Blend All About Wine Arquivo de Several Wines - Page 3 of 6

Quinta do Crasto, in the heart of Douro

December 30, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by Blend - All About Wine

Text Bruno Mendes

Quinta do Crasto, located in the heart of the Douro between Régua and Pinhão, is owned by the family of Leonor and Jorge Roquette for over a century. 70 hectares of a total of 130 have vineyards planted, which rise from the riverbank up to 600m attitude.

Besides the production of DOC Douro wines and Port wines, they also produces olive oil. The passion for work of the winemakers as well as all members of the team, along with heavy investments in cutting-edge equipment allows a concept that combines respect for tradition and at the same time, lifelong learning, improvement and innovation, which projected Quinta do Crasto in domestic and international markets.

The history of Quinta do Crasto is rich and vast, starting with the first references to this Quinta dating back to 1615. The Crasto name derives from the Latin word Castrum that means Roman fort.

All this and more in the video below.

Tasting Port wine in Vienna

December 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

A few years ago, I travelled up the Douro River on a bus and on a boat to visit a few estates and to taste lovely Port wines with a group of Austrians. Some of them were in a brotherhood. Given the general satisfaction and surrender to the beauty of Douro, there was immediate certainty that we would meet again. This time, I was invited by that brotherhood, St. Urbanus Weinritter Ordenskollegium, to visit Vienna in Austria and bring a number of different Port wines with me to present in a commented tasting during dinner as a celebration of the chapter meeting of the brotherhood. After we arranged a few details, I thought it would be interesting to provide a taste of every kind of Port wine so that I would not only be sending the message of quality of that unique kind of wine but I would also be transmitting how its many variations are filled with variety and versatility. Once everyone was in agreement and willing to taste a number of brands, producers were contacted and bottles were collected and dispatched to Austria in advance with instructions on how to properly store them. The Port wines travelling to the centre of Europe were the following:

– Pink Croft
– Dry White Rozès
– Quinta do Vallado 10-year-old Tawny
– Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20-year-old Tawny
– Quinta da Devesa 30-year-old Tawny
– Vasques de Carvalho 40-year-old Tawny
– Niepoort Colheita 1999 Tawny
– Dalva 40-year-old Dry White
– Poças Special Reserve Ruby
– Quinta do Noval LBV Unfiltered 2009
– Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 2001
– Quinta da Casa Amarela Vintage 2011

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Vienna is a very beautiful city with monuments that bring you back to times of splendour, and where culture is all around, as the music of Wagner, Bethoven, Mahler, Mozart and many others fills the air.

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I also paid a visit to the Wachau region – still in harvest season at the time – to taste a few great white Austrian wines made from the Geunner-Weltliner and Rieseling grape varieties, and to compare them with the whites we have in Portugal.

On the day of the tasting, we visited the facilities, which had been managed by one of the finest restaurants in Vienna for a long time; it was eventually moved when they transferred the venue to a hotel management school.

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Blend-All-About-Wine-Port wine-Vienna-The-service

In the very comfortable and high quality facilities, the school’s chefs prepared the meal, and the students performed the service under the guidance of the dining room teacher.

In the meantime, the white and rosé wines were being chilled and the reds were stored in a room at a temperature cool enough for serving.

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My friend, Dr. Manuel Alexandre, a brother who has been based in Vienna for many long years, was a representative for ICEP (Institute for Portuguese External Commerce, now AICEP) for a long time. He brought along a beautiful old official decanter by IVDP (Port and Douro Wines Institute), that we used to decant the Graham’s Vintage 2001, which already revealed quite a bit of sediment.

The interns had been given simple instructions, enough for them to clearly understand what was intended, and the wines were appropriately served. I was very surprised, however, at the lack of Port wine glasses, which was understandable since these professionals were not accustomed to this type of wine.

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The last-minute solution was to use small champagne flutes, which provided a reasonable solution and did not affect the tasting.

The tasting began with the Dry White and the Rosé, side-by-side. The Rosé had a slice of lemon that really livened it up. The other Port were tasted during the meal, between courses and during an explanation of the wines’ characteristics, the importance of serving temperatures, and the many harmonisation possibilities for each style.

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Thus, the Tawnies, the Ruby, the LBV and the Vintage wines flowed around the tables. In this case, the comparison was made between a recent Vintage (2011) and a 14-year-old Vintage (2001) that made a very good connection with the several chocolate and red fruit desserts the brothers savoured.

