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

Dona Maria, between classical and modernity

November 24, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

At Quinta de Dona Maria in Estremoz lies a mix of classicism and modernity which was elegantly carried over to the wines produced there.

Sandra Gonçalves’ enology is precise and refined, resulting in detailed wines with soul which are also elegantly serious and fresh in a mix that reflects itself in a nice longevity.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_Dona_Maria_1

From the most classical exemplars, supported by the solid character of the clay-limestone soils of the region, arises the Dona Maria range (red, white and rosé), reaching its prime with Dona Maria Reserva. The offer is complemented with some varietals of a more modern inspiration such as the Viognier 2013 and the Touriga Nacional/Petit Verdot 2011 which are about to be highlighted here.

Side by side we find that both the Dona Maria red and white are wines of a classical layout, in that so special Alentejo inside those gates. The wines are still young with a voracious appetite for a more composed table, as the €8 price-tag shows. A nice cost-satisfaction correlation.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_Dona_Maria_2

Dona Maria white 2013
Made on the basis of Arinto, Antao Vaz and Viosinho, good freshness’ set, with white-fleshed fruit, vegetal, tropical fruit and citrus. Balanced set, presence of fruit on the palate, elegant with persistent ending.

Dona Maria Viognier 2103
Full of flowers, with pear and ripe peach, a slight touch syrup wrapped in freshness resulting in a serious set, without being too expansive and showing itself with some weight on the palate, entangled in freshness, a refined tasting in line with the variety.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_Dona_Maria_3

Dona Maria red 2011
6 months in oak barrels, a nice whole with good freshness and a lot of good juicy red fruits with smoked notes, a slight trace of spices, in a good complexity. Firm, good freshness in the mouth, based on a steady structure ensuring its longevity.

Dona Maria Touriga Nacional/Petit Verdot 2011
The two varieties that in previous harvests stood alone decided to blend themselves, forward comes the duet in 2011. Intense aroma combining the very best of each variety. Flowers and wild fruits with vegetal/balsamic traces, conferring a whole which combines a slightly austere background with that fruit tastiness, as much in the aroma as in the palate. Ample, tasty, balanced with freshness scoring the points in a persistent and long ending.

Contacts
Quinta do Carmo 7100-055 Estremoz
Tel: (+351) 268 339 150
Fax: (+351) 268 339 155
Email: donamaria@donamaria.pt
Site: donamaria.pt

Quinta do Rol – in the heart of Lourignac

October 15, 2014 2 comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho

The centenary Quinta do Rol has always been linked to the local traditions and local farming. Located in the heart of Lourinhã, it is now in its third family generation, with Carlos Melo Ribeiro the current owner, who inherited the estate from his father.

The name Quinta do Rol emerges during the 19th century by its owner, an avid gamer who when money lacked to pay off his debts would have a rol/list of Farms for this purpose. The estate has always been linked to the production of Pêra Rocha (a native Portuguese variety of pear) and also to the production of brandy, with its own distillery dating back to the 18th century, when it was produced in great quantities to provide for the Port wine producers’ demands.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_do_Rol_Rita_Melo_Ribeiro

Rita Melo Ribeiro at Quinta do Rol © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

When Carlos Melo Ribeiro arrived at the head of Quinta do Rol he soon realized the region’s special climate; the proximity to the sea, the soils and topography, it has its own micro-climate which makes it one of the three regions in the world (in the likeness of Cognac and Armagnac) recognized as specific for the production of high quality brandy, with a specific designation of origin. With an extensive replantation of the vineyards, with Ugni Blanc, Malvasia Fina and Alicante Branca for the brandy production, and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay… for the production of quality table and sparkling wine.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_do_Rol_Aguardente

Quinta do Rol Aguardente Velha XO © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

With regards to the brandy, the demarcated region of Lourinhã dates back to 1992 and it is the third worldwide, after the well-known demarcated regions of Cognac and Armagnac, both in France. The Quinta do Rol accounts for an annual production (10,000 liters), and has spent more than ten years producing and not selling, waiting to reach the right moment to put on the market one of the most exclusive products produced in Portugal, Quinta do Rol Aguardente Velha XO.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_do_Rol_Blanc_de_Blancs

Quinta do Rol Espumante Blanc de Blancs 2008 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Quinta do Rol Espumante Blanc de Blancs 2008
Made from Chardonnay, it joins good freshness with a slight mousse that involves all the tropical and citrus fruit with marzipan in the background. Mouth with good freshness, tasty and well-structured.

