Blend All About Wine João Barbosa, autor em Blend All About Wine

Reds from Herdade da Farizoa

August 12, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Companhia das Quintas, although not a big business in Portugal, has a broad range of properties spread across different regions. From top to bottom: Quinta da Fronteira (Douro), Quinta do Cardo (Beira Interior), Quinta de Pancas (Lisbon) and Herdade da Farizoa (Alentejo).

The one in Alentejo is possibly the least known. Quinta de Pancas has been a reference in the Portuguese scenario for a long time; Quinta do Cardo is an exception in recognised wines from its region; Quinta de Fronteira is in well-advertised Douro, and Herdade da Farizoa, although in the most successful Portuguese region in terms of sales, faces a higher number of big competitors.

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Herdade da Farizoa was bought in 2000, and the cellar was built in the following year. It has a slightly different characteristic: they don’t make white wine. The vine plantation includes Alicante Bouschet (10 acres), Alfrocheiro (9 acres), Aragonês (37 acres), Cabernet Sauvignon (16 acres), Syrah (13.5 acres), Touriga Franca (about 2 acres), Touriga Nacional (16 acres) and Trincadeira (25 acres). They also had five acres of Tinta Caiada, which were later pulled out. They have been turned into fallow land, to later be seeded with Alicante Bouschet.

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The vine takes up a small part of the property – small in Alentejo terms, with 385 acres. The space is rented out, and is mostly covered with forests of cork oak and holly oak, as well as pastureland. There is also a ten-acre olive grove. The ground is a mix of clay, marble and schist. It’s in Elvas county, and inside the Borba boundaries.

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The company has been restructured, having started out with only administrative and commercial services. After oenologists Nuno do Ó, who embraced his own business, and João Corrêa, who fell ill, left, Frederico Vilar Gomes was hired to direct field and oenology operations. He is young, and already confirmed as one of the country’s top experts.

New blood, that brought innovation, some of it carrying some risk. There is freedom for experiments. Frederico Vilar Gomes grants resident oenologists in every property responsibility and freedom, because they know the land, the environment and the grapes better than no one. I visited another property and tasted a sample… opinions were divided, but the expert from the quinta is a believer, so let the trial begin.

In Herdade da Farizoa, Joaquim Mendes is the boss. They make Portas da Herdade, Herdade da Farizoa, Herdade da Farizoa Reserva and Herdade da Farizoa Grande Reserva (previously known as Grande Escolha).

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Portas da Herdade 2014 is a safe bet for days spent outdoors, and accompanying meat on the grill. It’s soft and slippery. It’s a lot of Alicante Bouschet (5%), Aragonês (40%), Syrah (15%) and Trincadeira (15%).

Herdade da Farizoa also stands by youth and fruit, being richer than the prior. Aragonês (50%), Syrah (30%), and Touriga Nacional (20%) appear well matched. It works well with grilled food, but pasta is another good choice.

Herdade da Farizoa Reserva 2010 is an Alentejo wine made with Touriga Nacional (67%) and Syrah (33%). It’s another sign of the Portuguese variety’s plasticity, and the ease of adaptation of the French variety. I usually put it on the table in autumn, along with stronger foods, usually eaten in winter.

Herdade da Farizoa Grande Escolha 2009 was a surprise to me. Seeing as Alentejo is a hot region, and although this property lends its freshness, the wine’s liveliness blew all my expectations. It didn’t show oxidisation, it revealed aromas of mint, wheat stubble, white pepper and dry roses. It started off sweet and ended dry.

Herdade da Farizoa Grande Reserva 2012 reveals a few of its older brother’s features, such as the mint and the wheat stubble. For people of Alentejo blood, like me, the scent of holm oak wood is very comforting. Pinches of nutmeg and aniseed escape from it. On the mouth, it reveals blackberries and blueberries, dry earth and cocoa. It has structure and fibre, but no harshness. It doesn’t appear as sweet as the prior, and ends dry. This lot has Syrah (75%) and Touriga Nacional (25%).

Contacts
Herdade da Farizoa
7350-491 Terrugem
Tel: (+351) 268 657 552 | (+351) 93 80 90 518
Fax: (+351) 268 107 190

Monte da Ravasqueira and the unusual wines

August 5, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

The wine growing history in Monte da Ravasqueira goes far back. Work on the vine started in 1998. The first plantation happened in 2000, and the first vintage to go on the market was in 2002, released in 2003 with Fonte Serrana. However, this property in Arraiolos county has been there for a long time, despite the close family ties between the current owners and the contemporary history of Portugal.

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The land used to belong to Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, a Portuguese constable and strategist, who lead Dom João (future João 1^st of Portugal) and his party to victory in the succession war against Dom João 1^st, King of Castile and León, between 1383 and 1385. The land was handed over along with the title of Count of Arraiolos, nowadays belonging to Dom Duarte Pio de Bragança (25^th owner), the 24th Duque of Bragança, and heir to the Portuguese Crown.

However, with time, Herdade da Ravasqueira has seen different owners and boundaries. In this story, it’s most important to look at history from 1943 onwards, when it was inherited by the Mello family, who owned a business emporium at the time, created by Alfredo da Silva with Companhia União Fabril.

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The revolution on the 25th April 1974 obviously caused upheavals. Politics tended towards the left wing, especially the Portuguese Communist Party; the Mellos went into exile, and their property was nationalised. Herdade da Ravasqueira was occupied by workers in a process known as Land Reform.