Finally, to end the tasting, we tried two 40-year-old Ports (White and Tawny), which were used to toast to the brotherhood and to Port wine.

The other surprise of the night was that the one enthroned at the ceremony of the brotherhood … was myself!!

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Here is the story of our experience and also a suggestion to IVDP and to producers to organise a small event in Vienna, a country that is open to new things, that knows Portugal well, but where there is still a lot of work to do for Portuguese wine, especially Port wine.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Quinta da Alameda, an Old Vineyard in Santar

November 13, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Carlos Lucas and Luís Abrantes chose “Antiqvvm”, a restaurant in Porto, to present the first Quinta da Alameda wine, made on their property in Santar. These two entrepreneurs are old friends and, although they have ventures in different industries, they decided some time ago to buy Quinta da Alameda together, a well-known property in Santar, which is in the heart of Dão, with great tradition and a few very old vines. Alongside planting new vines, these old vines were cherished and worked on so that they would produce very good grapes, which in turn would make high-end wines. It seems as though this final goal was achieved on their first year, although in a very small amount, given the age of the vines. Later on, the entrepreneurs will recover some of the architectural heritage in the farm and build a cellar where grapes will be processed and turned into wine and where the wines will be stored for ageing and bottling. One of their goals is to evolve into organic production while also protecting the environment.

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In this presentation, oenologist Carlos Lucas joined the restaurant’s chefs, Vítor Matos and Ricardo Cardoso, and together they engineered the harmonisations they felt were the most appropriate, always including an element of surprise, as we always have received from Vítor Matos’s teams.

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In a beautiful, elegant, refined venue, where Rosa Teixeira ensured everything was perfect; we were welcomed with the Ribeiro Santo Blanc de Noir sparkling wine, which had already been tasted. It was yellow, with some evolution, very elegant, with very fine bubbles and a soft bead. Dry, with aromas of straw, toast, and some nuts, it has volume on the mouth, very balanced acidity, it’s very engaging, and it paid the Antiqvvm snacks excellent company.

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At the table, we moved on to white wine, Ribeiro Santo Encruzado 2014, an amazing grape variety, a citrus-colour wine, crystal-clear. Very elegant and silky, some intense white fruits, slightly dry, refreshing. Complex, intense, but velvety, balanced freshness and acidity, some white-fruit pulp with a silky lasting finish.

It went down with some a marinated salmon, coconut, strawberries, avocado pear, coriander, nasturtium and trout roe; on the side, a surprising scallop tartar with chilli pepper and citrus fruits, a pearl of the Encruzado and glasswort.

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A lot of freshness, intense yet balanced flavours, Vítor Matos’s expertise on our table. Yet, before the star of the evening came out, there was time for a surprise: a wine that was still in the cask, presented in a bottle with a temporary lable, Jaen 2013. Made from a difficult year, it is already a very interesting wine that surprised even its author – something Carlos Lucas made a point of expressing. A soft garnet, very clean, beautiful red-fruit aromas, notes of smoke, silky. Good volume on the mouth, very, but really very elegant, velvety, notes of dark chocolate, excellent acidity, a lasting finish, a great Jaen.

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To keep the grouper with ox tail and Tuscan truffle sauce company, a cuttlefish-ink and giant prawn ravioli, morel [mushroom] emulsion, and squid and fennel tagliatelle.

And now, the star of the evening, Quinta da Alameda Reserva Especial Red 2012. In a very well-designed bottle, a sober and elegant label, it has an intense shade of ruby, very clean. Floral, with notes of red fruits, rockrose, pine tree. Great acidity, refreshing, intense, a lot of fruit, balsamic notes, eucalyptus, silky, very ripe and bold tannins, a very long finish; an extraordinary wine to drink right away or to store for many years. That was, after all, the second surprise of the evening!!

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It did a great job when accompanying the veal loin, which was slightly smoked with trumpets of death [mushrooms] and boletus-mushroom vinegar, old balsamic, a parsnip and spinach cream, pistachio bread and spice sauce.

This very complex dish made a good match for such a fantastic wine.

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We ended the evening with a reserve Tawny Port by Quinta das Tecedeiras, which accompanied a disconcerting dessert: pumpkin with cottage cheese and pudding served in a pot, which Vítor Matos later watered; on the plate, a black carrot tart, toasted almonds, tangerine sorbet, beetroot cream and foam, vegetables with elder syrup. Speechless…

Dão is still a buzzword!

