Blend All About Wine Arquivo de João Carvalho - Page 3 of 7

Quinta do Francês, the doctor who dreamed being a winemaker

February 5, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

We’re heading back to Algarve again, a region that has been making an effort during the last decade to get back to its place in the wine map of quality wine producing. The contribution of the producers that believe in the region has been crucial, among them is Patrick Agostini who is in charge of Quinta do Francês. Patrick was born in France and is a descendant of an Italian family of Piedmont with winemaking traditions, he graduated as a doctor of pathological anatomy in France but also has a degree in viticulture and oenology.

He would eventually move to Portugal where he settled in and started a family. He found an estate which he thought ideal to fulfill his dream, produce wine. He had to start almost from zero since in the beginning the estate was just slopes with wild vegetation. The vineyard was implemented in 2002 after a year and half of soil preparation, drainage and acidity correction.

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Quinta do Francês Entrance in facebook.com/QuintaDoFrancesWinery

Nowadays has 8 hectares of vineyard in the Silves valleys midway to Serra de Monchique, really close Odelouca’s riverbank. The vineyards are distributed between two types of soils. The schist soils make up for a total of 6,5 ha with one white grape variety, Vioginer, and three red grape varieties, Aragonês, Cabarnet Sauvignon and Trincadeira. In the remaining 1,5 ha, which have alluvial soil and are very close to Odelouca’s riverbank was only planted the Cabarnet Sauvignon grape variety. Their wines have been gaining notoriety as well as deservedly getting its place among consumers. The quality is always present in their wines where the above average quality is nowadays a reality, not only in the Algarve wine region but also in Quinta do Francês.

For this tasting I selected two of the wines which I think that reflect the best that this producer has to offer. The Quinta do Francês white 2014 is 100% Viognier and aged in French oak barrels. It’s a white with a good complexity, fresh, of delicate and clean aromas with descriptors that call up the grape variety (peach, apple, pear and a slight floral), vanilla of the barrel, and all in a great harmony. It’s tasty and the fruit is joined by a peppering touch, some dried fruit (hazelnut), fresh and the wood entangling rounds up the corners with a finish with good persistence.

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On the other side of the table is Quinta do Francês red 2013, a blend of Cabarnet Sauvignon, Syrah and Aragonês that aged in barrel for over a year before being bottled. Showed itself serious and with a good complexity, a slight freshness, aroma austerity, graphite, without excesses, and the fruit (forest fruits) showing signs of a slight sweetness, notes of black pepper berries, slight floral in a set with well-integrated wood. The palate shows it’s a closely-knit and serious wine, tasty where the fruit comes out with hints of vanilla and spices in a finish of good persistence.

Contacts
Quinta do Francês Estate Family
Sítio da Dobra Odelouca
Cx P 862H
8300-037 Silves – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 282 106 303
E-mail: quintadofrances@gmail.com
Website: www.quintadofrances.com

From the kitchen to the vineyard, the wines of Margarida Cabaço

January 29, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The good decisions we make in life sometimes lead us into the path of success. Like many others this is a story of success. It all began when young Margarida arrived in Estremoz and fate dictated it would be there she would find the love of her life, Joaquim Cabaço, descendant of the Cabaço family. Joaquim early learned the art of the fields and vineyard and it was him together with his wife that planted the current vineyard, in 1992. Back then and lacking own wine production or winery all the grapes were sold to producers from the region. On another hand Margarida’s passion by cuisine led her to open one of the Alentejo cuisine temples, São Rosas Restaurant.

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Margarida Cabaço at the door of her restaurant, São Rosas

At some point, and despite all the art and mastery that she puts in her kitchen Margarida felt the need to complement it with something that also had her hand. And so, along with the 2001 harvest the Monte dos Cabaços project was born and the grapes that were previously sold now gave birth to the couple’s first wine, interestingly it was one Syrah produced from a vineyard with three years. From a total of 130 hectares of vineyard, 55 are destined to Monte dos Cabaços project and the rest for their son Tiago Cabaço. Nowadays the range of wines is grew and is broader, the winemaking is in charge of winemaker Susana Estéban but Margarida Cabaço always has the last word.