With the return of political stability, and when Portugal was included in the East-European family of democracies, the Mellos were able to return and newly take up their place as business leaders in the country. In addition, this land in Alentejo was handed back to its previous owners in 1980, but is practically decrepit due to abandonment and negligence.

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Herdade da Ravasqueira has about 7413 acres, about 3700 of which are forested. Cattle count goes up to 500 heads of bovine, a cross of mertolengo with limusine. The olive trees also take up a small parcel. The biggest activity is wine, with 111 acres of vines split into 29 plots.

This Alentejo area is on a slope, which allows for different shades according to the different heights. At the same time, the soil is very variable, with ten different formations, and clay-calcareous soil being dominant, although the vine is located in areas with outcropping of granite and schist.

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The degree of clay is somewhere between 20 and 30%, according to Pedro Pereira Gonçalves, the director for wine growing and oenology. The soil composition allows for water retention deep down, which causes some water stress, in turn forcing hard work on the plants. If necessary, a drop-by-drop watering system is available. “It’s better if the vine asks us for water rather than having us water it.” – says the expert.

Pedro Pereira Gonçalves has been working for this producer since 2012. Although young, he already has a good resume and a reputation. They have been betting on freshness, harvesting the fruit earlier than the rest of Alentejo. This way, they can make nectars of high alcohol levels, which are rare today – although the trend tends to go that way.

“Ravasqueira has a lot of bodies of water, and it’s in a valley, so you obtain more freshness”, notes Pedro Pereira Gonçalves. Well, the alcohol level in the whites was raised up to a surprising 11.5%, sometimes reaching 12.5%. In the reds, the scale goes from 13% to 13.5%.

One of the decisions of this young oenologist was – still a rare thing in Portugal – to have a photographer shoot the land while on a plane using different spectral bands. “It enabled the harvest, which was performed plot by plot, to be performed by area.” – says the expert.

Thanks to this additional insight, it’s been possible to coordinate the wines with the desired profiles. Precision agriculture “allows us to make the wine on the vine”. Since Pedro Pereira Gonçalves arrived, the number of proposals from a higher end of the range has raised, namely reserves and monovarietals. Diversity makes a production of seven monovarietal wines possible: Alvarinho, Nero D’Avola, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Touriga Franca and Viognier. Next year, they will be releasing a sparkling wine.

The Alvarinho variety originates in Northwest Portugal, where the climate is cooler. If mishaps in Vinho Verde region can sometimes generate orange juice (fortunately, it doesn’t always happen), in hot Alentejo, they sometimes melt into sweets – a little heavy, and thus nauseating. There is nothing more unusual than what’s produced at Monte da Ravasqueira, where the variety was planted in a more airy and cooler area.

Monte da Ravasqueira Alvarinho 2013 includes notes of tangerine, it’s mineral and elegant, revealing a potential for ageing in the bottle. If you close your eyes and allow yourself to dream a little, it will even whisper the word Chablis… mind you, it’s but a gentle suggestion.

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Monte da Ravasqueira Reserva White 2013 was made with Alvarinho (40%) and Viognier (60%); it’s slippery, so… be careful. This wine has good texture in the mouth, and aromas of lime and peach.

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MR Premium White was made in honour of the father of the current generation of Grupo Mello owners, José Manuel de Mello. According to the oenologist, this wine isn’t consensual, “but it wasn’t meant to be either”. It’s a repository of all the honoured person’s favourite varieties: Alvarinho, Aringo, Marsanne, Semillon and Viognier. In the 2013 edition, Pedro Pereira Gonçalves chose a more New Zealand-like approach: to close the wines inside casks for one year. Notes of vanilla, rich tea biscuits, white chocolate and plum notes emerged. Very elegant, and once again, slippery.

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Monte da Ravasqueira Rosé 2014 was made from Touriga Nacional grapes, harvested early from the many plots it was planted in. It’s refreshing, and although the variety offers violets in the Dão region, here it reveals a bouquet of roses instead. It’s a pretend-sweet wine. A very interesting rosé.

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Monte da Ravasqueira Vinha das Romãs (Pommegranate Vine) is, as you can tell by the name, a product of a particular spot, where Syrah and Touriga Nacional varieties occur. In the 2012 edition, the French variety provided 70% of the grapes. It’s a very dry wine, albeit not austere. It promises to endure in the bottle.

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MR Premium Red 2012, as a result of the variety of cultivars, is very rich and complex in what comes to aromas, which follow one-another, then match, split, make up, single or accompanied by the same partner. It shows a notable dash of nature in Alentejo – which I am a fan of – and it’s holly oak timber. In the mouth, it’s also a pretend sweet. It has the speed and bite of a roadster. I think it could also develop well in the bottle.

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Monte da Ravasqueira Touriga Franca 2012, to a fan of the variety – me –, is an itch. On a whim, I would forbid planting it outside Douro. I think that, after all the trips they made, few are able to achieve the charisma of that Northwestern Portuguese region. This doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there, it’s only an intellectual pet peeve.

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In Ravasqueira, Touriga Franca proved to be an Alentejo variety in the 2012, with aromas of stubble and the oak and holly oak groves. It’s dry in the nose and the mouth reveals minerality, while also evoking chalk. It has fantastic tannins, it’s racing and elegant, let’s say it has the temper of a nobleman when in his rural property. Now, it needs decanting with some violence, or to be opened in advance. And it will last for years. I can see it’s a beautiful Touriga Franca!