Autumn has arrived at Quinta da Casa Amarela…

November 10, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Gil, the father, Laura, the mother, and Gil, the son – they are Casa Amarela and Casa Amarela is them!

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They have been building on this project, a life devoted to the Douro, to Quinta da Casa Amarela [estate] and to their wines. Wines made with passion, great passion, which they share with clients and friends, with simplicity and without formalities, while maintaining a level of quality that they never give up.

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And rigth they are! They take their wines all around the country as well as to other countries. This work consists of persistence: a lot of hours at the wheel or inside aeroplanes, a lot of commented tastings, but also a lot of satisfied customers. In addition, they have partnerships with colleagues who also produce wines from other regions: the first partnership was made with Paulo Laureano and his Alentejo nectars; then with Paulo rodrigues from Quinta do Regueiro and Alvarinho, from Melgaço; finally, with Sir Cliff Richard and his Algarvian wines. They did all this thanks to the help of oenologist Jean-Hughes Gros, a Frenchman who also fell in love with Douro and decided to stick around and make very good wines. Visiting this farm is always a pleasure; for years we have been treated as family.

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The beautiful house is covered in virgin vines, which are now slowly shifting into Autumn hues, in the new cask room, wood and stone make a perfect match, and in the old vat room, the classical music in the background conveys a touch of magic and intimacy.

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The wines are certainly grateful.

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Outside, the huge tree is already blending with the walls of the monumental and authoritarian-looking house.

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Further up the hill, the vines rest as they await a well-earned winter break. But we were there to taste the wines, knowing that Laura Regueiro would not let us go without a homemade meal like only she can prepare.

Once in the comfort of the living room, we began with the white Casa Amarela Reserva 2014, full of very balanced freshness and acidity, notes of very elegant white-pulp fruits, persistent and connecting very well with cheese gratin on toast and a delicious pepper jam.

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Then, Norte Sul 2013, also with freshness, exotic, youthful, very pleasant, simple yet structured; a pleasant surprise. Then, were enjoyed a few slices of bola de carne [meat cake], very typical of the region; soft and delicious.

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We finished the appetisers with another partnership white, the II Terroir XIV, in which the minerality of the Alvarinho matches the elegance and freshness of the Douro white very well. Intense, very elegant, with excellent volume on the mouth; a gastronomic wine.

Already at the table, we were delighted with a Swiss chard soup with onion crunch, very flavourful and served quite hot.

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In the meantime, the Casa Amarela Reserva Tinto 2013 was opened. It was full of floral aromas, red fruits, intense but very elegant, with notes of smoke, very refreshing, silky, with its tannins already well-matched, and a delicious finish.

Then, a superb oven-roast pork knee; very well seasoned, melting in our mouths, with “punched” potatoes [literally punched roast potatoes] and sautéed cabbage, a few slices of very ripe tomato and plump onion, well seasoned. Delicious!

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For our glasses, the red PL-LR IX; an excellent connection made with reds of two regions that are so far apart and yet so close. Complex aromas, silky, light notes of smoke and some ripe dark fruit. On the mouth, it has excellent volume, it’s meaty, intense, powerful, with very balanced acidity and a lasting finish.

While still savouring the meat course, we enjoyed the Casa Amarela Grande Reserva red 2011, a beautiful tribute to grandpa Elísio. Of an incredible year, this is a distinct wine; very elegant, quaint, full of aromatic complexity, with very good acidity and a full mouth with a long finish. It will still last many years in the bottle… if it makes it!

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Finally, dessert: first, the apple crumble, which is compulsory in this house; then, a slice of medium matured cheese accompanied by white grapes and little toasts.

Firstly, we opened the Porto Tawny 10 Anos, with intense aromas of nuts, notes of honey, quince, excellent acidity, and a lot of freshness.

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To go with the cheese, we had the first Vintage sold by this house, and precisely the 2011! With very ripe dark fruit, notes of chocolate, slightly balsamic, fat, full, powerful, but elegant at the same time; a beautiful representation of the current best modern Ports being produced. A beautiful meal, as always, among good people, and in the company of characterful wines.