The selection process starts in the vineyard just as she does with the products that she selects for São Rosas, the quality criteria is always present. The best blends are entitled to age in casks and when they show a higher level they are used for Monte dos Cabaços Reserva. As for the special range of wine named Margarida (which I will not approach for now) are made with the best grape variety of each vintage. The first wine was made in 2005 and nowadays we taste Monte dos Cabaços 2013, which is composed by the Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro grape varieties and is aged in stainless steel. Shows very ripe and vigorous fruit (citric, apple), lemon tree’s green leaf and white flowers in a direct and forthright set that has some nerve. In the mouth it shows somewhat tense, there’s a balance between the ripe and juicy fruit and the dryness, it’s fresh and has a good finish.

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Now the reds, Monte dos Cabaços Colheita Seccionada 2009 is centered in ripe fruit, berries and forest fruits, some plum, notes of black chocolate, tobacco, black pepper, fresh and good intensity. Well-structured set, tasty mid-palate and a long finish. For last but not the least is Monte dos Cabaços Reserva 2008 that aged in casks and was made with Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet. An attractive and serious wine with very ripe black fruit wrapped in freshness and some jam, good set harmony with hints of spices and very good concentration with the wood very well integrated. Very engaging and at the same time showing nerve and grab, some austerity even, which is felt in the background. In the mouth there’s a festival of sensations, nerve and freshness with a firm structure the grants it longevity and a fantastic performance at the table.

Quinta do Gradil new wines and restaurant

January 22, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Recently I visited Quinta do Gradil located in the foothills of Serra de Montejunto. According to information taken from the producer’s website it is considered one, if not the most, older estate of the Cadaval county with a strong wine tradition that lasts for centuries. It was accquired in the late 90s by António Gomes Vieira’s grandchildren, the precursor of the wine tradition in the family since 1945. In 2000 the new owners started the reconversion process of the whole vineyard area and opted for the grape varieties with greatest quality. In the 120 hectares of vineyard we can find many grapes varieties planted, both white and red. Sauvignon Blanc, Arinto, Viosinho, Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Syrah are some examples. Eng. Bento Rogado is the responsible fot this rich landscape of vineyards and all of these grapes are vinified in the cellar coordinated by Eng. Pedro Martins under the attentive baton of winemakers Vera Moreira and António Ventura.

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The restaurant in quintadogradil.pt

The small palace and the chapel were in a very advanced state of degradation when the new owners acquired the Quinta. They were both cleaned up and there’s already an ambitious project to rehabilitate them. The winery got some improvements and is now prepared a deep reformulation in the next two years. The old stables gave place to a socializing space. The Quinta’s restaurant also underwent a rehabilitation, the kitchen is in charge of Chef Daniel Sequeira, and it was there that we were welcomed and had the chance to taste and match some of the new wines with dishes of the new menu. A moment of relaxation where the wines showed themselves comfortable with the table and in this case with the proposals of the Chef.

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The first to be served, Quinta do Gradil Sauvigon Blanc e Arinto 2014, showed up young and with a good freshness, good connection between the grape varieties, matching the more exotic and vegetal side of the Sauvignon with the citric and freshness of the Arinto. A good combination that results in a direct and very pleasant wine in the company of well-seasoned starters as was the case in the photo above.

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Quinta do Gradil Sauvigon Blanc e Arinto 2014 in quintadogradil.pt

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Quinta do Gradil Chardonnay 2014 in quintadogradil.pt

Quinta do Gradil Chardonnay 2014 shows a more bodied profile than the previous one because the wine has some more fats that grant it uncotuosity and wheight. The fruit comes in the format of white pulp fruit with lemon and pear, all wrapped in a good freshness with the gentle warmth of the barrel in a well-balanced set.

While the varietal show the best of each year the Reserva are the most special of this house and are only created when the achieved quality is in a superior level. So Quinta do Gradil Reserva branco 2013 came out, it’s a blend of Arinto and Chardonnay with a passage in barrel. It’s a wine quite more serious, cohese and with good complexity, fresh, and with a slight unctuosity wrapping up the fruit, slightly vegetal with scent herbs. Good amplitude in the mouth of a fresh and tasty wine with good presence.