Quinta do Rol Selecção branco 2012
The only blended wine (Arinto, Alvarinho and Chardonnay) from Quinta do Rol, fresh with a closed set of aromas, green touch and citrus fruit, some greasiness conferred by batonnage. Mouth with good freshness and presence, marked by good definition of flavors, green pear in the finish.

Quinta do Rol Pinot Gris 2011
Presents a mild smoked set of aromas with chubby fruit wrapped in good freshness, delicate and tense. Fresh in the mouth with dryness at the end.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Quinta_do_Rol_Sauvignon_Blanc

Quinta do Rol Sauvignon Blanc 2011 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Quinta do Rol Sauvignon Blanc 2011
I liked the approach of this Sauvignon Blanc with good definition, no sweet tropical aroma or flavor, much more herbaceous, green pepper, salt, fruit with a smoked touch in the background. Good freshness and mouth presence in a fancy Sauvignon.

Quinta do Rol Pinot Noir Reserva 2009
A pure muscle Pinot Noir, fresh nose with red fruits and mild vegetable (moss), loses a bit in the aroma definition by being yet too compact. Mouth with ripe fruit of good size, freshness, good amplitude, slight dryness at the end of the mouth, long and persistent finish.

Contacts
Quinta Rol
Ribeira, Palheiros
2530-442 Miragaia
Tel: (+351) 261 437 484
Email: info@quintadorol.com
Site: www.quintadorol.com

Blue Skies Drinking? The Rise of The Serious Rosé

July 12, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by Sarah Ahmed

Text Sarah Ahmed

If there’s a wine style which is firmly associated with summer and the holiday spirit it has to be rosé. Can it be any coincidence that Brazil, a country synonymous with sunshine and the holiday spirit, was the target audience for Mateus Rosé when it was first launched in 1942?

As for us Brits, when I interviewed Sir Cliff Richard a few years ago he told me that he has been a fan of, guess what, Mateus Rosé, since he bought his first house in the Algarve in the sixties. So it would seem that the “Summer Holiday” star’s holiday spirit has rolled on, in fact perhaps it’s the still boyish-looking singer’s elixir of youth!?!

But, over the last decade, there has been a major shift among consumers who, these days, are enjoying rosé year round and not just on holiday or in the summer. Indeed, last year in the UK, Rosé accounted for a record one in eight bottles of wine bought in supermarkets and off-licences, up from one in 40 in 2000. Now popular, even fashionable, the mainstay of sales has been sweeter, entry-level wines.

Though Mateus Rosé continues to outperform the market in this category, Californian brands such as Blossom Hill, Gallo and Echo Falls have been by far the biggest beneficiaries of the rosé phenomenon. As my panel at Decanter World Wine Awards would attest, in the main Portugal’s entry-level rosés have failed miserably to build on the success of Mateus Rosé thanks to clumsy use of residual sugar and a lack of freshness.

Still, being fashionable, there’s a new rosé trend in town – the serious rosé and get this, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie make one – Chateaux Miraval from Provence! Even Mateus has gone upmarket with the launch of a new top tier range, Mateus Expressions (pictured). And I am delighted to say that I have recently found compelling evidence to suggest that Portugal may fare better with the new, quality and complexity-focused trend. Here are my serious Portuguese rosé picks of the bunch:

Blend-All-About-Wine-Blue-Skies-Principal

Principal Rosé Tête de Cuvée 2010 (Bairrada)

“Tête de Cuvée” is a wine produced from the first pressing of the grapes, which means it’s usually purer and of superior quality. Not least when, like this wine, it is made in the Rolls Royce of presses – a Coquard Champagne press – from the first (whole bunch) pressing (600l) of Pinot Noir destined for the sparkling wine (reviewed below). The pressed juice is then gravity run into small tanks (gently does it again) which also accounts for its super-pale pinky-beige hue and subtle, saline and savoury palate. Creamy but fresh and gently fruity (rhubarb/strawberry), it is very long and persistent. A serious gastronomic rosé –quite possibly the best I’ve tasted from Portugal. Excellent. 12.5% abv

Colinas Espumante Brut Rosé 2009 (Bairrada)

