Blend All About Wine Arquivo de wine - Page 3 of 17

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas in the Douro

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

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

In a market where supply is increasingly getting higher and the quality is a common ground for the wines of Portugal, it’s becoming increasingly complicated to keep up pace with all the producers, brands or projects. That’s why there’s no reason to be surprised when we see novelties at every corner, every shelf or glass served by friends. There is so much to know and to be known that it is impossible to get to everywhere or attain such a comprehensive knowledge to say with a solid ground, I know everything. In my case I write about this project whose name I had only heard of, and even though I had already read about it I still hadn’t had the opportunity to have their wines in my glass.

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Quinta do Bronze in facebook.com/LuaCheiaEmVinhasVelhas

I look at the world of wine as one looks at the starry sky, it is impossible to know or count all the stars in the sky, with wine is the same. In this case the project has a curious name but also able to captivate attention, hits our ear when we hear Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas (Full Moon in Old Vines). The project, holding the same name, follows the passionate connection that the three founders – João Silva e Sousa, Francisco Baptista e Manuel Dias – maintain with the Douro for more than two decades now. After being surprised for so many years by this unique wine-growing region, in 2009 came the time for them to show their vision on Douro wines. They went from buying the grapes to having their own vineyard, about 10 hectares of vineyards with the purchase of Quinta do Bronze in Vale Mendiz. Although they have already expanded to other regions it’s here in the Douro that we will focus, as well as on the new vintages that have just hit the market. Interestingly, only the red Reserva Especial and the white Reserva were subjected to wood, all the other wines only met stainless steel’s cold. Something that has to be highlighted is the excellent price/quality of all wines tasted.

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The Wines in facebook.com/LuaCheiaEmVinhasVelhas

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas white 2015: Made from old vines, very fragrant and fresh, with notes of orchard fruits and flowers, mineral background in a very harmonious set.

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas Rosé 2015: Good aromatic intensity showing a rosé wine centered on fresh and ripe fruit (strawberry, raspberry). It is complemented by a really discreet floral and some spices in a young and balanced set.

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas red 2014: A red wine that breaths Douro, fresh and nicely scented with the juicy and sweet tooth fruit standing out in the foreground. A slight vegetal aroma invoking the rockrose as its usual in the reds of the region. Medium body with tannins giving a good ending dryness in a wine that like the others shows a very gastronomic profile.

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas Reserva Especial 2014: Was entitled to 12 months in French oak barrels. Great set harmony with the fruit (blackcurrant, strawberry, raspberry) emerging, well ripen and fresh, showing good complexity with floral notes, light cocoa, very elegantly. Captivating and very tasty, it’s one of those wines that is hard not to like of.

Contacts
WINES & WINEMAKERS BY SAVEN
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 234 329 530
Fax: (+351) 234 329 531
E-mail: saven@saven.pt
Website: www.winesandwinemakers.pt

Grupo Enoport United Wines

April 27, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by Blend - All About Wine

Text Bruno Mendes

The history of Enoport begins in 1881 with the foundation of Adegas Camillo Alves, the oldest company of the group of companies that came to give rise to the Group Enoport United Wines. It arose from João Camillo Alves’ desire to trade quality wines in an organized way.

It is a group that produces wines in several regions of the country, and different ranges, since it has acquired several other companies over the years, such as Cavipor, Caves Velhas or Caves Acácio.

To get a more detailed view about the history of the Group Enoport United Wines see the video below.

Escondido 2012 – a Lisbon gentleman

April 26, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

There are people who need several lives. One of them is Aníbal Coutinho, who is not satisfied with only one task. He sings in the Gulbenkian Choir, he’s vintner, a oenologist, a consultant in Continente’s wine area, a wine critic and author of wine and food tours, and he worked as a sommelier in Jacinto restaurant in Lisbon. All these activities allow him to have a wide view over wine.

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Now matters his most personal wine. More personal, because the vines that give the fruit are at the family’s estate where he spends the holidays. The first Escondido to be revealed was the 2006 vintage. This is the fourth that has been revealed to the world.

The reason because only 4 editions were shown along the ten years is related to the fact that this wine is a project that, while not being a game, lives around the family and the time available for field work.