In terms of reds I only tasted one wine and showed up well, it was the Quinta do Gradil Syrah 2013. Gluttonous and with a fruit that makes it very appealing, the slight chemical touch that shows at first in the glass little to nothing bothers. Then it’s a bazaar of good things passing in front of the nose, from chocolates, spices, to fruit with a little jam, good freshness in a wine with harmony that still shows signs that will endure over time.

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Quinta do Gradil Reserva branco 2013 in quintadogradil.pt

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Quinta do Gradil Syrah 2013 in quintadogradil.pt

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Quinta do Gradil Sparkling Wine Chardonnay e Arinto 2013 in quintadogradil.pt

Finally and for farwell I tasted the Quinta do Gradil Sparkling Wine Chardonnay e Arinto 2013, a wine that pleased by its freshness and fruit elegance. Has fine bubbles and shows good pairing bewtween the two grape varieties. Persistant acidity in a set with a slight unctuosity. A very pleasant and festive wine ready for some starters served on the terrace.

Contacts
Estrada Nacional 115 Vilar
2550 – 073 Vilar | Cadaval
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 262 770 000
Fax: (+351) 262 777 007
Mobile: (+351) 917 791 974
E-mail: info@quintadogradil.pt
Website: www.quintadogradil.pt

Esmero and Mimo, the wines of Rui Xavier Soares

January 14, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The wine production in the family of Rui José Xavier Soares (Real Companhia Velha’s viticulture coordinator, place where he works since 1997) goes back to the time where his grandfather Fernando who was responsible for the plantation of the great majority of vines that give birth to the wines that Rui Soares creates nowadays. For many years the Quinta’s production was solely destined to Port wine and for own consumption. It was in 2002 that they decided to go one step further and get into the table wine’s market. The basis of the whole process are the old family vineyards, located in Valdigem (Lamego), where the red and white wines with brands Esmero e Mimo are produced.

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Esmero vines in facebook.com/Esmero-143943452320952/?fref=ts

Separating the tasting in two moments:

The whites – both wines come from 30 years old vines which are located in a terrain transition that goes from schist to granite. Both whites aged in stainless steel vats while the reds aged in wood. According to the definition Mimo (pampering) is something delicate, made with grace, beauty and perfection. The Mimo white 2014 is composed, mostly, by Moscatel Galego, Fernão Pires and Síria. It’s a fresh white, different and fun that has many clean and captivating aromas of which stand out the floral, ripe citrus, fresh vegetal on an average body set. Good freshness combined with the presence of fruit and slight dryness to the finish.

The Esmero white 2014 is the result of the extreme care in the work, the refinement and the thoroughness. It’s a serious white mainly composed by Viosinho and Gouveio with vigor where the well-defined notes of white fruit pulp with some citrus mingle with the slight notes of wood and mineral austerity background. Very present acidity that dominates the whole set with fresh fruit, tisanes, medium body with nerve and a beautiful structure supporting it.

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The reds – both reds aged for 18 months in wood vats and their differences can be found not only by the age of the vines but also by the altitude at they’re at. The Mimo red 2012 is made from a 30 years old half slope vine, reveals very clean, fresh and tasty fruit (berries, forest fruits), pepper, cocoa and a very slight wood note that snuggles the set.

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Esmero red wines in facebook.com/Esmero-143943452320952/?fref=ts

In the mouth it shows a lot of freshness and the liveness of a very clean and quality fruit. It’s pure with a medium presence, very balanced and tasty. A red that is easy to like. On another hand, the top of the range, the more serious one which is produced from a field blend vine with over 80 years old at low altitude. The Esmero red 2013 is dominated by the complexity, freshness and quality of the whole set, full of forest fruits, cherry (all very ripe and full of acidity), broad with much character, black pepper and wood in the background. The mouth shows bodied profile, vigor, persistence, and, the fruit and the barrel in full harmony which results in a wonderful Douro wine with many years ahead.

Quinta das Bágeiras, oenologic minimalism

January 8, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

We head to Bairrada, and more specifically, Fogueira (a parish in Sangalhos, Anadia municipality), where Quinta das Bágeiras is set, and where producer Mário Sérgio Nuno is expecting us. His is an unavoidable name in Bairrada, as well as of Portugal’s table wines. The labels and bottles have a bonfire for a symbol, which is also the name of the place they come from; however, this symbol marks the beginning of Mário Sérgio as a young farmer and wine producer. This is the fruit of a gift from a well-known friend of his who is also a producer. The Fogueira brand, which could not be a wine brand because it was also the name of the town, eventually emerged as a symbol for wines by Quinta das Bágeiras.