A very impressive salmon-coloured 100% Pinot Noir fizz which was aged for three years on the lees. It has great verve and tension. Just a hint of greenness rachets up the overall impression of tightness and dryness. A long, focused, dry finish has a very persistent fine bead. Lovely structure. Excellent. 12.5% abv

Casa de Saima Rosé 2013 (Bairrada)

Sticking with Portuguese grapes this time (Baga with just a dash of Touriga Nacional) this pale but bright Bairrada rosé is fabulously saline, fresh and dry. Baga’s firm acid backbone brings great energy and line to its delicate crunchy red fruit 9think cranberries). 13% abv.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Blue-Skies-Vinha-Grande

Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Rosado 2012 (Douro)

Sogrape owns the Casa Ferreirinha and Mateus brands. While the top tier Mateus Expressions range is still very commercial (sweet) this seriously pale dry rosé firmly ticks both quality and complexity boxes. Sourced from 100% Touriga Nacional (which seems to work very well for rosés) and from the highest point of Quinta do Sairrão (at c. 650m), it’s delicately fruity, with a textured (gently creamy), spicy, savoury (nutty), mineral palate. A lovely unshowy yet sophisticated rosé, with finely balanced acidity. Very good. 12% abv

Quinta do Perdigão Rosé 2013 (Dão)

Full-time architect and full-time organic wine grower/maker José Perdigão is wont to give 300% to everything and, when he told me that this is the most serious rosé which he has made, I knew I was in for a rare treat. Compared with my other recommendations it’s a really deep pink hue – akin to the colour of stonking Australian Grenache rosés! It’s similarly muscular on the palate too. The reason? In 2013, the Dão experienced challenging conditions around harvest with spells of heavy rain and bursts of hot weather. Some of the fruit for this wine came in at very high baumé (with a potential alcohol level of 15.5 to 16%!) In consequence, Perdigão very cleverly introduced grape stems to the ferment for the first time, which brought perfume, freshness and helped lower the alcohol degrees. So at the end of the day, you get a win win – fabulously exuberant (red berry, currant and cherry) fruit and good body with balance. As for complexity, the Dão’s signature mineral and floral notes are well present in this Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Alfrocheiro blend. As Perdigão puts it, “it’s not a swimming pool rosé.” He recommends pairing it with dried tuna and wasabi. Highly original (perhaps even a one off given the vintage) – very good. 13.5% abv

Julia Kemper Elpenor Rosé 2013 (Dão)

Kemper’s rosé is also made from certified organic fruit but it couldn’t be more different. Made from 100% Touriga Nacional it’s pale and ultra delicate with gentle red fruit and floral (violets) notes. Deliciously crisp and dry with fresh, mineral acidity.

Muxagat MUX Rosé 2012 (Douro)

This is a really interesting rosé – I’m tempted to say intellectual, but I think that might be pushing it too far! Anyway, what I mean is that it bears little resemblance to the sweetish cheap and cheerful pink wines to be found in every corner shop and supermarket. All of which stands to reason given that MUX is sourced from a very high vineyard at 700m, moreover is influenced by the kind of dry, savoury rosés which Mateus Nicolau de Almeida’s southern French friends like to drink on a summer’s day (think Provence, Bandol, Tavel). A blend of Tinta Cão and Tinta Barroca which is fermented and aged partly in tank, partly in (old) barrel, this pinkish beige wine is creamy but dry and savoury with good acidity, lifted floral and dried spice notes and a hint of chocolate to its lingering finish. Much nicer than that sounds! Very good. 13% abv.

Alambre 20 Years … The magic of the Moscatel of Setúbal

June 19, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho

Portugal is the only country in the World able to put on the same table three World-class generous wines, from three fantastic and unique regions. I’m talking about Port Wine, Madeira Wine and of course the Moscatel of Setúbal.
In the case of the Moscatel of Setúbal it’s a generous wine with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) recognized since 1907. However, at José Maria da Fonseca, the production of these wines dates back to 1834 which allows it to have a unique heritage of Moscatel wines in stock.

The Alambre 20 Years are elaborated from the Moscatel grape variety planted in clay-limestone soils. From its annual production part of it is intended for a more prolonged aging in wooden casks using the mythical Cellar of Teares Velhos (Vila Nogueira de Azeitão).
The wine in question is a mandatory reference and one of my favorites, having an indisputable place among the best sweet wines of Portugal, with a price around € 24, it gives you an enviable price/satisfaction ratio. The result of a set of great Moscatel, aged and blended with skill, the result is a blend of 19 harvests in which the newest is at least 20 years old and the oldest is close to 80 years.
A very complex and intense wine, with elegant notes of dried fruit, candied orange and honey. Noble volatile acidity, wrapped in freshness and harmony. Mouth with great presence, unctuosity side by side with great freshness, soft taste with molasses and fruit and a wonderful finish. It is a perfect match for a good dark chocolate with orange or simply to end a dinner among friends in great class.