It’s not a game! Aníbal Coutinho takes it very seriously, in terms of personal, professional and obviously financial investment. Moreover, it is a high quality wine. If the agriculture, meteorology and the day-to-day work do not cooperate, Escondido stays home.

Besides the family, there are two other major contributors: Vera Moreira and António Ventura, winemakers of the Parras Group. Here I have to put a sign! António Ventura is one of the Portuguese winemakers for whom I have great respect. He’s a Sir who handles many million liters. His goldsmith oenology is always impressive, but the sheer volume of work requires accuracy and concentration that not everyone knows how to do.

The vineyard, with 15 years, is located in the football field used in family games … a football field that does not have the maximum dimensions, which are around one hectare. It has the minimum 0,4 hectares. But Aníbal Coutinho ensures that is not even enough for indoor soccer.

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Well, it might not be possible to fit 22 players and four referees there, but the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Touriga Nacional grape varieties surely can. This choice of frape varieties is related to the Atlantic climate characteristics of the property. Aníbal Coutinho got inspired in Bordeaux and its vineyards, he says. The second last named variety, originating from the Côtes du Rhône, is planted inside the vineyard, in order to get shelter.

The land, with clay-limestone soil, is located in Olelas, between Sabugo and Almargem do Bispo, in the municipality of Sintra, near Lisbon. As the crow flies, the sea is between 10 to 15 kilometers, says Aníbal Coutinho. This ocean proximity has caused unpleasantnesses … an oversight and there go the grapes. Moreover, treatments are not made, which makes the grapes even more vulnerable. That is the reason why in ten years only four vintages were made public.

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Escondido 2012 aged for 24 months in wood, splitted into a used French oak barrel and a used American oak barrel for 15 months, and a new American oak barrel for the remaining nine months of the second year.

For historical reasons, and certainly also by religious influence, the Portuguese are afraid of the word luxury. But things are what they are. The Escondido is a luxury wine! Receives all the cares needed to be a luxury, it has the required great quality and quantity is small. If the agricultural year is lost or if the quality does not reach the level that the producer wants, the wine is to be drunk only by family and friends. The Escondido 2012 had a production of 500 bottles of 0,75 liters and 100 magnum bottles.

The location’s freshness can be felt on the glass. It’s a wine asking to be drunk at the table, around a substantial dish. It is to be drunk very slowly. The Escondido 2012 that I was shown at Jacinto restaurant was joined by a Cozido á Portuguesa. A very successful combination, because it is a wide diversity meal of meat and vegetables, which cannot be eaten in five minutes.

One aspect to note is that, although it handles perfectly a heavy dish, Escondido 2012 is not a winter wine. I would not drink it with a salad, but it does not require to be served when fat food reigns at the tables. It is a fresh and complex wine with great elegance and a long finish. It evolves very well over the course of the meal.

It has time to live and everything needed for a long life in the bottle. I do not venture myself in guessing deadlines, but as for longevity, Aníbal Coutinho thinks it can grow up to 20 years.

Churchill’s New Image

April 19, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Bruno Ferreira

It’s a Douro wines production company that exists only for 35 years now, it was founded in 1981 by John Graham, but has already reached the age of majority, producing table wines and high quality Ports with its own characteristics and a stiff image that leaves no one indifferent.

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In 1999, Churchill’s bought Quinta da Gricha, in the Ervedosa area of the Douro, near S. João da Pesqueira. We’re speaking of vineyards with some altitude, some of them very old and with a huge range of grape varieties, and, a few dozens give rise to wines full of complexity, elegance, freshness and acidity, which are only possible with vineyards with that location. For the white table wines they buy grapes on the other bank of the river, in the region of Murça, benefiting, in addition to the altitude of some granitic soils.

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In Vila Nova de Gaia have a nice visitors’ center, resulting from the recovery of old facilities, which runs a space for events and a sales shop, but where you can also enjoy vats of large volume where steadily age some of the company’s Port wines. It was there that they recently presented a new red wine to the press, Quinta da Gricha 2013. And it was during an informal lunch prepared by Chef Victor Sobral.

