos, more integrated barrel despite the might of the cocoa and tobacco, shows fruit jam, floral and sweet spices. Mouth with elegance allowed by tannins wrapped in structure dominated by mature fruit, fresh, conqueror with less austerity.

Quinta do Javali Touriga Nacional 2012 (DOC Douro)

With a very limited edition (600 bottles) the wine is a provocation to the senses, fruit marked by freshness and great quality, lightweight marmalade, the perfume of violets and herbs, tobacco, pepper, complex, ambitious, compact and provocative. Mouth full of freshness and flavor, tasty, fills the entire palate in a wide structure in a grand finish.

Quinta do Javali Vinhas Velhas 2011 (DOC Douro)

This wine is a true juggernaut. Arrives in breathtaking quality, dominates us completely and shows in the nose all the good austerity of the Douro. Firm structure and very good wood that sustains without excesses (20 months in barrel), fruit very clean and juicy with balsamic, spices and notes of vanilla, dark chocolate. Huge force and complexity, with layers of aromas and flavors, firm without shaking, it feeds on time in the glass or decanter, grows, gains new forms but always tense, always new. In the mouth it is fresh and broad, fruit that is chewed, tasty, energetic and great dryness in the long and persistent finish.

Quinta do Javali Special Cuvée 2012 (DOC Douro)

This wine is a taste of luxury, softer and more delicate than the Vinhas Velhas, conquests by finesse, complexity and at the same time follows the same energy so characteristic of the wines of this Quinta. The most striking is the delicate and beautiful floral perfume that shows next to blackcurrants and raspberries very fresh and clean, almost flavors in HD, almost rounded corners with a smoked touch and some vanilla. In the mouth it shows a beautiful freshness, great harmony with a huge presence on the palate, very long finish.

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Quinta do Javali LBV Port 2007/2008/2009 – Photo by João Pedro Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Quinta do Javali Tawny 20 Years (Porto)
The wine has delicate harmony and a good dose of freshness, you can tell that it does not have the same complexity that comes from a blend with older wines as other 20 Years for sale on the market do. Good dried fruit, candied orange, caramel, all wrapped in a very pleasant long final.

Quinta do Javali LBV Port 2009 (Porto)

Tasting of LBV 07, 08 and 09, the latter was the one that stood out the most, in spite of all of them being at a very good quality level. The 2009 stood out by the greed of fruit with its presence, freshness of a broader set and juicier than the others. In the mouth more presence of jammy fruit, chocolate and mild spices fresh and long finish.

Contacts
Sociedade Agrícola Quinta do Javali
Apartado 71
5130-909 S. João da Pesqueira
Email: antoniomendes@quintadojavali.com
Site: www.quintadojavali.com

Quinta do Pessegueiro – Douro in search of Excellency

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto

I was very eager to meet Quinta do Pessegueiro. I had read some notes on the subject and had even tasted two eldest vintages in a specialty fair. But to visit the Estate and get a real feel of the project would certainly be something else. And it really was. In good time did I decide to do it!

I enjoy tasting wines in loco, I like to see the work in progress in the cellars, I enjoy looking at the vines and especially I like to talk to those who vinify and produce the wines that later arrive at our glass. A wine isn’t just some liquid enclosed in a bottle. It is the result of dreams, efforts and stories that are important to know.

Quinta do Pessegueiro is the result of Frenchman and owner of a leading group of children’s clothes, Roger Zannier’s great passion for wines, Douro wines in particular.

The project began in 1991, when the first land of an estate that is today made up of three farms, was acquired. All of them are located in the Douro wine region.

Family is one of Roger Zannier’s deepest entrenched values. For that reason he entrusted the General Management of Quinta do Pessegueiro to Marc Monrose, his son in law. Connoisseur, focused and energetic, Monrose is the perfect embodiment of the mission and vision professed to leverage and manage the whole business.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta do Pessegueiro-Cellar

Cellar © Blend All About Wine, Lda

The enological direction was given to João Nicolau de Almeida Júnior. Descendant of emblematic names of the Portuguese and Douro’s enology (grandson of Fernando Nicolau de Almeida – creator of the mythical Barca Velha – and son of João Nicolau de Almeida Senior – the great “Master”of the well-known brand Ramos Pinto), João is not only the holder of high education in this field, but also carries in his veins all the necessary DNA to make and interpret great wine!