The Douro is grateful…

Contacts
Quinta da Casa Amarela
Riobom
5100-421 Lamego
Tel: (+351) 254 666 200
Fax: (+351) 254 665 209
Mobile: (+351) 962 621 661
E-mail: quinta@quinta-casa-amarela.com
Website: www.quinta-casa-amarela.com

Bottled wine was for parties

November 4, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Fifty years ago, copyright “did not dilute into the sea of currently existing brands and it wasn’t as vulnerable to ‘market preferences’ and to opinion makers’ classifications. This made customer loyalty possible, which strengthened brands, companies, business and the style of the wine” – explains Virgílio Loureiro.

“Bottled wine was for special occasions, and the most sought-after was Dão. This popularity had been granted mostly because those had been the first wines to be bottled, and not for their quality. The brand was “collective”, associated to the region of origin, and was almost always superimposed over the company brand. There were also some individual brands, some of which were legendary as a result of the quality of the wine and mainly of the genius method with which it was advertised,” tells Virgílio Loureiro.

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An iconic example is Grão-Vasco, which emerged in 1958 after Fernando Guedes (Sogrape) visited Dão. The brand was named the after a painter, Vasco Fernandes (Grão-Vasco – 15^th and 16^th centuries), who was from Viseu.

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Blend-All-About-Wine-Bottled-Wine-Was for parties-Buçaco tinto

Between the Dão and Bairrada regions, there is the classic Buçaco (white and red) from Bussaco Palace Hotel. For bureaucratic reasons, it has no harvest date, but the year of the blend tells us in what year it was harvested. Alexandre Almeida, the founder’s nephew, tells us that everything started because it was the “house wine” and the first bottle dates from 1917.

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Wines are traditionally made through the combination of Bairrada and Dão grapes – traditional farmer wines, not oenologist wines. “From the start, the goal was to allow the traveller to discover local gastronomy and wines while they experienced a genuine cultural statement”. At the table, traditional dishes were served “at the same level as the Escoffier cuisine, which was modern at the time”.

In the year 1964, Adega Cooperativa de Borba Reserva appeared. It was simply known as “cork label”, because they used cork instead of paper.

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Some wines have been renamed: Tinto Velho (1878) is now José de Sousa. Conde d’Ervideira Reserva (circa 1880) still exists, but above that is yet the Conde d’Ervideira Private Selection. This wine was brought back from the dead; its production was abandoned in 1954 and restarted in 1991.

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Gaeiras Branco, made with the Vital grape variety, experienced great prestige in the 60s and 70s – however, it only started receiving awards in 1876.

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It died down for a few years, having re-emerged with the 2013 harvest – its heir is Casa das Gaeiras Vinhas Velhas.

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One of the most reputed Alentejo wines was named after Peramanca, the place. It was registered in the 19^th century by José António Soares and gained value, but then finished. In 1987, the Pêra Manca brand was donated to the foundation [Fundação] Eugénio de Almeida, under the condition that it was to only appear in exceptional years. The first white is from 1990 and the red is from 1991. The original label features a watercolour by Alfredo Roque Gameiro (1864 – 1935), but in 2003, it was redesigned and simplified.

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John Reynolds, Thomas Reynolds’s grandson who bought Herdade do Mouchão, decided to plant a vineyard of the Alicante Bouschet grape variety – for the first time in Portugal. Mouchão was also reborn, in 1985. The cellar was raised in 1901 and production was carried out until the occupation of the (Marxist) Agrarian Reform.

Contrary to how I had originally predicted, I found more brands than expected. It’s impossible to remember them all. I will list a few more: Caves do Solar de São Domingos, Colares Chitas, Viúva Gomes, Lagoa Reserva, Messias Santola, Messias Vinho Verde, Messias Rosé, Frei João, Porta de Cavaleiros, Montes Claros, Pasmados…

Duas Quintas 25th Anniversary

November 3, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

A two-day celebration of a very important date for Douro and for Ramos Pinto: 25 years of Duas Quintas wines. (João Pedro de Carvalho also wrote a piece on this subject, you can read it here)

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The occasion included the celebration of another two deserving dates: the end of the harvests at Ramos Pinto and João Nicolau de Almeida receiving the emeritus status as both the director of oenology and the chief executive officer of the company after 40 years of intense and dedicated labour.