Contacts
José Maria da Fonseca, S.A.
Quinta da Bassaqueira, Estrada Nacional 10
2925-542, Vila Nogueira de Azeitão, Setúbal, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 212 197 500
Email: info@jmf.pt
Site: www.jmf.pt

The Javali (wild boar) terroir…

June 17, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho

The Douro has been one of Portugal’s wine regions with more media coverage lately, where there are many Quintas of undeniable historical importance in the sector of Port Wine and that most recently have gained notoriety as producing still and sparkling wine (table wine). Trying to discover a latest project that distinguishes itself above all by the quality of table wines without having the weight of history falling back on their vineyards will not be easy but won’t be impossible either.

Proof of this is the Sociedade Agrícola Quinta do Javali, a family-owned company founded in 2000 with the objective of producing and marketing (it exports 80% of its production) their own wines DOC Douro and Port. Located on the left bank of the Douro River in Nagoselo do Douro, São João da Pesqueira (Cima Corgo). The Quinta do Javali saw 10 of its 20 hectares being replanted with the grape varieties of the region: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional.

The owner and winemaker, José António Mendes is passionate about his work, you can see the brightness in his eyes when the conversation shifts and we are talking about their wines. While we are tasting the new releases from Quinta do Javali, António explains that he tries to do all the work in the vineyard, avoiding interfering with the winery, the yeasts are indigenous, the wines are all made of mill with foot treading and combine power with an incredible freshness. We don’t find here easy wines with the capacity of an immediate satisfaction, they require patience, showing a greater density, layers of flavors and aromas, freshness with structured tannins still present that makes decanting almost compulsory.

Quinta dos Lobatos 2013 (DOC Douro)
Just launched on the market, austere with lots of mature fruit, nuts with some jam, but all very clean, spicy, note of herbs, fleshy, wins with time in the glass. Mouth full of force and freshness with the fruit to explode with flavor, dryness in the end, black pepper, minerality with a very good finish.

Quinta do Javali Reserva 2011 (DOC Douro)

Spends 18 months in barrel, more impressive than the Quinta de Lobatos, more integrated barrel despite the might of the cocoa and tobacco, shows fruit jam, floral and sweet spices. Mouth with elegance allowed by tannins wrapped in structure dominated by mature fruit, fresh, conqueror with less austerity.

Quinta do Javali Touriga Nacional 2012 (DOC Douro)

With a very limited edition (600 bottles) the wine is a provocation to the senses, fruit marked by freshness and great quality, lightweight marmalade, the perfume of violets and herbs, tobacco, pepper, complex, ambitious, compact and provocative. Mouth full of freshness and flavor, tasty, fills the entire palate in a wide structure in a grand finish.

Quinta do Javali Vinhas Velhas 2011 (DOC Douro)

This wine is a true juggernaut. Arrives in breathtaking quality, dominates us completely and shows in the nose all the good austerity of the Douro. Firm structure and very good wood that sustains without excesses (20 months in barrel), fruit very clean and juicy with balsamic, spices and notes of vanilla, dark chocolate. Huge force and complexity, with layers of aromas and flavors, firm without shaking, it feeds on time in the glass or decanter, grows, gains new forms but always tense, always new. In the mouth it is fresh and broad, fruit that is chewed, tasty, energetic and great dryness in the long and persistent finish.

Quinta do Javali Special Cuvée 2012 (DOC Douro)

This wine is a taste of luxury, softer and more delicate than the Vinhas Velhas, conquests by finesse, complexity and at the same time follows the same energy so characteristic of the wines of this Quinta. The most striking is the delicate and beautiful floral perfume that shows next to blackcurrants and raspberries very fresh and clean, almost flavors in HD, almost rounded corners with a smoked touch and some vanilla. In the mouth it shows a beautiful freshness, great harmony with a huge presence on the palate, very long finish.