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Before that, the company’s CEOs, John Graham and Maria Emília Campos, and the winemaker Ricardo Nunes, made a presentation of the company and the wines we were tasting, one of them being the new red wine.

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In the upper room of this delightful space in Gaia, with a superb view of the riverbanks and the D. Luís Bridge, we tasted seven wines, starting with the curiosity of a rosé of which only 2,000 bottles were made, with screwcap. A young wine, very fresh and with excellent acidity, with no great pretensions, but very pleasant, even to join some simple snacks. Depletes at a glance! Then it was the white, composed by Rabigato and Viosinho, very elegant, full of freshness and with a persistent acidity making it very gastronomic, a beautiful wine. The first red followed, the Churchill’s Estates 2013, an entry range consisting of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, elegant, simple and balanced. The Churchill’s Estates Touriga Nacional showed itself full of structure, fragrant, large, very elegant, with excellent acidity, very characteristic, a beautiful red. Then it was tasted a powerful Churchill’s Grande Reserva, resulting from old vines, with many many grape varieties of the region, from various properties, giving it complexity, depth, a mouth bulky and exotic at the same time, a wine to last for many years in bottle.

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Then came the new wine, Quinta da Gricha 2013, also originating from very old vines, but this time only from Quinta da Gricha, which shows itself as the ultimate expression of this Quinta’s terroir. Very mineral, with notes of black fruits, full-bodied, with a fantastic and lush acidity, a great red wine from the Douro.

Lastly, we tasted the Port Quinta da Gricha Vintage 2013, a classic vintage full structure with notes of clove, blackberry, fig, black plum, dark chocolate and orange peel, very complex. Bulky and with an amazing acidity, very fresh, spicy notes, blueberries, it’s still young but will be very interesting to taste it in a few years.

Then followed a lunch served by Chef Vitor Sobral, which began with a marinated sea bass with vegetables, very fresh, delicious, which held up well with a surprising Dry White Port, full of freshness and slightly spicy.

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Then he served us a codfish piece on a greens bed and grain purée with caramelized onions, very well done, and it matched very well with the white wine.

And then, a surprise dish of the Alentejo coast, cuttlefish with ink and beans, fantastic. And held up with style with the reds Touriga Nacional 2012 and Grande Reserva 2011. To end the meal, we drank a 20-Year-Old Tawny and a 1997 Vintage, both already at a very high level. Down below, the Douro was keeping its course, phlegmatic …

The presentation of an old producer – Quinta Dona Matilde

April 18, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

At every curve of the Douro there seems to exist a Quinta or a special location. It’s a river with charisma, a valley where nature and man have joined in creation. In the twists and turns, heights and riverbanks, in the way of facing the sun and in the wide range of varieties is written a great book. Not everything deserves to be character or chapter, but it’s a sheaf.

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The Quinta Dona Matilde has the right to enter history. If I use the book picture is because there’s a plot about this property. This domain belonged for four generations, to the Barros family, who bought it in 1927.

In May 2006, Manuel Ângelo Barros sold the Barros Group to Sogevinus Group. Quinta Dona Matilde was in the package along with the other assets. However, the wine is an imp and soon started to pester the entrepreneur who had sold the property.

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Thus, Manuel Ângelo Barros and his family decided they had to go back to the wine. So many turns and they ended up buying back Quinta Dona Matilde at the end of 2006 – the remaining assets remained in Sogevinus.

The Quinta is located in Canelas, between Peso da Régua and Pinhão, within the initial demarcation area of Douro, established in 1756. All the wine area, 28 ha, is classified as Letra A (letter A) – the highest rank of the scoring table by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto – IVDP. In addition to the vineyards, Quinta Dona Matilde also has a traditional olive grove, an orchard, where stand out the lemon and orange trees, gardens and land left to nature. All this adds to the total of 93 ha.

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Port wine has always been the destination of this Quinta’s grapes. A small part wasn’t fortified, but it was only for family consumption. In the 60s, the company produced a rosé and, in the 90s, a white – but always marginal. In family reincarnation, the Douro wine production is side by side with the production of Port Wine. Currently they are selling the grapes to the group The Fladgate Partnership.