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After national and international guests arrived at the Ramos Pinto facilities in [Vila Nova de] Gaia, a very well-organised tasting took place; 23 whites by Duas Quintas were presented, among them classics and reserves. The wines were in great shape, revealing extraordinary evolution in the bottle. The oldest, a 1994, showed an intense, very clear yellow with a soft and velvety nose and delicious notes of evolution. Great complexity, good structure, incredible acidity, refined and very elegant – a beautiful wine. The most recent, a 2014, presented a very light citrus hue, and is an explosion of aromas of fruit on the nose as well as slightly floral and very young. Refreshing, of intense acidity, full of ripe fruit, dry, exotic and food friendly. The 2014 Reserva was also of a citrus-yellow – very elegant. Intense aromas of ripe fruit, light vegetal notes with delicious complexity. Intense, great balance between the fruit and the vegetal notes, exotic, dry and with great acidity, promising great evolution. A modern Reserva.

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Then, we went on an amusing tour round the Ramos Pinto museum, which helped us understand the founder’s philosophy, whose character is still present all about the company. Afterwards, we had an excellent lunch in the company of a few of the wines we had tasted and then we headed towards Douro river for a relaxing walk.

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Once we got to the Bom Retiro estate, we were surprised by the celebration of the harvest, which included some nibbles, wine flowing into glasses, and even a musical group that came up to play on a well set-up stage. The night was looking good! Next, we witnessed another surprise. This time, it was for João Nicolau de Almeida: a platform supported a replica of a bottle of Duas Quintas themed after the 25^th anniversary celebration and the band played popular songs whose verses made tribute to this man, this coworker, comrade and friend who is now retiring. João couldn’t be thankful enough, he was very moved. Every single one of his children and grand-children were there.

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While the party continued outside, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner and then watched the last lagarada as the wine treaders worked on the musts inside two Port wine granit presses.

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On the next day, a light shower came out to meet us; it didn’t discourage anybody from an epic tasting of 23 reds, among them classics and reserves. The wines were sitting there already decanted and we were allowed to freely pour them out, creating our own tasting order and spending as much time as we needed to enjoy them.

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The oldest, a light ruby 1990, will not evolve any further, but it still revealed an amazing, elegant, silky and perfumed nose. On the mouth, it was very balanced, soft, with very ripe tannins – a very classy seniour. The most recent, a 2013, is garnet and very dark and heavy. Floral aromas, violets, heather and notes of raspberry. On the mouth, it’s intense, still austere, with floral notes, powerful tannins and excellent acidity. Furthermore, it already announces the emblematic elegant profile. The oldest of the reserves, a 1992, is an extraordinary wine of an intense hue of ruby – very clean. The nose is full of souplesse and elegance with soft notes of wood and smoke. On the mouth, it’s very refined, with very ripe tannins, notes of tobacco, a silky and very long finish. A great wine!

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Lastly, a moving lunch was served on the porch of the house, where we were accompanied by the many vineyards in the background and the morphology of the Douro.

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If anyone wished to, they could return to the whites; in the end, we had a Port and sung Happy Birthday. A page of the long history of Douro wines has just been turned.

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Once back home, I recollected a few fun episodes with João Nicolau de Almeida and his frank and contagious smile.

That is also how I fell asleep on the bus home…

Contacts
Av. Ramos Pinto, 380
4400-266 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 223 707 000
Fax: (+351) 223 775 099
E-mail: ramospinto@ramospinto.pt
Site: www.ramospinto.pt

Wine from everywhere – starting with Douro

October 30, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

During the Portuguese Colonial War, the army was supplied with bottled wine. “Back then, selling wine by the glass was forbidden, because the state suspected that this was an opportunity to taint the wine.” In 1965, a scandal exploded when people started selling vinho a martelo [wine “by the hammer” or counterfeit wine]. This beverage is “made by fermenting sugar and adding water and food colouring”, according to Vasco d’Avillez.

White or red? Full! “Most people had no idea what a good wine was, and they drank what they were used to, whether it was a washed-out red or an oxidised and heavy white”, explains Vasco d’Avillez.

Oenologist Virgílio Loureiro says that “before the 60s, wine in Portugal wasn’t much better than it had been in the previous 250 years. Cult spots for consuming and buying it were taverns, where it was almost invariably sold in bulk. Customers’ demands weren’t high, because the glass was served up to the top – preventing people from appreciating the aroma – and it was generally drunk at once.”