Monte da Ravasqueira Syrah and Viognier (2012), 3% of which is the white variety, is a refreshing and lively wine, which evolves well in the glass and is quite interesting. I tasted it after the previous wine. It’s beautiful, although still a child comparing to the big boy. I would use the idiomatic expression “azar dos Távoras” (meaning the bad luck of the Távoras family when they were chased by the first marquis of Pombal, who ruled the country in the 18th Century, and ordered for almost the entire family’s arrest and murder).

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Summing up: freshness, and an unusual disarray of profiles, pretend-sweetness (good!), complexity and a promise of longevity.

Contacts
Monte da Ravasqueira
7040-121 ARRAIOLOS
Tel: (+351) 266 490 200
Fax: (+351) 266 490 219
E-mail: ravasqueira@ravasqueira.com
Website: www.ravasqueira.com

Herdade do Sobroso, Alentejo wines with a special temper

July 29, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

My memory is not what it used to be, but I can still remember visiting Herdade do Sobroso a few years ago, when everything was still setting off. The essential was already there: the vineyard, the forest and the kindness.

Now returning with more time, I am better equipped to observe the property development that has settled there since, both in terms of wine growth and wine tourism. It binds Alentejo, in its hot hues, to the city – thanks to the contemporary mode, and without the usual coldness. This tasteful architecture is linked to Architect Ginestal Machado’s stroke, him being a reference in the renowned Escola do Porto, and having given Portugal two Pritzker Architecture Prizes – the Nobel Prize in architecture.

When Ginestal Machado bought these 3950 acres in 2000, there was nothing there, due to the previous owners’ lack of dedication. A lot has been done and there is no stopping nature. This territory is also a hunting ground. Not surprisingly, I observed a broad variety and large number of animals when Filipe Teixeira Pinto, an employee and resident oenologist, brought me on a tour on 4×4.

I felt as if I were in a report for National Geographic Magazine: deer, mouflon, rabbits, hares, partridge, quail, black boar, wild ducks… The story says Sus scrofa (oink oink) are usually big and heavy, and one day, one of those black boar almost double the average size ever seen in Herdade do Sobroso was hunted.

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Wine isn’t everything, but it is the subject of this chronicle, and I have already rambled a little. Alentejo is a big region, the biggest in Portugal – about a third of continental Portugal, covering over 37,735 square yards – but many different realities take place inside. Herdade do Sobroso, Vidigueira, is an area with Designation of Controlled Origin, and famous for its white wines. Thanks to its orography and the margin of the Guadiana river, this area can achieve freshness often not present in Alentejo essences. Filipe Teixeira Pinto can count on Luís Duarte’s consulting support.

Out of the 3954 acres, only 128 are growing vines. The vinestock is composed of local, national and international varieties. All the white varieties are Portuguese: Alvarinho, Antão Vaz, Arinto, Perrum and Verdelho. The reds are more “travelled”: Alicante Bouschet, Alfrocheiro, Aragonês (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tinta Grossa.

The first wine went on sale in 2008, and was made from the 2006 harvest. The main theme of the wines is freshness, which conveys wines their elegance. I think they are very wisely bringing down the alcohol levels, an almost inevitable feature in hotter regions. The rosé has 12.5% alcohol and the whites 13%, which is quite rare nowadays.

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Judging by the alcohol levels, it’s easy to see that the rosé is not a by-product of the reds. Its grapes are harvested before the white ones. Sobro Rosé 2014 can combine two wishes, because it works (dangerously) well with relaxed chats, and makes an excellent accompaniment for delicate food. It was entirely made from Alicante Bouschet grapes.

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The many wild ducks living there inspired the low-end brand, Anas – the family this webfooted bird belongs to is Anatidae. Anas Branco 2014 is a dialogue between Antão Vaz, a warm Alentejo variety, and Arinto, a national and very refreshing variety. They work well together (many producers have been resorting to this match), especially since the autochthonous variety has been pulled to a stop for being too heavy because it was harvested “too early” (at the right time). It’s delicious, and requires a chair and a pleasant view.

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Sobro white 2014 is more appropriate for food. Once again, the technical team kept the Antão Vaz grapes from crushing the wine. Perrum and Arinto were added in.

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Sobro red 2014 was made with Aragonês (Tempranillo) , Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. My note goes to the beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes it more virtuous. Unfortunately, in Portugal, not everyone knows how to work with this variety – or they aren’t supposed to due to inadaptability. Sweet pepper is not the case here.

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Inside Herdade do Sobroso red 2013, I found Alentejo. The others have it too, but this one “was born there and lives there”. The lot has a singing accent, because of the Aragonês (Tempranillo) , Alicante Bouschet and Alfrocheiro grapes. Watch out for the red fruits and the chocolate, they pull your focus away like goblins… 14% alcohol. It’s time to eat, and the only thing I can think of is “carne de alguidar”, a traditional Alentejo specialty consisting in seasoned ribeye steak with sweet pepper pasta and a lot of garlic, with a side of migas (seasoned and moist bread made into a firm crumble).

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Herdade do Sobroso Cellar Selection 2013 (red) is quite unique; it represents the owners’ taste, a signature wine. The match between Alicante Bouschet and Syrah is astounding and, once again, its freshness makes it dangerous. This is 14.5% alcohol. It’s a great wine. In terms of personal taste, this is my choice.

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At last, the tippy top. Herdade do Sobroso Reserva 2012 (red) is also a wine of excellence, with elegance, requiring food and a long chat in an endless evening. The lot is made of Aragonês (Tempranillo), Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. In this case, the most notable is the French variety, adding “a bite”, spices and greens seasoning the baking chocolate, ripe cherries and vanilla. Once again, a short leash: 14.5% alcohol.