Manuel Ângelo Barros says that he in no hurry to put the wines for sale, a rare decision in Portugal. Now they presented the 2011 vintage, related to reds. The presented white is from 2015. The tradition of this house was to make tawny ports and it will be, although the manufacturing of nectars with age indication is, for now, put aside. They decided to focus on the Rubies, namely vintages. The viticulture is in charge of José Carlos Oliveira and the enology in charge João Pissarra.

Dona Matilde White 2015 is a blend made with the grape varieties Arinto, Gouveio, Rabigato and Viosinho. The grapes were pressed and the wine was fermented in stainless steel vats.

Because of the mountainous terrain and a river cutting it, the Douro region is generous in variety of features. However, this wine surprised me, because I never would say that this is a nectar from this region.

I’m not a fan of making a sensory descriptors list, but it is justified to do so now, so that I can tell why I do not find the Douro in this white. It’s a wine where tropical fruit scents prevail, especially pineapple and passion fruit, combined with anise, a pinch of fennel, mandarin and a little lemon. In the mouth, the tropical nature stands out. It goes on and on and with freshness too.

And this that I’ve just written is good or bad? It’s a well-made wine – good! In terms of personal taste, it does not satisfy me. Then I wonder if this tropical and unpredictable profile is natural or if it was a will of the winemaker and the producer. If it’s solely the result of nature, I won’t speak a word. If it is intentional, I say I can see the reason for the Douro to produce wines with this profile.

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The Dona Matilde Red 2011 is clearly a Douro and exemplary of the year. It’s a blend of Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional – all from old vines, as indicates the producer. Part of the grapes were trodden in lagares. The wine aged for a year in wood. It’s sweet tooth without being sweet, soft, fresh and has good mouth-time. Minty aroma and a very smooth smoked holm oak firewood. Beautiful!

Dona Matilde Reserva Red 2011 is a blend in which the Touriga Nacional represents 50%. Then we have Touriga Franca (30%) and a bouquet of various other, mixed in an old vine, where the Tinta Amerela prevails. Part of the grapes were trodden in granite lagares. The wine aged 18 months in new French oak barrels.

It’s the Douro well shown: rock rose, mint, wood and holm oak wood smoke, black plum, blackberry jam, strawberry jam (calm and soft), figs, a little of blond tobacco and shale – all happily married. In the mouth continues to be Douro, fully occupies the space, smooth, with tannins laughing (without biting the skin), fresh and dry, long and deep.

Before moving to the generous wine, I want to note that these three wines ask for table. The reds give hopes of good evolution in the bottle.

The Quinta Dona Matilde Porto Colheita 2008 is not an ordinary tawny, halfway Ruby. It’s the result of less time of aging in wood. Three years in oak barrels and four in barrels of 600 liters.

It’s a happy and pleasant surprise wine. It has what is expected of a tawny and resembles a ruby. There are dried fruit, caramel, vanilla and a pinch of iodine. Along with the blackberry, plum, cherry, and strawberry jams… It’s deep and dense, long.

The Quinta Dona Matilde Vintage 2011 is further proof that the year was very generous to the Portuguese winemakers. It’s a blend of Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Rufete, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. The wine aged two years in oak barrels, having then been bottled. There are again the many jams that liven up the vintage, from the nose to the mouth – deep and long.

The new Vintages are what they are, but they will also be something else. They should be drunk now or be saved? I do not know! I do not know if I’m alive tomorrow. I know that if I stay awake for more years, the wine will be better. Those who can, drink and save it.

Contacts
Quinta D. Matilde
Bagaúste
5050-445 Canelas PRG
Portugal
E-mail: info@donamatilde.pt
Website: www.donamatilde.pt

João Portugal Ramos – Vila Santa Reserva Red 2013 e Marquês de Borba White 2015

April 11, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Estremoz is one of my favorite towns – forgive me its inhabitants, but I cannot resign myself with it being promoted to city. It’s just that the word “town” has a charm that city has not.

Well … Estremoz is worth a visit. For me, the Alentejo is The Portuguese Region… the Douro with its terraces matches it, but concerning the landscape of its populated areas I have plenty of sorrows. The Além Tejo is complete and it’s the best preserved Portuguese region, from the Guadiana to the Atlantic, from the border with the Algarve to the great Iberian river. It’s worthwhile taking a few days to get to know this South.