Although taverns in Lisbon and in Porto had favourite areas of origin (but not designated origins), they sold wines from different locations. Wine mostly came from the tavern governor’s hometown.

The Douro region was first outlined in 1756. The company that established this is still around, and is known as Real Companhia Velha. For centuries, Port Wine was the real deal; unfortified wines had no special status.

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This company owns iconic Douro brands. In 1912, Grandjó was created especially for late-harvest wines. Only in the 60s did the first wines without Botrytis Cinerea appear in response to the demand for lighter wines.

Evel was “born” in 1913 – evel is light [“leve”] written backwards. “The idea was to create an elegant, soft and light wine”, explains Pedro Silva Reis, the head of Real Companhia Velha. “The first wines corresponded to those characteristics, much like nowadays: elegant, soft and, in a way, light. Only a few brands were around in those times and only a small part of the wine was bottled and labelled. The brand became more well-known in the 30s and 40s, which is how one can explain why it took a few years before it was considered truly successful.” In the following two decades, Evel made its way to the table of the head of state; from then onwards, labels included a note that said “Supplier to the Presidency of the Republic”.

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Real Companhia Velha also owns the opposite of the Evel brand. Porca de Murça, created in 1928, was a tribute to a pre-historic monument found in a square of Murça, a small village. “Strong, full-bodied red wines. They only started producing whites a few years later. The brand achieved high levels of fame between the 40s and 60s. It has recently enjoyed moments of glory again, as it became the best-selling Douro brand in the world”, states Pedro Silva Reis.

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When on the Douro subject, two wines have to be mentioned, which many consider to be two of the best in Portugal: Barca Velha (1952) and Ferreirinha Reserva Especial (1960). Sogrape has established that wines of a stronger storing potential must be called Barca Velha [“old boat”], and those whose longevity is expected to be lower must be called Ferreirinha Reserva Especial [special reserve].

The spirit and style never change. So far, 17 Barca Velha and 16 Ferreirinha Reserva Especial have been released (between 1989 and 1987, the law forbade using the adjective especial).

Two magnates

October 21, 2015 1 comment in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Abel Pereira da Fonseca was a prosperous wine dealer. In 1906, he opened a trading post in Poço do Bispo – away from touristic routes. However, the building makes an interesting sight for those with enough time to spare. The avenue wasn’t there before and boats used to dock to offload the wine from the southern border of Tejo.

At the time, taverns were linked to the coal business. This businessman created the Val do Rio network, with venues where one could enjoy a nice glass of wine in a neat environment. In 1928, there were about 50 venues, and in 1937, there were close to one-hundred. The middle class from Lisbon could thus have their wine without having to mix with dirty poor people.

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Fernando Pessoa, a worldwide genius of poetry, was an odd character, known to not have many friends. In the middle of the afternoon, he would leave his office chair, where he often got bored with reality, and would say: “I shall meet with my friend Abel.”

His friend Abel was the glass in Val do Rio tavern, filled with some product made by Abel Pereira da Fonseca. Once photographed, Pessoa signed the picture saying “Caught Red-handed.”

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That year, 1937, Abel Pereira da Fonseca left the business – the brand was handed to others, unimportant business for the present story – and focused on Quinta das Cerejeiras in Bombarral municipality. There, he created a resistant iconic brand.

Quinta das Cerejeiras became a reference for quality, displayed on menus of the best restaurants. The taste and consumption pattern changed. The ten years of bottle-ageing were shortned. Yet, Quinta das Cerejeiras Reserva wines are a reference in the Lisbon region, and compulsory for those interested in national nectars.

Another renowned magnate was João Camillo Alves, a barber in the suburban village of Bucelas, who became a middleman between producers in the village and the Lisbon bourgeois who made Bucelas their summer spot. From selling there to selling in the capital, it was only a short step.

Caves Camillo Alves cellars are now part of the Enoport group, which encloses other big companies from olden days, such as Caves Velhas or Caves Dom Teodósio – Teodósio Barbosa, another wine magnate one-hundred years ago.

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This company obviously owns brands that last for generations. The most iconic is perhaps Romeira. It’s a red wine born in a region where only white grapes are allowed in wine with a protected designation of origin.

The foundation of Quinta da Romeira, in Bucelas, goes back to the 17^th century, and has since known different owners; it was resold again a year ago. The Romeira brand, belonging to Caves Velhas, was created in 1912. In the 70s, in the 20^th century, oenologist Manuel Vieira made a lot of grapes from the Península de Setúbal. It was later produced entirely in Palmela, and now it’s made in Alentejo.