Contacts
Pedrógão, Apartado 61
7960-909 Vidigueira, Portugal.
Tel: (+351) 284 456 116
Mobile: (+351) 961 732 958
E-mail: geral@herdadedosobroso.pt
Website: www.herdadedosobroso.pt

Port wine: a dog is a dog, a cat is a cat

July 22, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I will not be writing about politics! However, I will cite the current Minister for Education in order to better illustrate the focus of this text. Nuno Crato, a very contentious ruler, is a renowned scientist and teacher at Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (Lisbon Institute for Economics and Management), Maths and Statistics professor. He has an impressive resume, available online.

I heard Nuno Crato say, years before he became a minister, that learning doesn’t have to be fun. It doesn’t have to be tedious either, I add. It doesn’t have to be fun because educating goes beyond teaching numbers and letters at school, or learning how to use a knife and fork, and say “please” and “thank you” back home. Education should prepare a child/young person for adult life, during which he will not be comforted by colleagues or receive the headmaster’s kindness.

I have been told that the world of Port wine is complicated, too complicated, and the consumer does not understand it… there are too many categories and variations.

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Vinho do Porto in hipersuper.pt

I state that Earth’s seven billion inhabitants are all Homo sapiens sapiens, and thus gifted with intelligence and the ability to learn. Not every human is able to generate Cold Fusion, but if trained, they would very well be. Obviously, some are above average and others below it.

However complicated it may be, the world of Port wine is less complex than a PhD thesis about the role of aesthetics and conceptual ruptures in modern and Eastern societies.

The last time I saw somebody in shock, they had just been made aware of the “12” variations of Port wine… I can count 28. Therefore, I am joining the discussion short-handed. If the point is to simplify it, everything could be broken down to four variations: white, rosé, tawny and ruby. Or even three, removing the rosé, because it is actually a ruby.

Now, if a house cat is a Felis catus, a dog is a Canis lupus familiaris. However, both belong to the Animalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, Mammalia class and Carnivora order. They are, however, of the Canidae and Felidae families. Latin aside, even a toddler can tell a dog from a cat. The dog has owners, the cat has personal assistants.

Of course, a newcomer to the world of wine must not be expected to know everything, or almost everything, about Port… nor Bordeaux or Burgundy, etc.

Therefore, Port is complicated, right?! Right! Moving on to another wine region of the world:

In Bordeaux, there are six sub-regions (Blayais et Bourgeais, Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves, Libournais, Médoc and Sauternes), subdivided into 38 controlled protected designations of origin.

In 1855, emperor Napoleon III commanded the creation of a list for the Paris Universal Exhibition, where Bordeaux wines were to be laid out hierarchically. Thus, six qualitative levels were determined: Premier Grands Crus, Deuxièmes Grands Crus, Troisièmes Grand Crus, Quatrièmes Grand Crus and Cinquièmes Grands Crus.

This list encompassed only the left margin of the Garona river. On top were: Château Lafite (today including Rothschild), Château La Tour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, Château Mouton (today including Rothschild). That is, three from the controlled designation of origin of Pauillac, one from Margaux and the other from Graves (on its own; others were excluded in the meantime).

Seeing as they were left out of the list compiled in 1855, other specific tables were created. In Sauternes and Barsac: Premier Cru Supérieur, Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus. In Saint-Émilion: Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, Premiers Grands Crus Classés B, Grand Crus Classés… Had enough yet? Don’t forget the Graves table, and the Médoc. Oh! And then, the generic Bordeaux.

Oh yes, indeed. It would be easier to join all the pieces together, analyse them, and create a single list of Bordeaux… never mind the whole of France. But no! I say this sarcastically: Pitiful! Well-informed Bordeaux connoisseurs know and debate wines from either side of the river and its micro-regions… the years and the weather, the brands… Those who know and those who want to know will know. If you wish to know only a little, you will study only a little; if you purchase based on the price, you will check the tag and then weigh your pocket. If you purchase based on the label design, you will pick the prettiest; if you purchase based on reputation, you will purchase what you are recommended.

Let’s work it out:

Whites – Lágrima (very sweet), Sweet, Semi-Dry, Dry, Extra-Dry, 10-year, 20-year, 20-year and 40-year.

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Ramos Pinto Lágrima white in ramospinto.pt

Rosé – Rosé (Ruby-style – aged in the bottle).

Ruby – Lágrima, Ruby, Ruby Reserve, Ruby Special Reserve, Late Bottled Vintage, Vintage Single Quinta, Vintage, Garrafeira, (aged in demijohns) and Crusted (this lot includes different years).

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Sandeman Port Vau Vintage 2011 in sandeman.com

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Taylor’s Quinta Terra Feita Vintage Port 1991 taylor.pt

Tawny – Tawny, Tawny Reserve, Tawny Special Reserve, 10-year, 20-year, 30-year, 40-year, Colheita (the year is specified) and Very Old.

Oh! And Quinado! Not quite a Port wine, but an association with kino (from “quinine”). Created for the population of the overseas colonies, seeing as kino is antimalarial.

Quinado Ferreirinha

The French are so complicated, yet so gifted with intelligence that they can tell a dog is a dog and a cat is a cat. In Portugal, we are, poor creatures, unable to understand – or try to understand – Port wine as much as any person from any other culture. The French know that seven billion inhabitants in the planet are all Homo sapiens sapiens. Around here, the concepts “cat” and “dog” need to be explained.

If the idea is to make things simpler, why not remove the protected designation of origin?… Having to know the region is a waste… and other countries care as much about that as they do about línguas-de-veado biscuits and lemon-verbena tea. Why even bother with the year? Will any trainee connoisseur or merely interested consumer want to know whether a wine is from 2009 or 2010? Will they know the natural difference between those two harvests?