Quinta das Bágeiras Logo in facebook.com/quintadasbageirasvinhos

The work of three generations only began production and bottling as their own brand when Mário Sérgio Alves Nuno took over; before that, everything was sold in bulk. Everything started with the production of the 1987 harvest, which had almost entirely been sold to Caves São João, and Mário Sérgio asked his father to keep a vat so he could make his own wine. This decision later proved successful as it won third prize on the wine competition for the IVV (the Vineyard and Wine Institute) with the first white to be released in 1989. Rui Moura Alves is in charge of oenology, an oenologist and friend who has stood by Mário Sérgio from the first moment onwards, and who has been responsible for the brand’s success and reference status in production, attained in the 90s.

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The whites in Bágeiras branch out into sparkling wines, harvest, Garrafeira, Pai Abel, and Avô Fausto. Mário Sérgio prefers flat and clay-calcareous grounds for his whites, at low heights, from which Bical and Maria Gomes varieties sprout. He brings in three harvests of the Baga grape variety; the first for brandy, the second for sparkling wines, and the third for the reds. He recovered and kept the parcel that belonged to his parents and grandparents. The originally 30 acres have grown into 70. For over 25 years, they have been producing wines that face the more traditional Bairrada, oenologic minimalism, decanting in open presses, and ageing in old vats, using no fining agents or filtrations, with their very own identity and rusticity that convey all the authenticity that typify them.

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Upon visiting the facilities, one notices that, all around, modernity insists on staying away, and the knowledge is passed down from generation to generation – this is a family business, after all. This knowledge has been put into practice with all their wines from the beginning, and commemorated by Mário Sérgio in the shape of new launches that feature his (father) Pai Abel and (grandfather) Avô Fausto. This time, the highlight is on the last two and also the most recent; Pai Abel is, in fact, a tribute to his father, who despite being 80, is still working on the vines and handing all his knowledge over to the younger generations.

This white Pai Abel 2013 is a white from a vineyard that is over 20 years old, and made from Maria Gomes and Bical grape varieties. What matters is the product’s end quality, hence the very small production, as the first grapes collected from the vines become sparkling wines, and finally the second collection makes white. It ferments in small-capacity, used barrels. Only the Garrafeira is made using vats. In this case, what we receive in our glass is a tense and very precise white, complex, with firm aromas, revealing its youth and a mineral trace in the background. At the same time, the wood conveys good volume, ripe fruit with herbal teas, an ample mouth with a lot of freshness, deep, and full of guts, with great persistence, in a wine that will last many years in the bottle.

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The second wine emerges in tribute to his grandfather, Fausto Nuno, who triggered his own taste for wine, and who is also responsible for the family’s calling for wine growing and producing. Avô Fausto white 2014 is a white from old vineyards and from 15-year-old vineyards, with a profile that would suit Fausto Nuno’s taste; elegant, refreshing and soft. In this case, only Maria Gomes has aged in casks; aromatic, very precise, refreshing and delicate, and simultaneously tense and full of guts, perfume of roses, very citrusy, accompanied by resin-like notes and a very subtle buttery texture. A different approach signed by Quinta das Bágeiras.

Contacts
Fogueira
3780-523 Sangalhos, Aveiro
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 234 742 102
Mobile: (+351) 964 190 336
E-mail: quintadasbageiras@mail.telepac.pt
Website: www.quintadasbageiras.pt

Frei João, the Bairrada wine by Caves São João

December 18, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

We are back in Caves São João cellar to talk about the wine whose profile may be described as the most classic of all Bairrada, Frei João. We must thus travel back to the 50s to revive our memory, when the duo Luís and Alberto Costa decided to start selecting, acquiring and ageing great-quality wines in the company cellar. Those wines paved the way for iconic brands such as Porta dos Caveleiros, in 1963, or the first Caves São João Reserva Particular (private reserve), in 1945. In 1960, they launched the first Bairrada, Frei João, whose name pays tribute to Carmelite friar Frei João Baptista (Convent of Santa Cruz do Buçaco), one of the first to plant vineyards in that region.