When you talk about a wine from Bucelas, you must mention Bucellas, created by Caves Velhas in 1939. Is the customer always right, as the aphorism says? No! And unfortunately, business is business and companies aren’t made for losses. Bucelas wines lived for many long years – excellent. The Bucellas Garrafeira were the Bucelas. The last to be made was the 1998, and I drank it this year. Colossal!

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A very old wine is Serradayres (Enoport), first sold in 1896 by Conde de Castro Guimarães in Ribatejo – nowadays a region of the Tejo. By the way, the count’s residence is in Cascais. It’s a great museum to visit.

Still within the same company, the Lagosta (Enoport) is an old reference dating from 1902. A light and carefree wine, free from the weight of the history of other brands.

And there I was, thinking I could get the story out in just a few lines… stay tuned, I’ll be serving another round soon.

Wine and art bond (Aliança) in the heart of Bairrada

October 6, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Aliança has belonged to the Bacalhôa group for some time now. It has successfully maintained and refined its very own identity. Although it produces wines in other wine-growing areas, it mostly identifies with Bairrada, and that is where it’s located.

While Aliança sparkling wines convey the company’s prestige and market acknowledgement, their Bairrada wines have shown gradual growth, and are asserted today as excellent wines from a region that freed itself from its ties to now travel far and wide, full speed ahead, always headed for quality. Aliança brandies continue resting in the depths of the cellars, taking their time, yet continually delivering the same extraordinary quality.

In a recent visit, we took an interesting walk round the cellars and round the revolutionary museum, which they call Aliança Underground Museum. It lodges hundreds of amazing pieces of the owner’s vast collection, which are well worth the visit. Many wines they produce and store in the cellars share this cultural trip.

It is also where sparkling wines are undisputed rulers, as you would expect, even judging by the number of ageing bottles. Down the low, dark halls covered in mould that build up the constant dampness, which – along with low temperatures and a small thermal interval – offer the best conditions for these wines to develop with natural gas.

The brandies fill up the lowest part of the cellars, where an incredible amount of very old wooden casks encase them inside that surreal atmosphere.

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We tried none other than the house’s wines and bubblies in a very interesting tasting led by Francisco Antunes, the company’s director of oenology and a big expert in the region, with many years of experience in producing both still and sparkling wines; he is addicted to hunting, and is always in a contagiously good mood.

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We began with Aliança Branco Reserva 2014 (white), made of Maria-Gomes, Bical and Arinto – a warrior wine. Citrus yellow, crystal-clear, a lot of white fruit on the nose, a little floral, very elegant. On the mouth, it’s dry, very refreshing, citrusy, medium-bodied – a modern wine. It makes a great choice at €2,15 a bottle. We move on to Aliança Tinto Reserva 2012 (red), made with Baga, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. A lot of fruit, a lot of freshness, and youth. On the mouth, it’s intense, persistent, maintains quite a few notes of ripe fruit, and tamed yet very present tannins – a food-friendly wine.

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The Aliança Tinto Baga 2009 revealed all of the Baga variety’s aromatic excellence. It’s intense and has a lot of fruit and notes of jam; it’s round, has good volume on the mouth, very ripe red fruits, powerful and very well defined tannins, excellent acidity and a long finish. A beautiful wine that already tastes very good, but will age very well and for many years. We move on to the bubbly wines, starting off with Aliança Rosé Baga-Bairrada Bruto, a buzzing product in the market. Of a very soft salmon-pink and very small bubbles, it proved very elegant on the nose, a little floral, and with notes of red fruits. On the mouth, it’s dry, with excellent acidity, beautiful structure and a lot of elegance – a modern sparkling wine.

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Next followed Aliança Baga-Bairrada Bruto 2013, a citrusy, crystal-clear drink, with small, very elegant bubbles. On the nose, it revealed notes of green apples, a few nuts and toast. On the mouth, impressive freshness and vibrant acidity; dry, intense, lightly toasted notes and a long and delicious finish – an excellent Bairrada wine. We ended the tasting with a classic, the Aliança Bruto Vintage 2010 of lightly toasted shade of yellow and very small bubbles building a persistent bead; an exotic nose with notes of nuts, walnuts, toast, and nutmeg. On the mouth, it’s powerful, dry, very complex, of intense acidity, voluminous, full, creamy, and with an everlasting finish – an excellent sparkling wine.