I honestly want to know: does the common consumer outside the more traditionalist countries and the “Old World” want to know anything besides the variety? They like white or red, “just because”, and buy Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, or Tempranillo. That typical consumer from “The New World” or European countries where wine is not very renowned; will they want to know about the types of Port, or the classes of Bordeaux? If they fall in love with wine, will they search, taste, study, diversify… or other?…

Fernando Lopes Graça – one of Portugal’s biggest composers of the 20^th Century – refused to eat or drink while music was playing. To him, music was above all else, and he needed peace and quiet in order to listen to and enjoy every note. Do I understand?… Yes, although it seems a little much.

It is not snobbery. Just an observation. I can relate to car lovers, who can tell the age and the designers of a Ferrari by its wheel rims. I cannot tell a rod from a gearbox. It doesn’t matter to me, I don’t spend time on it. It’s just as valid for wine as for anything else.

In the 19th Century, somebody wrote that there are as many varieties of Port as there are ribbons in a haberdasher. Does that sound easy?! Discovering is both pleasurable and insightful.

Adega de Borba Garrafeira red 2009

July 15, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

When cooperative cellars emerged, they brought with them concerns about quality, which at the time were unheard of in Portugal. On the other hand, they allowed farmers to make a higher profit than that big companies make in sales, many of which were just warehouses where everything was mixed together.

In the 80s (of the 20th century to be specific), cooperative cellars in Alentejo aimed further, and brought oenology technologists in, thus enabling the creation of higher-level wines. João Portugal Ramos, now an independent producer and with business in many regions, was the first(!) Portuguese leading wine maker.

However, winegrowers started to crop up in the following decade. They believed in the quality of their wine, and that they deserved higher earnings than those produced by sales to cooperatives and big operators in the market dealing wine in bulk, or almost.

They had the courage to put their head on the chopping block, risking money, working furiously towards success, which cannot be done by somebody else. Some did not make it, but many more did, and that number has grown.
The market – that shapeless creature which appears in different costumes – was delighted, and punished cooperative cellars; sometimes fairly, and other times with no excuse. I think they all suffered with the deprecating label “the market” put on them.

I don’t know the whole story of Adega Cooperativa de Borba, but it mustn’t have been free of misfortune. The past doesn’t matter here, only the present. Today, that animal called “consumer” acknowledges quality and doesn’t care about the word “cooperative”.

This company’s success has to do with the competence of those in charge of the partners, those who assemble the lots in the cellar, and those who manage in a modern and competent fashion. All of the above makes the salesmen’s job much easier.

There’s a myth – perhaps with some truth to it – that Alentejo wines have no longevity. Two or three years ago, I tasted Adega de Borba Rótulo de Cortiça 1964 (red – there was no white) and it was “esmigalhador” (crumbling).

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Vines in adegaborba.pt

April 24th 1955 marked the founding of Adega Cooperativa de Borba. At the time, there were 13 partners; today, there are about 300. Altogether, the land represents about 4942 acres of vineyards, of which 70% grow red varieties.
The Portuguese “consumer” is stubborn with wine – which is acceptable, just like their stubbornness in other aspects – and demands freshly made wines as much as freshly fished fish. This makes it unfair for wine, and consequently for the producer, and for the consumer, who does not drink wines that deserve more time to mature. One often hears the expression “wine paedophilia”.

The treasury of winegrowers and the opportunity to ship products are the reasons for the presence of young wines on shelves and in wine menus. A big establishment, such as Adega de Borba, finds an advantage in this, as long as it is well managed.

To create a wine for the rack, and to put it on sale five years after the vintage is practically a luxury. Adega de Borba released Adega de Borba Garrafeira red 2009 with its registered designation of origin as Alentejo – although they could have specified Borba as the sub-region.

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Adega de Borba Garrafeira red 2009 in adegaborba.pt

This wine was made with grapes from the Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês and Trincadeira varieties, all of which have firmly established roots in calcareous and clay-rich soil. The lot rested in American and French oak casks for one year, then slept in the bottles for 30 months.

Opening them no longer falls within “wine paedophilia”, but I think they deserve to stay in store longer. How long? Just like with the lottery, there are always surprises – good or bad – when wine is stored for many years. I won’t put my word forward; I will, however, cite the oenologist’s advice: “up to ten years”.

When I am asked about the relationship between the quality and price of a wine – or anything else, really – I say I don’t know. The value we give money, the level of demand we place on a wine, financial availability, the moment, and
the purpose all form an equation only solvable by the individual himself/herself.

To me – this is only my opinion and should in now way be considered an answer to the question of the relationship between quality and price – Adega de Borba wines are priced prudently and present above-average quality as well as a lower price than others on the same level.

Adega de Borba white, Adega de Borba Rosé white and Adega de Borba red are sold at 2.89 euros, a price set by the producer. It’s easy to argue at this level given a more-than-affordable price. If what you really want is an Adega de Borba Garrafeira red 2009… it’s best to compare it to fellow officers in the same rank, preferably with the help of a winery keeper. The producer sells it at 15.75 euros.

Contacts
LARGO GAGO COUTINHO E SACADURA CABRAL 25, APARTADO 20
7151-913 BORBA, PORTUGAL
Tel: (+351) 268 891 660
Fax: (+351) 268 891 664
Website: www.adegaborba.pt

Palato do Côa wines – A dream in no rush

July 8, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

In 2008, Carlos Magalhães, an oenologist with experience in Alentejo and in Bairrada, discovered Quinta da Saudade, in Muxagata village, in county Vila Nova de Foz Côa. He knew well what skills were needed to produce quality wine, so he challenged four friends into buying the property. A fifth member joined them later on.