The first Frei João wines were made from blends bought by the two Costa brothers off producers in the region. Two of the main producers in the region at the time were Adega Cooperativa (cooperative winery) of Mogofres and Cantanhede. The Frei João Reserva, still in a burgundy bottle, was born from the 1963 harvest and had the talent to establish its profile as the most classic in all of Bairrada. Factors such as categorisation and the important geographic consistency of the blends bought every year were decisive, for example the vinification, where fermentation using a stalk was a fact, and contributed to establishing a classic profile throughout the decades to represent the best in the region. In a way, we watched a revolution happen in the 70s, which was evident in the wines’ profiles, as the Frei João bottle changed into a Bordeaux mixture, or even the region itself, with the designation of the Bairrada region being made official in 1979. In 1972, Quinta do Poço do Lobo estate was acquired, which started contributing to the blends with its own production, later joined by blends from Vilarinho do Bairro in gradually bigger quantities.

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Only in Caves São João is it possible to take a walk down the history of a Bairrada icon. A magical place that grants us this big privilege of tasting wines over 40 years old that are still in perfect shape, and which do not show signs of decadence or exhaustion, providing true moments of glory in the tasting; on par with some of the best wines from Portugal and from the world.

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Frei João Branco 1966: Almost half-a-century old, with fantastic complexity, very sealed and begging to be decanted, serious, with freshness and depth, cleansed with resin, a honey-sweet tone, vegetal, white fruit, lovely silkiness, and with nuts standing out. On the mouth, a lot of freshness bonds with a light silky touch, involving the always very cohesive, tense blend with a finish that reveals surprising mineral austerity.

Frei João Branco 1974: A huge surprise, breathtaking at every level, and I believe it may be one of the best Bairrada wines ever tasted until this moment in time. An enormously complex aroma, yellow flowers, honey-sweet notes, phosphorus, vegetal, and a less intense and more refined nutty tone. An engaging mouth with very lively acidity, very present and lively white-pulp fruits, long and persistent, large, deep, showing guts and making its presence well noticed.

Frei João White 1990: At first, what I can say is that time has not had an effect on it; tense, nervous, full of guts, with notes of resin and Esteva wine, white fruit still present. A lot of energy with cutting acidity on a tenser flow through the mouth, while still proving austere and with a lot to live for.

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Frei João Reserva 1966 Magnum: A compulsory wine to know about and to taste. A huge red that oozes Bairrada out of every pore. It owns great complexity from where the fruit (cherries, raspberries) still emerge with a slight hint of ripeness and a lot of liqueur… delicious, cocoa, box of cigars, black tea conveying a feeling of dryness. A luxurious mouth, amplitude, freshness, grit, great presence, and a refreshing fruity taste, a lot of class in a long and spicy finish.

Frei João Reserva 1980: A beautiful red full of freshness and youth, broad complexity marked by the round and acidic fruit (wild berries) with hints of pine needles, caramel, coffee, Esteva wine, cohesive, broad, and very structured, full of vigour yet with great finesse. The mouth has strong flavours, fabulous acidity, and a long finish.

You can read more about Caves São João here.

Contacts
S. João da Azenha, Ap-1, Anadia
3781-901, Avelãs de Caminho
Frei João
Porta dos Cavaleiros
Tel: (+351) 234 743 118
Fax: (+351) 234 743 000
E-mail: geral@cavessaojoao.com
Website: www.cavessaojoao.com

Caves São João – Porta dos Cavaleiros, the profile of a region

December 11, 2015 2 comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

The history in Caves São João is long and rich in detail. It all started with the name Sociedade dos Vinhos Irmãos Unidos (Society of the United Brothers Wines), founded in 1920 by three wine-growing brothers from Bairrada: João, Manuel and Albano Ferreira da Costa. Their bulk sales prospered for many years, and only in 1950 was “Caves São João” added to the company name. Yet not before 1959 – once the founder’s children, Alberto and Luís Costa were at the wheel of the Caves – did the brands that launched Caves São João into stardom emerge: Frei João (Bairrada) and Porta dos Cavaleiros (Dão). Alberto and Luís Costa were talented wine traders; they knew how to choose and buy the best blends like only a few could. I would even say they were among the few who could create and educate great wines that are still around today, elegantly showing all the potential in the two regions they have embraced, Dão and Bairrada.