The foundation took place during the period of the Roman occupation. Its most imposing monument, the castle, has an uncertain date. The Directorate General of Cultural Heritage points out, with uncertainty, to the period of the dynastic crisis, which led Dom Afonso III to the throne, in 1248, second son of King Dom Afonso II and Dona Urraca, daughter of Dom Afonso VIII of Castile. It’s because of Dom Afonso III that the castles managed into the heraldic shield of Portugal, derived from the coat of arms of his maternal grandfather.

Dom Afonso III was the one who completed the conquest of Portugal’s mainland in 1249, with the taking of Faro. He was the second Portuguese monarch to bear the title of King of the Algarve, a merely honorific fiefdom. This ruler also held an important legislative reform, the so called Ordenações Afonsinas.

But the most fascinating historical figure bonded to this monument is Dona Isabel of Aragão, Queen consort, married to Dom Dinis, son of Dom Afonso III. To Dom Dinis is owed the salvation of the Cavaleiros Templários, through the transformation of the Ordem dos Pobres Cavaleiros de Cristo and the Templo Salomão na Ordem de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, which would lead, in the second dynasty, to the creation of the Portuguese empire. This monarch was nicknamed “The Ploughman”, because of the impulse he gave to agriculture.

To Queen Isabel many miracles were attributed and she was canonized by Pope Leo X in 1516. Her most famous miracle was to turn bread into roses. It is said that she secretly distributed bread among the poor and, the King, intrigued by rumors, that did not pleased him, surprised her when she was carrying food to the poor. When asked about what she was hiding in the dress, she said: “They are roses, sir”. And, from her lap dropped down pretty flowers. Identical wonders are attributed to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, her maternal aunt, to Santa Cecilia and to Santa Zita.

The Castle of Estremoz was one of the residences of Dom Dinis, and within it died Queen Santa Isabel. Today, the monument is a hostel, so the visitor can experience closely some of the history of Portugal.

On to the wine, the reason of this written visit to Estremoz. One white and one red João Portugal Ramos, winemaker and producer who several times has been the subject of texts here at Blend – All About Wine.

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Vila Santa – Estremoz is a land of marble and this vinous reference may well be compared to that rock: beauty and strength. Vila Santa Reserva Red 2013 is a safe bet of the vinous Alentejo.

I say it’s safe because those who buy it know that they are taking a wine that will not disappoint in quality. It has what I admire in wine: consistency of quality and of translation of the year. If there is a formula, it is to judiciously choose the grapes, allowing the nature to tell its version of life. Elegant, easy to get lost into and with an acidity that belies the 14% alcohol.

The Vila Santa Reserva Red 2013 is the result of a blend of Aragonês, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet. The technical sheet does not indicate the percentage of each variety. I take it, that because it isn’t in alphabetical order, this reflects the greater weight that each grape variety has in the whole.

A portion of the grapes were trodden in marble mills and another in wood vats, followed by post-fermentation maceration. The wine aged nine months in American and French oak barrels.

The second wine is also a renewed classic. The Marquês de Borba brand is also a guarantee. It does notoscillate, it’s reliable. You may like it more or like it less, but the pattern does not slip. Now I write about white, concerning the 2015 vintage.

Now, the wine is a blend of the grape varieties Arinto, Antão Vaz and Viognier. It’s a wine asking for the summer to arrive soon. It has the virtue of an alcoholic degree that, unfortunately, doesn’t always exists: 12.5%. Thus, it has a lightness that defies the most fragile and summer foods, but also fit for conversation and laziness.

The low alcohol content and the Arinto grape variety make wonders. I think that, as in previous vintages, it meets the wine lovers taste. It is not “my” wine – and I’m only speaking about personal taste, not criticizing the quality of the nectar. The justification is that same old “damned” grape.

I have a problem with the grape variety Antão Vaz … little to nothing can I do about it. It’s not a problem of the wine or the grape, it’s just my mouth does not sympathize with these grapes. My compliment to the Arinto is because I feel it as an antidote to my white grape variety tantrum of choice.