The six partners (Albano Magalhães, Bernardo Lobo Xavier, Carlos Magalhães, João Anacoreta Correia, João Nuno Magalhães and Manuel Castro e Lemos) set a tough goal: “to calmly create the best Douro wines“.

Blend All About Wine Palato do Côa Partners

The six partners in palatodocoa.pt

Obviously, many are those who share that wish, therefore targeting the top is simply the best way forward. If every person involved aims for excellence, and if healthy competition results from it, the result will be a continuous effort for raising quality in the brand, the region, and the country.

Douro Superior is not a piece of cake… It gets quite cold in the winter, and in the summer, it opens its gates to hell. However – perhaps because vines are masochist plants – this sub-region breeds wines greatly acknowledged among consumers, and national and international critics.

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The Vines in palatodocoa.pt

Carlos Magalhães claims he is in love with Burgundy, and he has a dream that his wines will gain the same pattern. It doesn’t look easy to me, looking at the natural conditions found in that French region and those found in Douro. But he is the oenologist, and he knows his grapes, the farm grounds, and the climate of the place.

In Quinta da Saudade, 18.5 acres of vines are a few decades old. Another 21 acres have recently been planted in addition. The white varieties are Rabigato, Viosinho and Códega de Larinho, traditional of the Douro region. The red varieties are Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Alicante Bouschet.

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The Grapes in palatodocoa.pt

The truth is Palato do Côa wines turn out very refreshing. The low-end wines in the range proved refreshing; they are well made and do not present any unjustified vanity. They go well together with a family meal, where no formalities take place, or in a meal with friends, where bubbly friendship won’t kill the wine, nor will the latter disturb any conversation tending towards oenophile critique.

Palato do Côa Reserva red 2011 demands a little more of your attention; bring it out when the in-laws come for dinner.

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Palato do Côa Reserva in palatodocoa.pt

Saving wines for special occasions is often unfair to both the wine and to the oenophile. However, some wines must be drunk straight away, before, on “the day” the cork is finally pulled out of the bottle, the joviality evaporates to leave only the ashes.

Palato do Côa Escolha red 2011 and Palato do Côa Grande Reserva red 2011 are at a hard-to-reach level. Both make a beautiful thank you gift for a surgeon, or for the in-laws, when you are invited to first meet them. The latter requires moderation, in order to avoid “spoiling” them.

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Palato do Côa Escolha in palatodocoa.pt

Blend All About Wine Palato do Côa Grande Reserva

Palato do Côa Grande Reserva in palatodocoa.pt

There is a saying in Portuguese – I’m not sure if it translates into other countries or languages – that Christmas happens whenever man says it happens. So, they can be drunk for Christmas, with extra care regarding the serving temperature and the accompaniment on the plate.

Jokes aside, Palato do Côa Escolha Red 2011 and Palato do Côa Grande Reserva Red 2011 must be put away during hot weather, in countries where the sun really burns. They require substantial food and air conditioning… Well, Christmas can take place whenever man wishes, just not in hot weather. Both deserve to rest for some time, in the dark and in the right temperature.

Contacts
Quinta da Saudade
Muxagata, Vila Nova de Fóz Côa

Albano Kendall Magalhães
E-mail: akmagalhaes@palatodocoa.pt
Tel: +351 939 363 890

Carlos Magalhães
E-mail: carlosmagalhaes@palatodocoa.pt
Tel: +351 964 246 161

Website: www.palatodocoa.pt

Wines by Monte da Raposinha

July 3, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Once upon a time, a fox – an omnivorous animal – walked under a vineyard from which beautiful bunches of grapes hung. Vulpes vulpes was hungry; she tried hard to grab some grapes, but couldn’t reach. Defeated, yet proud, she said:

“They’re green!”

That is Esopo’s story. However, there are more foxes, and more grapes. In Montargil, the fox gets vines all for itself. The property is called Herdade da Raposinha. That is, however, a recent place name and a tribute to the real owner, Rosário Sousa Ataíde.

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Monte da Raposinha in montedaraposinha.com

This territory is 370 acres big and has been in Rosário Ataíde’s family since the 18th Century, although only recently have they begun farming it. As a matter of fact, according to Nuno Ataíde, a judge in the Court of Appeal in Porto, there are only two producers in Montargil; he made his father-in-law’s oenophile dream a reality.

Pedro Sousa, a physician in Coimbra, never got to taste Raposinha wines. Up until 2004, Monte da Raposinha was used for celebrations, although there was an orchard, an olive grove, an oak wood and a pinewood. Nuno Ataíde ordered for the plantation of five acres, then another twelve, and a further seventeen in 2014.

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Monte da Raposinha in montedaraposinha.com

The farmhouse is managed by João Nuno Ataíde, one of the couple’s three children. The head of oenology is Susana Esteban – a steady hand, of course. The 2007 harvest was the first to be released, in 2008.

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The vineyards in montedaraposinha.com

In the first five acres, they planted Touriga Nacional, Aragonês and Trincadeira in equal parts, João Nuno Ataíde specifies. The following varieties are currently in production: Touriga Nacional (3.70 acres), Syrah (2.5 acres), Aragonês (2.5 acres), Trincadeira (1.25 acres), Arinto (3 acres), Chardonnay (1.85 acres), Antão Vaz (1.5 acres) and Sauvignon Blanc (1 acre). The varieties planted last year were Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Syrah. About 40% of the wine is made with purchased grapes.