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Seeing as they did not own any vineyard in Dão, they had to choose and buy the best blends, hence the first Porta dos Cavaleiros having emerged in the 1963 harvest, both a Colheita and a Reserva Seleccionada. A brand that, just as its Bairrada equivalent, had the talent to almost “create” a profile we now think of as a classic from either region. Please note that the Reserva Seleccionada reveal more freshness than the Colheita, because the grapes in the Reserva came from the foothill of Serra da Estrela mountain, thus building a fresher profile that may be called “Mountain Dão”, while the Colheita had grapes from lower and perhaps hotter areas. Regarding the Reserva Seleccionada, as the story goes, the wines spent four years in the enormous cement containers and then a year in a bottle. These wines are wisely educated and have a classic idiosyncrasy; they are serious and have such a characteristic silky touch that they show us what the region can and must do.

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To visit Caves São João cellar and to have the pleasure of viewing more than a million bottles that made it through time is a rare opportunity for connoisseurs. This tasting was memorable; it was special in every sense, even due to the fact that some wines are no longer being sold given the low number of remaining bottles. The first wine was Porta dos Cavaleiros 1964; this 51-year-old white is breathtaking in every way. The evolution in the glass is notable and clearly begs to be decanted. At first it seems tight and contained, revealing some resin, developing a notable complexity and some emphasis on the amazing acidity that involves and holds the whole blend together. Deep, floral, with a note of wax, silky, with nuts, and some ripe stone fruits. The mouth was very refreshing, revealing guts and a grit, great presence and depth, serious, educated; its silkiness seems to make a good combination with the freshness, which freshens the palate, which ends long and persistently.

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Moving into the 70s, interestingly enough, not many wines by Caves São João from this decade have lingered in my memory, except perhaps the white 1973 Reserva in Magnum and the red 1975, also a Reserva. This Porta dos Cavaleiros 1979 white does not lag behind; it’s cordial and lively, the fruit is already quite ripe, and there’s minerality with some dryness in the mouth finish. As for the whites from the 80s, the best is Reserva 1985; this Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva white 1984 is a great adult white, yet when compared, it lacks in grit whether on the mouth or on the nose, where it does not prove as fresh or cutting, nor clean in aromas. Otherwise, it boasts a beautiful harmony in the blend, combining the silky feeling with acidity and the presence of the fruit still lively and ripe.

Moving into red territory, the beginner couldn’t have been better; Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva 1966 is the best, in my opinion seeing as it has consolidated its position as one of the best wines of the region of all time. Pure class in a compendium-worthy wine full of pine needles and pine forest, a lot of pine woods, fruits of the forest, cherries, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus, leather. Pure velvet in a tone that combines austerity with the sweetness of a long, very lively and refreshing wine with a lasting finish. Quickly moving through the 70s, we tasted Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva 1974, which once again shone the least among the reds, as the region was quite evident in the profile and made a very good performance at the tasting. It lacked in personal statement potential, having tasted more slender and spaced both in terms of aromatic complexity and presence on the mouth.

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Blend-All-About-Wine-Caves São João-Porta dos Cavaleiros 1974

Blend-All-About-Wine-Caves São João-Porta dos Cavaleiros 1985

I ended with the second best red, Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva 1985, which is one of the wines that have pleased me the most the last few times I had it in my glass. It’s literally one of those wines that are at a very high point of their lives; it combines all the freshness of the fruit with the complexity that it can only offer with time. Among the pine forest and woods, mushroom, slightly earthy aromas, it opens up to reveal ripe and juicy fruit; all wrapped in bright freshness, clean, with a box of cigars, and varied spices. On the mouth, it is silky and vigorous at the same time as the fruit bursts with flavour, a lot of personality with ample presence, deep and with a lasting finish. A great wine from Dão and from the World.