100 Years of Moscatel de Setúbal by José Maria da Fonseca

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

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

It’s in the Península de Setúbal that lies one of the oldest registered Portugal’s Designations of Origin (DOC) – the Moscatel de Setúbal region, whose demarcation was started in 1907 and was confirmed and completed in 1908. It is geographically bounded by the municipalities of Setúbal, Palmela, Montijo and the parish of Castelo, which belongs to the municipality of Sesimbra. The Moscatel de Setúbal is made from the grape that gives it the name, it’s part of the fantastic four’s Portuguese fortified wines, along with the Port wine, the Madeira wine and the Carcavelos wine. Its charms get lost in time and the role of the company José Maria da Fonseca is crucial since it is an active producer since 1834, with a unique heritage in the world of Muscat wines. Appreciated by kings and the people, this authentic treasure is, according Léon Douarche, “The Sun in the bottle.”. In the time of King Dinis I of Portugal (1261-1325) the Moscatel de Setúbal had fame already, being exported in large quantities to England or France where Louis XIV did not dispense it at the parties he threw at Versailles.

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Finished the proper introductions, the house José Maria da Fonseca decided to release a limited edition box containing four dated wines, which in total add up to 100 years of Moscatel. A real temptation for all wine lovers who, this way, can taste and compare four wines of excellent quality and of so rare production. The Moscatel de Setúbal are placed on the market from 2 years of age, they may hold on its label the vintage year or the indications of “10 years old”, “20 years old”, “30 years old” or “more than 40 years old”, provided that the wine in question, or any batch of the blend that composes it, has at least the stated age. There is also the Superior designation which, not being this case, is only given to wines with a minimum of five years of age that have obtained the outstanding quality rating from the Tasters Chamber. In this case, what we have in the glass are four exemplars: 10 Years, 20 Years, 30 Years and Over 40 Years old.

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Moscatel de Setúbal 10 Years: Endowed with a great freshness, a lot of fruit with candied orange standing out, light jam, flowers, dried fig with some dried fruits (nuts) already beginning to show. Ample and at the same time very well balanced, engaging with a beautiful complexity. Great balance between youth notes and the stuff that shows it is already a wine with more age.

Moscatel 20 Years: The jump in quality and also in the palette of aromas and flavors is remarkable. The whole bouquet is endowed with a beautiful intensity that makes it perfume the table and even the room, the orange notes show up more evolved pending to jam, with a treacle touch, a slight of vinagrinho that spikes it up and the greasiness of the dried fruit. The background we can feel the aroma of the centenarians hooves. In the mouth it’s a delight, intense, broad, conquers the palate by the razor-sharp freshness and its impressive way of being, a fantastic wine.

Moscatel 30 Years: A profile of great complexity that shows itself deep and at the same time intense and captivating. It becomes complicated not having the nose in the glass. Many confited citrus fruit notes (orange), caramel, nuts, slight vinagrinho, tobacco leaf, fig raisins. Breathtaking mouth but again endowed with a remarkable balance of power where the acidity seems to be dancing with the sweetness.

Moscatel 40 Years: It is the apogee of this tasting and a treat for the senses. A compendium wine, such is the undusted way with what it shows itself. If have you ever heard of what would a very old Moscatel be like, here is the example. The welcoming is given by the vinagrinho touch, just enough to spike the nose, then the expected unctuousness with aromas of honey and dried figs, candied orange with raisins (figs, dates) and a lot of freshness wrapping the whole. In the mouth, again the freshness, the old wood where it aged, spices, tobacco leaf, dried fruit and jelly, concentrated but not doughy at all and endowed with tremendous energy and harmony set. Unforgettable.

Contacts
Quinta da Bassaqueira – Estrada Nacional 10
2925-542 Vila Nogueira de Azeitão. Setúbal, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 212 197 500
E-mail: info@jmf.pt
Website: www.jmf.pt

Quinta dos Carvalhais – Dão Wines

April 6, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by Blend - All About Wine

Text Bruno Mendes

Quinta dos Carvalhais is a Sogrape brand expert in Dão wines. It was acquired in 1988 from the perspective of expansion of a project in the region, which had begun in 1957. It is located in Mangualde and has 105 hectares, 50 of which with vines with noble regional grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, among others.