Nuno Ataíde says he “started with practically only chicken feed, and after crunching the numbers”. He says he still isn’t ready to crunch the numbers. The quantitative goal is to reach 100,000 – the cellar’s capacity. Today, it exports 60% of production, and all the wine is classified as being from the Alentejo region.

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The Winery in montedaraposinha.com

Alentejo is hot almost all over, but Montargil is in a water-abundant part, an advantage for producers who need to quench their plantation’s thirst. Until 2014, the harvests always started in August.

Regarding the wines:

In a nutshell, they have Susana Esteban‘s steady hand. Now and then, the question of whether a female oenologist’s wines are feminine… or if men can make feminine wines… The behaviour will certainly be different; I think the differences lie in gender, not in personality.

Does Susana Esteban make feminine wines? I don’t know. I know she makes them steady, enjoyable, elegant and differentiated. This oenologist doesn’t use a specific way to make wine. She makes her blends based on nature’s moulds. I don’t mean terroir – which could easily turn into Post-Graduate dissertations and long conversations on winter evenings – but nature.

Susana Esteban’s hat trick is not to have one. However, there is a signature. I reject the term “feminine”, but perhaps “elegant”. I insist on believing that an author’s work tends to reflect their personality. I hardly know the oenologist, but the feeling I get is that she is a woman who knows what she wants, with the characteristic peace-of-mind of someone with class.

Elegance can be found all along, from Monte da Raposinha (red 2012 – Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Aragonês – and white 2013 – Arinto and Antão Vaz), to Athayde Reserva White 2013 (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), Athayde Grande Escolha Red 2011 (Syrah, Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet), to Furtiva Lágrima 2010 – name of an aria, “Una Furtiva Lagrima”, from the opera “The Elixir of Love” by Gaetano Donizetti – a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Touriga Nacional.

Contacts
Estrada do Couço, S/N
7425 – 144 Montargil, Portalegre
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 919 860 902
E-mail: geral@montedaraposinha.com
Website: www.montedaraposinha.com

Esporão's history and its wines

July 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Reguengos de Monsaraz is a town 170 kilometres away from the ocean coastline. For centuries, even millennia, fog in that area of Alentejo would be an extremely rare phenomenon. Building the Alqueva dam in the Guadiana river led to creating the biggest artificial lake in Europe – despite some people disagreeing – and made the fog more common.

I won’t even begin – not even briefly – to list the advantages and disadvantages of building the dam in Economic, Environmental and Social terms. However, I will mention that the water has proven useful for watering the vines, which multiplied all over Alentejo. The property development was discussed for the first time in the mid-60s, and the business project for Herdade do Esporão was “launched” in 1973 – so to speak, because it was postponed for years for reasons other than the businessmen’s will.

Esporão started as Joaquim Bandeira’s “fantasy”, whose insight was quite progressive; he wanted to plant a great vineyard in Alentejo. He challenged José Roquette, who left banking behind to embrace the new company.

The dictatorship fell in 1974, and in 1975, the Government reinforced the plan to build the dam even though they had decades to go before it was to be erected. Also in that year, Herdade do Esporão was occupied as part of the Agricultural Reform. In 1978, the property was returned, albeit under the obligation of selling the grapes to the local cooperative.

ADN containing not only wine

Before I go into wine poetry, I would like to mention something I consider highly relevant in the business world, which is social responsibility, in a broad sense. Be it in direct support of the arts or human heritage, to culture and the environment, it’s written in the DNA of Herdade do Esporão that the place wants to be more than a winery.

The first vintage, which would turn into the first own-brand wine took place in 1985; it would later be released in 1987. The first child was Reserva Tinto and, from the first edition, the labels have always included a work of art. The consecrated John Hogan was chosen for the premiere, but, unfortunately for the company, the painting is not included in the collection.

For the sake of culture, I must mention the preservation of the Tower of Esporão, a small medieval fort, and with that the preservation of an archaeological discovery in Herdade dos Perdigões (the land was bought in 1995, and the discovery was made in 1996). The discovered place dates back to some time between the third and fourth millennia before Christ. Countless businessmen would have supported, both actively and financially, what was considered an undesirable setback.

In 2006, João Roquette took over the manager role, having started a restructuring and replantation of the vineyards, and having adopted an environmental policy with the aim of recovering and recreating habitats, putting Nature to work, and using less treatments with pesticides.

Another act of the mission to put things in order is the new cellar, which was recently completed, and built out of rammed earth – an abandoned and almost forgotten method. In the old days, many cellars in Alentejo were built that way, and for a reason: coolness. The earth, gravel and wood enable continued airing and regular temperature… i.e. saving energy.

The main actors

Wine isn’t the company’s excuse. Concerns are the answer to the impact caused by agricultural or industrial activity. This brings up two reds – wearing Alberto Carneiro’s work – and two whites.

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Esporão Reserva Red 2012 is a cannon ball, with its 14.5% alcohol. Come to think of it, that makes it sound heavy. Wrong! It’s a refreshing wine. In fact, the company’s experience and the success of this reference keep it up there on that level of reliability and prestige. It was made with Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês, Cabernet Sauvignon, Trincadeiras and other grapes. The fruit and wood are balanced, and it shows promise of living for a good number of years.

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Esporão Private Selection 2011 is on a higher level, also in terms of longevity. This wine aged longer in wood, which was 70% American oak. It has bold tannins and elegance, depth of mouth, a pleasant ratio of freshness and heat, and a lasting finish.

