Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

In a country as vast and rich in patrimony as Portugal, with regards to fortified wine in this case, I can hardly believe that there is no current publication of equal calibre written by a Portuguese specialist on the subject of Port wine. We must, therefore, thank the person who came from abroad with multiple decades of experience and wrote about Portuguese wines and then released a free edition – yes, you read correctly – of this fantastic guide to Port Wine.

Richard Mayson’s Guide to Vintage Port in www.infideas.com

The author is Richard Mayson, well renowned for books such as Portugal’s Wine and Winemakers, The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal or his best seller, Port and the Douro – already in its third edition and where this guide was taken from. This work is the result of many years visiting producers and performing tastings elbow-to-elbow with them, thus gathering as much information as possible. Richard Mayson has a comprehensive knowledge of wines from Portugal, and he is a specialist when it comes to fortified wines. He will soon be launching a book dedicated to Madeira Wine. He is, himself, a wine producer (Sonho Lusitano, or Lusitanian [Portuguese] Dream), having joined Rui Reguinga in Quinta do Centro (in Portalegre, Algarve), where he brews his Pedra e Alma, Duas Pedras and Pedra Basta (Stone and Soul, Two Stones and Enough Stone, respectively).

Bringing the focus back to this Guide to Port Wine, which promises to be a helpful asset to understanding what each year symbolises and highlighting what Mayson finds to be the best examples in the market. This 160-page-long book begins with a brief introduction about producing Port Wine, followed by a careful analysis of each harvest, from 2013 to 1844 – the oldest the author has ever tasted. We may also come to find quick notes regarding the main producers. The book was commendable to start with; now, having this guide close to your heart – i.e. in your smartphone or tablet – is compulsory.

Text João Pedro Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

In all my life, I have never been fond of mass-produced products – nor have they ever pleased me – except for one or another rare items; as for everything else, I have always sought after small producers in every industry. For years, I have practiced XC (Cross Country) and, thus, belonged to a world where highly profitable materials and products with a long life-cycle are in high demand, all the while remaining lightweight and low-priced. The latter option is a rare find. Carrying this over to the wine world, what I shop around for still falls within the same guidelines of quality in production vs. customer satisfaction, where prices of small-production products turn out expensive. However, in most cases there is good return in the long-term.

Druida red 2012 – Photo by João Pedro Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Boutique cellars, or shall I say proprietary cellars have been popping up in Portugal recently and have notably been delighting a niche of enthusiasts who are eager to find small-production wines with strong character. The unique feeling of a high quality wine in your hands, of which only 96 or 200 bottles were produced will make you feel special. Of course, in almost all of these projects, the spotlight naturally falls on the land. In fact, mostly on the vineyard, which often takes up only a small space. These wines clearly transpire the earth and the place that brought them up.

This is also the case for Druida red 2012, the most recent creation by the duo Nuno do Ó and João Correia, following the very successful Druida Reserva white. Sometimes things happen for a reason and that is the case of this red wine. One day, the Encruzado must was being transferred into casks and two casks were leftover. The first solution that sprung to mind was to make red wine. They used the field blend from the plot of land right next door where Encruzado is grown, in Quinta da Turquide, another plot whose field blend consists of Jaén, Touriga Nacional as well as some Alfroucheiro and Tinta Pinheira. The end result was two kegs containing 228 litres that rested in the cellar for 20 months, resulting in about 500 bottles of a refreshing red with a good grasp.

Just as with white wine, time, we have come to realise, is essential for the maturing process and for a more pleasure tasting than ever before, in spite of the stern hold in the wine. A fresh bouquet, a complex bundle of flavours – still quite compact, yet with excellent quality –, deep and with beautiful notes of pine, violets, spices, clean fruits of high quality, and lastly, a nod to the juicy and voluptuous red cherry. In a triad of elegance, freshness and structure, a beautiful example of Dão is revealed. Its minimalistic creation of inexpensive production, a guaranteed pleasure alongside wood-fire oven-roasted lamb, today or in ten years’ time.