The head winemaker is Manuel Vieira and at modern winemaking center they produce the wines Quinta de Carvalhais Único, Reserva, Colheita, Encruzado and other varietals, Colheita Tardia e Espumante Reserva Rosé, exclusively using its own grapes, combining experience with state of the art techniques . Here, they also produce the wines Duque de Viseu white and red, in this case combining own grapes with grapes purchased from local producers.

To get to know Quinta dos Carvalhais in more detail, see the video below and read João Barbosa’s article here:

Three wines from Tiago Cabaço

April 4, 2016 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

After last summer’s visit, I return once again to the wines of Tiago Cabaço. It’s also a return to Estremoz, where in addition to the built heritage one can also regain strengths in the producer’s mother’s restaurant, the cozy São Rosas.

Three wines to be drunk at the table and unhurried. I am among those who believe that vigorous reds have to be saved for the colder months, when the weight of the meat requires anti-earthquake foundations. It is true that it nestles in a different way, but I do not spend the summer eating salads and poultry viands’. What I say about the reds, I would point it out to yellows too.

Let’s go step by step so the words do not get spilled confusedly. From the whites to the red. The winemaker Susana Esteban continues to score.

The .Com Premium White 2015 is a blend of the grape varieties Antão Vaz, Verdelho and Viognier. The fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and no aging in oak barrels. It’s a white for Alentejo nectars lovers, especially for lovers of the Antão Vaz fruit. It’s a wine with nerve and I would not drink it without food, but seafood isn’t recommended. Who knows, something more substantial.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Tiago Cabaço-Com Premium White 2015

Blend-All-About-Wine-Tiago Cabaço-Vinhas Velhas 2014

Blend-All-About-Wine-Tiago Cabaço-Alicante Bouschet 2012

The Tiago Cabaço Vinhas Velhas White 2014 is a product of vines with more than 35 years. It’s a Blend of Roupeiro, Arinto and Antão Vaz. The technical sheet says that it was aged in wood, but does not provide any specifications. Anyway, the wood does not bring down the natural features. This one is more robust than the .Com Premium White 2015 and has the minerality that characterizes many Estremoz wines. It has an interesting balance between warmth and freshness.

Finally, the “suspect”. I say suspect because before opening it I already kind of knew what would come out of the bottle. The Tiago Cabaço Alicante Bouschet 2012 has an unfortunate fate. It’s not demerit, but the previous year was very generous to the Portuguese winemakers.

The grapes were trodden in stainless steel lagares. The wine aged a year in French oak barrels. The wood adds and does not take anything. I appreciate the combination of the ripe cherries, the earthy notes and the wood. It’s an Alentejo wine and a modern one. Right to the gut!

I also say suspect because it makes us fall without us noticing it – it’s a compliment. And the suspect is dangerous. It has a 14.5% alcohol weight and the acidity disguises it. It also has a hot and fresh temperament. Dine with it late at night, sit down by 23h00 – preferably in a fresh place and where you can hear crickets, cicadas and the chirping of nocturnal birds of prey. And let the conversation go until…

To end with, I alert the reader that the nature of these favorable assessments to the red are because I personally like the wine. I’m not fond of the grape variety Antão Vaz, so even when enhancing the intrinsic quality of the wine, the words do not occur to me in a so cheerful way. On the other hand, I like a lot of the Alicante Bouschet grape variety. Moreover, this red grape variety is particularly happy on Tiago Cabaço’s property.

Contacts
Fonte do Alqueive – Mártires
Apartado 123, 7100-148 Estremoz
Tel: (+351) 268 323 233
E-mail: geral@tiagocabacowine.com
Website: www.tiagocabacowines.com

Five O’clock Port by Real Companhia Velha

March 24, 2016 2 comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The Five O’clock Port is a movement created by Real Companhia Velha that intends to promote the consumption of port wine by the consumer, and this year it celebrates 260 years of its foundation. The name invokes the so famous “Five O’clock Tea” brought to England by Catarina of Bragança, daughter of Dom João IV and married to Charles II of England. The dowry of her marriage included a box of tea, the same tea that Catarina of Bragança used to drink in Vila Viçosa, her place of birth. This would become the most British habit of all, the famous 5 o’clock tea. The explanation of this will came from Pedro Silva Reis, son of the current president of Real Companhia Velha and responsible for the company’s marketing. He stated that “The Portuguese are increasingly waking up to habits already well established in other countries like gathering up after work in bars, wine bars, kiosks and esplanades, to have a glass of wine, whether it be just the glass of wine or while harmonizing it with snacks or finger foods.”