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Esporão Verdelho 2014 brings freshness and a bite. I’m sure it will bond very well with the lighter foods. If the previous wine expresses its variety, the Esporão Duas Castas exposes more than varieties; it illustrates the places where the Arinto (60%) and Gouveio (40%) cultivars are rooted. Once again, it contains that freshness and really grabs the oenophile.

Contacts
Herdade do Esporão
Apartado 31, 7200-999
Reguengos de Monsaraz
Tel: (+351) 266 509280
Fax: (+351) 266 519753
E-mail: reservas@esporao.com
Website: esporao.com

Esporão’s history and its wines

July 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

ADN containing not only wine

The main actors

Contacts
Herdade do Esporão
Apartado 31, 7200-999
Reguengos de Monsaraz
Tel: (+351) 266 509280
Fax: (+351) 266 519753
E-mail: reservas@esporao.com
Website: esporao.com

Fresheners: José Maria da Fonseca’s 2014 Wines

June 26, 2015 2 comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I am so tired of the heat, even though the summer has barely started. The street where I am as I write this is cool… Well, as cool as a fridge in Hell. In my mind – somebody has to stay behind in Lisbon, minding the city while everybody is out and about – I stretched my towel out on the sand and took a few dives in the ocean to cool my head and freeze a few bad thoughts.

I’m writing this in the faint light, at twilight. As always, this season and this moment take me to a moment in time I can never return to. I’m listening to GNR (a Portuguese rock band) and as the song says, I remember how, “at 16, one feels so close to 86”. This is factual, not melancholy.

Some facts bring discomfort. When I think about when I was 16, I remember several beaches, because the summer holidays were really long. In June, I would visit Sesimbra and I can still retrace the route in my head; “the present” stops my invisible vehicle in Azeitão, on the way.

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Because it’s summer time. Because that is the place the new 2014 wines I was sent come from. These wines ready to face the heat and enjoy the season. Refreshing and easy to drink. In Colecção Privada Domingos Soares Franco Verdelho 2014, Colecção Privada Domingos Soares Franco Moscatel Roxo (Rosé) 2014, Quinta de Camarate white Seco 2014, Quinta de Camarate white Doce 2014, Periquita white 2014 e Periquita Rosé 2014 – besides BSE, which was previously written about.

The presentation took place in By The Wine José Maria da Fonseca, a place that reminds me of a few old “Casas de Pasto” (traditional simple eateries) – something between a tavern and a restaurant. By The wine is on Rua das Flores, parallel to Rua de Alecrim, between Cais do Sodré and Camões Square, very popular with tourists. This place is worth mentioning because they exhibit images that reveal this historical company’s past.

The year 2014 is one to remember, at least in Portugal; it was the year Eusébio died – that 60s football hero – and, in the rest of the world, for Scotland being denied its independence from the UK. People in the wine business will remember it as an “oops” year! Everything was going so well until the rain came.

However, it was no catastrophe. One positive outlook is the freshness of the wines whose grapes were harvested before the rain. It’s the case of those presented by a company in Azeitão. Everything has its pros and cons. In this case, whatever is usually most frowned upon is subjective. More substantial are the freshness and how accuracy the summer is shot in the heart.

Quinta de Camarate Seco white 2014 is a blend of Alvarinho and Verdelho grapes; it’s sensual in the nose and reveals freshness, suggesting food. Good on summer nights.

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Quinta de Camarate Doce white 2014 does not appeal to me. The problem is precisely the sweetness. It was made from grapes of the Alvarinho and Loureiro varieties. However, it stands as an alternative to generous whites or vermouths, taken with entrées.

The two Periquita may attend the same party. Periquita White 2014 gathers Alvarinho, Viosinho and Viognier, and must be placed on the table along with the summer’s traditionally light foods. Before that, friends in shorts and flip-flops will have enjoyed some Periquita Rosé 2014.

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One shouldn’t sleep on the job, and JMF certainly doesn’t. There are no “serious wines” or “pretend wines”. I mean I have to say that the remaining two wines are “more serious”. It’s a case of rhetoric.

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Colecção Privada Domingos Soares Franco Verdelho 2014 is a highjack on the summer…

– Go away, heat! Get out of here!

Colecção Privada Domingos Soares Franco Moscatel Roxo 2014 has been frightening the temperatures away, as were its previous editions. Still, I wouldn’t say it’s “my wine”. I have to mention something, though: Colecção Privada Domingos Soares Franco Moscatel Roxo wines have been very revered, whether by critics or the general public. Aside from that, I take my hat off to it, and presume the problem must be me; I don’t believe in sidereal conspiracy… especially against a mere mortal’s palate.

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Always generous, even in the summer

Moscatel de Setúbal wines aren’t so popular, unfortunately. Most are consumed in their own region. It’s a shame, really, because they are quite different from the world-famous Port and Madeira.

The company, José Maria da Fonseca, introduced Alambre 2010, which aged in used wood. It got the taste right, whether to start with or to finish dessert. The company suggests using it in cocktails; either just with ice, or with ginger ale and a lemon zest, or with sparkling water.

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

Posts By : João Barbosa

Reds from Herdade da Farizoa

Monte da Ravasqueira and the unusual wines

Herdade do Sobroso, Alentejo wines with a special temper

Port wine: a dog is a dog, a cat is a cat

Adega de Borba Garrafeira red 2009

Palato do Côa wines – A dream in no rush

Wines by Monte da Raposinha

Esporão's history and its wines

Esporão’s history and its wines

Fresheners: José Maria da Fonseca’s 2014 Wines