Quinta de Cabriz celebrates its 25-year-old history

December 4, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

Cabriz wines is celebrating 25 years of history; I would like to remind you that Quinta de Cabriz is the cradle of Global Wines/Dão Sul, in Carregal do Sal (Viseu), between Serra da Estrela and Caramulo (mountains), and between the Dão and Mondego rivers. The property is stretched over 94 acres, where red and white grapes are produced, which make up a broad portfolio that includes sparkling wines and aguardentes (brandies) besides white and red wines. Quinta de Cabriz also invests in wine tourism and offers visits to its cellar, where they host a restaurant for regional food, a winebar, a wineshop, tastings, and wine courses as well as event rooms. Until September next year, the main brand of the Global Wines/Dão Sul group will have the entire country chanting the slogan “Dão é Cabriz” (Dão is Cabriz). A new image, new labels, promotional campaigns in points of sale, intense advertising, hobbies and prize giveaways (the latest tablets, regional Dão products, gastronomic and touristic weekends in Dão, and trips abroad) to consumers who help the company tell the story of this well-known Dão brand.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta de Cabriz-Wine Cellar

Wine Cellar in www.daosul.com

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta-de-Cabriz-Wines.

The quality/price relationship has always been one of the Cabriz wines’ draws, and the wines that stand out the most here are the greatest example. With a freshly washed face, or rather, a new image on the glass, Cabriz Colheita Seleccionada 2013, well known among its consumers. A very direct approachable wine, rounded edges and a very likeable profile as the fruit proves ripe and with a warm and slightly sweet detail, a little cocoa and a vegetal aftertaste in the background. Total production amounts to 2 500 000 bottles of a perfectly round wine with light freshness, and very respectful of the level of quality it is placed in. The other wine, Cabriz Reserva 2012, reveals a leap in quality where the fruit feels fresher, cleaner and more refreshing. It forgets about the warm and sweet tone and shows a little more character, in association with its region of birth. Otherwise, it’s a modern wine, in which the fruit seems slightly hidden by the cask, cocoa, a balsamic note with a touch of spices in the background. A light vigour on the palate, very present fruit, and good amplitude as the finish proves a little dry.

Contacts
Dão Sul – Sociedade Vitivinícola S.A.
Apartado 28, 3430-909
Carregal do Sal, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 232 960 140
Fax: (+351) 232 961 203
E-mail: daosul@daosul.com
Website: www.daosul.com

Soalheiro, Oppaco and Terramatter

November 23, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

The first parcel of a single hectare (2.5 acres) of Alvarinho grapes was born in Melgaço to João António Cerdeira, in 1974. Time went by and, today, the Alvarinho grape variety covers 25 acres and is now supervised by the children: Luís and Maria João Cerdeira. For more than 25 years, this brand has been present at the table, maintaining this Alvarinho’s praiseworthy consistency and storing potential, vintage after vintage. As years ran by, several new products were made available to the customer. These wines are almost always seen as an experiment/innovation when first released onto the market, yet they shortly turn into great specimens. This happened with Primeiras Vinhas, and Reserva, which are both specimens that raise the Alvarinho variety to the levels of the best in Portugal.

In fact, these wines need and even enjoy a little ageing time in the bottle; for example, the Alvarinho Soalheiro is one I only like to open after it ages for two years inside the bottle. However, if we look at vintages such as the 2007, or even earlier vintages, they confirm that we can forget about the Alvarinho Soalheiro for a while and it won’t be the slightest bit upset. Primeiras Vinhas and Reserva are on the same path, proving that the people at Adega do Soalheiro know how to educate a wine with such an intent.

The new facilities are where the creative process continues. New products echo from consumer to consumer and, for now, two new wines have just been released. The first, named Terramatter, is made with the 2014 vintage, an Alvarinho of an earlier vintage with no filtration and prone to sediment, whose ageing is done mostly in chestnut casks (traditional in the Minho region). The hue is slightly heavier than the house’s usual. There is something more closed-in about the notable aromatic precision we are used to in this producer in all his wines. It’s dense, of good volume on the mouth and with a lot of elegance and freshness, a slight silky sensation. A strong mineral aftertaste in the background in a tasteful and refreshing sip. In my view, it is still very young and it will be quite interesting to study its evolution; that is if they made enough bottles for that.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Soalheiro-Terramater

The other novelty is the first Soalheiro red, called Oppaco, a 2013 vintage based on the Vinhão and Alvarinho varieties. Once again, the keyword is innovation, because this is the first wine of the region made from a mix of red and white grapes. As a result, the wine combines the rusticity of the Vinhão variety, which is tamed by the freshness and elegance that the Alvarinho variety exhibits in Luís Cerdeira’s hands. A very refreshing blend altogether, clean and defined aromas, the rusticity is felt in a mix of very present fruit that reveals a very young and lively blend at the same time. Different and having a mind of its own, an original personality that requires food at an arm’s reach, from Galo de Cabidela [cockerel rice] to Rojões [pork cubes] à Moda do Minho [Minho-style].