To that effect he has a sophisticated and modern cellar, designed in a way to use the natural gravity throughout the whole process of transforming the grape into wine. Nevertheless, none of this removes the responsibility that João carries on his back and that up to this point he has managed to conduct with notable quality and acknowledged professionalism.

There are two wine categories produced by Quinta do Pessegueiro: Douro and Port. Red and White Douro in the first case; Single Quinta Vintage and Dry White in the other one. Besides Quinta do Pessegueiro, Roger Zannier also holds the Château Saint Maur, in AOC Côtes de Provence, France.

As a result of such and exciting visit, here is a small personal appreciation of each of the wines tasted.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta do Pessegueiro-Wines

Aluzé & Quinta do Pessegueiro | © Blend All About Wine, Lda

ALUZÉ BRANCO 2012, Douro
The name comes from the expression in Portuguese “The Light is”. I wouldn’t say it is, but it was! And was very well…
Produced from old vineyards, mainly Cercial and Gouveio, this white is fresh and seductive. Marked by citrus and white fruits aromas, the main tonic is in its cleanness and minerality. The mouth reveals a medium structure, sustained by a good acidity and an elegant finish with some persistence. A white to take into consideration!

ALUZÉ TINTO 2010, Douro
An entry series wine for this producer, it is the result of a blend of Touriga Nacional (35%), Touriga Franca (30%), Tinta Roriz (15%) grape varieties and Old Vineyards (20%). Revealing the strong presence of forest fruits, complemented by spices such as black pepper and cloves, this Douro red is voluptuous and intense, with a medium body and a focused and precise ending. It was vinified in oak and stainless steel vats and aged for 12 months in big rafters, giving it an even softer and integrated oaken feel. An inviting wine with an excellent gastronomic aptitude.

ALUZÉ TINTO 2011, Douro
The result of a year of exception in Douro, this red, made in the same way and using the same grape varieties as its predecessor, reveals itself however more intense and concentrated. With black and forest fruits making a strong presence, such as plums, blackberries and cassis, it divulges a spicy character that, besides the classic black pepper, also presents certain nutmeg notes. In the mouth it is fresh and more structured, with tannins still very present. Slight smoke and toast sensations are well integrated in a way to not overpower the fruit. Everything is well combined, balanced and harmonious.

QUINTA DO PESSEGUEIRO TINTO 2010, Douro
A dark purple color red wine with a very fresh and mineral beat. However none of that overpowered its fruity and minty character, with the predominance of red fruits. The feel of wet grass and cistus are noteworthy. In the mouth one can confirm the presence of fruit and its undeniable minerality. Fresh, with remarkable acidity and very thin tannins. The oak sensations are present but very well integrated and this justifies and encourages its vinification in oak casks and rafters, aging for 18 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. Focused and persistent, it reveals a special aptitude to be harmonized with game dishes.

QUINTA DO PESSEGUEIRO TINTO 2011, Douro
Holding on to its mineral and fresh character, this red is even more concentrated and with stronger aromas than as its predecessor. Fruity and with minty notes, it is still young and so requires some waiting time. Its tannins and good acidity allow us to foresee a promising future. The oak sensations, although present, do not take precedence over everything else but give it structure and allow the whole set to have a well-rounded finish. It is persistent and puts a smile on our lips. A 2011 Douro red that does justice to its breed!
The price-quality-ratio of all this wines is remarkable and noteworthy. (ALUZÉ Red and White: € 11) and (QUINTA DO PESSEGUEIRO: € 22).

QUINTA DO PESSEGUEIRO – A project to keep track of!

Contacts:
QUINTA DO PESSEGUEIRO
SOCIEDADE AGRÍCOLA E COMERCIAL, LDA
5130-114 Ervedosa do Douro / Portugal
Tel: (+351) 254 422 081
Fax: (+351) 254 422 078
E-mail :  quintapessegueiro@zannier.com
Site: www.quintadopessegueiro.com