Blend-All-About-Wine-Five oclock Port-Real Companhia Velha-Movement

The aim of this initiative is for the Port Wine consumption to become a habit at mealtimes or even outside it. The implementation of this “movement” involves the creation of Port wine lists with their matching suggestions, which can be wine pairings of Port wine with cheeses and chocolates, and on a non-gastronomic side, with cigars, among others. The offer will be adapted to the places of where it will be available, and the range of Port wines with the Real Companhia Velha’s signature is broad. For this demonstration they were presented in a very interesting harmonization of several Port Wine styles with varied combinations and moments.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Royal Oporto 10 Years Tawny-Real Companhia Velha-Movement

Blend-All-About-Wine-Royal Oporto LBV 2011-Real Companhia Velha-Movement

The first two wines to be suggested show all their versatility and are an excellent door to the fantastic world of Port wine, with more affordable prices for the consumer who in this way is able to access and enjoy them at home without making big investment. In this mano a mano, the Royal Oporto Tawny 10 Years showed up fresh with a balanced and sweet profile, with no great exaltations and a strong raisins aroma, resulted fully with the proposal. The Royal Oporto L.B.V. 2011 shows the vigor and energy of the Ruby style, full and opulent, fully coats the palate with wild fruit flavors, plenty of strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, in a fresh and spicy background. A more versatile wine showing enough energy to be paired with a good cut of beef just off the grill.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Vintage Port 1970-Real Companhia Velha-Movement

Blend-All-About-Wine-Vintage Port 1967-Real Companhia Velha-Movement

The last wines to enter the scene were three Vintages in adulthood, breathtaking and memorable. From the proposals that were put on the table I discarded the one that referred to the cigars. All the wines that I speak of here were harmonized with cheese, either with Queijo da Serra da Estrela or with Stilton. The first one was the Real Companhia Velha Vintage 1970 with stuffed pear-rock and Queijo da Serra, a very engaging Vintage that got to me immediately with notes of caramel, fresh fruit mixed with dried fruit, flowers and a slight of balsamic. Beautiful presence in mouth, very good freshness with presence coating the palate, full of flavor and very good persistence, with enough energy for the clash with the Queijo da Serra where the acidity cuts the fattest part of the cheese while the greasiness feeling combines beautifully with the fattest tone left. For the second moment, with Stilton cheese, crackers of spices and dehydrated Granny Smith, it was served the Real Companhia Velha Vintage 1967. If the previous Vintage had already got me with its charms, what to say about this one that to me shows up even better, a treat for the senses. Huge elegance and freshness, milk caramel, unctuous, conquering immediately. Rich complexity, all very nice and neat, serious, broad and persistent on the palate, very tasty with great persistence. Even with the Stilton’s power the Vintage 1967 proved to be a true colossus, shouldering side by side in a classic combination and again showing the will that these wines have to be at consumers’ table. I end with a wine that was intended for smokers, I chose to pick up the Real Companhia Velha Vintage 1957 and try to make a harmonization with the two proposals that had already been made. It showed up incisive and razor-sharp, much more fresh and less grease than the previous, which two make it a wine suitable for cigars. However, it was with the Silton that I liked it the most, and that demonstrates the versatility of Port wine in its most distinct styles and the ability to be matched with meals as well as to more festive moments and moments of pure relaxation. Shall we meet at 5:00 for a glass of Port wine?

Contacts
Real Companhia Velha
Rua Azevedo Magalhães 314
4430-022 Vila Nova de Gaia
Tel: (+351) 223 775 100
Fax: (+351) 223 775 190
E-mail: rcvelha@realcompanhiavelha.pt
Wesbiste: www.realcompanhiavelha.pt

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