We move on to the table, where we tasted a few of these wines, which accompanied a range of appetisers – petingas [small sardines] and carapauzinhos [small horse mackarel], codfish buns, and suckling pig rissoles.

After that, an oven-roasted cockerel with pea rice. For dessert, cheese, marmalade and pão-de-ló [sponge-cake]. The Aliança wines continued to flow through our glasses.

Outside, we said goodbye, and “see you soon”…

Contacts
Aliança – Vinhos de Portugal SA
Rua do Comércio, 444
Apartado 6
3781-908 Sangalhos
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 234 732 000
Fax: (+351) 234 732 005
E-mail: alianca@alianca.pt
Website: www.alianca.pt

Caves da Montanha

September 28, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

Continuing our trip around Bairrada, we are now ending it with a visit to one of the best producers in the region, Caves da Montanha (Anadia). Their annual production is about one million and seven-hundred thousand bottles, although about two million bottles are currently stored in the long underground cellars, twenty-thousand of which have been ageing for over twenty-four months in bottles. In Portugal, high-quality sparkling wine hasn’t always been around. It has been growing and proving itself to consumers in the last decade. The reality is that the wine available in Portugal these days was never this good before, but adding to all that, it is also true that Bairrada is becoming a region where it makes more and more sense to produce sparkling wine.

Founded in 1943 by Adriano Henriques, the company has been passed down from parents to children, and is currently run by the fourth generation, more specifically by Alberto Henriques. Although the range of products is spread across every region, including many kinds of products, in my opinion, the soul of this business is in Bairrada sparkling wines. The oenology team is composed by António Selas and Bruno Seabra along with Alberto Henriques; they have been very able to find the right path, and together, they have helped rebuild the Bairrada region.

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In order to accomplish the renewal of an entire region, Comissão Vitivinícola da Bairrada (Bairrada wine-growing commission) contributed a lot. It’s represented by José Pedro Soares, their dynamic president. But that subject on its own deserves another article; for now, it’s more important to highlight the sparkling wines tasted at Caves da Montanha cellars. The first was Montanha Grande-Cuvée Baga 2009, born in an excellent year, according to the producer. This bubbly reveals a more classical profile, if one may call it so; it combines notes that prove a little evolution with the freshness of ripe fruit, notes of biscuit and a hint of nuts. Good presence on the mouth, the fruit showing its presence in both flavour and quantity, a lot of elegant freshness, and the finish shows good persistence. This sparkling wine has enough energy for more heavily seasoned meals.

In 2008, the first reference to Montanha Grande Cuvée Chardonnay-Baga emerges. Very fresh on the nose, a hint of biscuit and notes of pear, a lot of fruits related to the Chardonnay variety and a pinch of yeast. Good exuberance in the blend, a thin, elegant mousse, its acidity cleanses the palate, composing a sparkling wine that creates easy harmony around the table. The Montanha Real Grande Reserva 2009 is top-of-the-range. It is released almost every two years and, in this harvest, reveals a blend of Chardonnay, Arinto, Pinot and Baga. Its aroma is of fruit cocktails, light biscuit-y notes, some jam, a lot of freshness, and stamina. The mouth shows engagement, which fills up the palate; freshness with the feeling of creaminess, a dry and long finish.

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For the end, we left A. Henriques Edição Especial 70 Anos Bruto 2006, a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Arinto and some Baga, which combine very good freshness with notes of the passing of time. Involved in a delicate and very thin complexity that combines aromas of the white pulp in Chardonnay, the more citrus-like aftertastes of Arinto, with the Baga adding robustness to the blend. In the background, notes of biscuits with herbal tea, some toasted bread in a complex blend, which on the mouth proves quite elegant while combining light creaminess with the lovely freshness of the fruit. It shone as it accompanied the Bairrada-style roast suckling pig.

Contacts
Rua Adriano Henriques 12
Apartado 18
3781-907 Anadia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 231 512 260
Fax: (+351) 231 515 602
Website: www.cavesdamontanha.pt

Posts Categorized : Several Wines

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Wine from everywhere – starting with Douro

Two magnates

Wine and art bond (Aliança) in the heart of Bairrada

Caves da Montanha