Contacts
Alvaredo . Melgaço
4960-010 Alvaredo
Tel: (+351) 251 416 769
Fax: (+351) 251 416 771
Email: quinta@soalheiro.com
Website: www.soalheiro.com

Azores Wine Company, rarities born in the middle of the Atlantic

November 16, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

I have closely followed the work of young oenologist António Maçanita as much as I can. Not so long ago, I heard he was in the Azores, and his first wines were going to start budding from there. This project eventually turned into a sort of lifesaver for some of the grape varieties that inhabit the archipelagos whose Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. And hence Azores Wine Company was born, between vineyards they rented and 99-acre pieces of land they bought in Pico, São Miguel, and Graciosa. The efforts undertaken to literally save some varieties before they were forgotten in time are worthy of praise; for example Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico. According to the last study, the latter had only produced less than 100 plants. This exclusivity goes hand-in-hand with a certain rarity observed in smaller productions that barely make it to the tables of all of those interested in getting their hands on it.

The wines they produce are separated into two ranges: Rare Grapes Collection, composed by varietal wine, where the Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Terrantez do Pico and Volcanic Series appear together with Rosé Vulcânico and Tinto Vulcânico. I was lucky enough, and I can even say I had the privilege to taste a few of these wines, seeing as the Terrantez do Pico, for example, was only enough for 380 bottles. One thing they all have in common comes from the maritime breeze and an inevitable – and why not just say it – acidity that feels somewhat accentuated; perhaps due to the volcanic soils. That same acidity accentuates the minerality and salt level, which are common to all the wines. They deserve to and must be tasted and drunk with some care, as they always enclose the conditions in which they were born.

Blend-All-About-wine-Azores Wine Company-Azores

Blend-All-About-wine-Azores Wine Company-Rose

A better example of what I just mentioned is the Rosé Vulcânico 2014, poor in colour and light in alcohol, it unleashes aromas of very present and very clean red fruits and, in the background, a few notes of the sea as well as the inevitable presence of a note of iodine and salinity. This factor, the pinch of salt you feel on the palate, is what brings an element of surprise and may even drive some connoisseurs away. Otherwise, it reveals enough intensity to shine when drunk with oriental-style food.

Two Arinto dos Açores of the 2014 harvest were out for tasting – neither is in any way similar to the continental Arinto; one of them fermented on lees and is thus called Arinto dos Açores “Sur Lies” 2014. The more electric version, an Arinto do Açores 2014, exhibits enviable finesse. It is much less compact, although the acidity must highlight the citrus notes that merge with the mineral flavour, and once again, in this case, the saline aftertaste highlights the finish. On the almost opposite end, “Sur Lies” bets on all of the above although it further enhances everything a little bit. Let’s say it has built up more muscle. Anything that comes in a shell will beautifully harmonise with these two wines at once.

Blend-All-About-wine-Azores Wine Company-Arinto

Blend-All-About-wine-Azores Wine Company-Terrantez

For the end, I will leave the one I consider to be the star of the company, Terrantez do Pico 2014. Coming from one of the 380 bottles produced, it makes a better cupboard wine than a garage wine, and all the better if it’s under controlled temperature because it will hold up well for a good few years. A delicate and refined complexity encircles the blend; it presents quite varied citrus notes, from the riper to the more bitter ones, including nuances of light tropical characteristics. Its exuberance is little to none, yet it seems to need some time to develop, because it’s still closed-in at the moment, while taken over by mineral austerity and an aftertaste of the sea breeze.

Contacts
Rua dos Biscoitos, Nº3
São Mateus
9950-542 Madalena – Pico Açores
Website: www.azoreswinecompany.com

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Quinta de Cabriz celebrates its 25-year-old history

Soalheiro, Oppaco and Terramatter

Azores Wine Company, rarities born in the middle of the Atlantic