Quinta do Javali Tawny 20 Years (Porto)
The wine has delicate harmony and a good dose of freshness, you can tell that it does not have the same complexity that comes from a blend with older wines as other 20 Years for sale on the market do. Good dried fruit, candied orange, caramel, all wrapped in a very pleasant long final.

Quinta do Javali LBV Port 2009 (Porto)

Tasting of LBV 07, 08 and 09, the latter was the one that stood out the most, in spite of all of them being at a very good quality level. The 2009 stood out by the greed of fruit with its presence, freshness of a broader set and juicier than the others. In the mouth more presence of jammy fruit, chocolate and mild spices fresh and long finish.

Contacts
Sociedade Agrícola Quinta do Javali
Apartado 71
5130-909 S. João da Pesqueira
Email: antoniomendes@quintadojavali.com
Site: www.quintadojavali.com

The Atlantic wines of the Island of Pico (Azores)

June 3, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

Text João Pedro de Carvalho

Of all demarcated regions in Portugal the wines from the Azores are certainly the most forgotten, the less discussed, the less known and the ones that less often arrive at the table of the consumer. However the situation is changing and there is an effort by local authorities, between producers/CVR, so that these wines will be more frequently seen/consumed.

Focusing only on the Island of Pico, these are wines that are born substantially in the middle of the Atlantic, in soils of lava that mark the landscape of the island and that the local population differentiates between “lajidos” and “terras de biscoito” (Terceira Island). It is a peculiar region, shaped by the human being into the famous “currais”, considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which isolation from everything made it a natural deposit of unique varieties and differentiating (smells and flavors) carried out by the settlers.

There are three varieties, the Arinto from the Azores, which is different from Arinto Bucelas, the Verdelho which was the first variety deployed on the island and identical to that of Madeira but it is different from the one found in Continental Portugal and the Terrantez do Pico, distinct from Terrantez from Madeira and from the Dão region.

For years the most famous wine of Pico Island was the “licoroso”, whose main characteristic is the non-addition of alcohol. Today the offer is wider and stretches from fresh white wines, with a salty/mineral taste to liqueurs that oscillate between the drier profile to a sweeter one, capable of surprising by their difference. A tasting of contrasts, surprises and comparatives where a strong connection to the table with fish and seafood has become more evident.

It counted with the presence of producers: Maria Álvares (Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico), Marco and Rui Faria (Curral de Atlântis), Paulo Machado (Insula Vinhos) and Fortunato Garcia (Vinho Czar), and was led by winemaker António Maçanita (Fita Preta Vinhos).

Curral Atlântis Arinto dos Açores Colheita Seleccionada 2013 (IG Açores)
A lot of freshness, grapefruit, lime, lemon tree leaf, salt, less expressive than the Verdelho. A lot of energy on the palate, fresh, citrus juice, ripe minerality together with good aftertaste.

Curral Atlântis Verdelho Colheita Seleccionada 2013 (IG Açores)
Marked by tropical fruit, clean and ripe, fresh and salty, engaging with notes of flint. Mouth with freshness, herbaceous with fresh tropical fruit, dry with a medium finish.

Curral Atlântis Verdelho/Arinto dos Açores Colheita Seleccionada 2013 (IG Açores)
Tropical fruit aroma with citrus, very mature, good freshness, very clean and round embracing a very harmonious blend. Conjunction with harmony between varieties in a wine clearly made for the table.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Pico_Wines_Arinto_dos_Açores_Macanita

Arinto dos Açores by António Maçanita 2013 (DO Pico)
Freshness in a set marked by a detail of clean fruit (citrus) and delicate touch, salt, all very balanced and giving a very pleasant taste. In the mouth it is fresh, salty, very citrine with persistent finish.

Insula Private Selection 2013 (IG Açores)
Done with Arinto dos Açores, strong character in a wine tense and with much force, notes of flint beside fruit clean and mature, grapefruit and lemon. Mouth with mineral austerity, almost saline, ripe fruit to involve at the end of a dry mouth and persistent finish.

Frei Gigante Reserva 2012 (DO Pico)
A different profile with a blend of Arinto dos Açores with Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico. All fragrant with ripe fruit (pear, grapefruit), smoked, salty, at the same time a feeling of greasiness and immersion. Mouth with good presence of ripe fruit, tasty, good acidity to finish dry and mineral.

Lajido Licoroso Seco 2002 (DO Pico)
Not a wine with an easy approach, recalls slightly Sherry wines, by oxidation in conjunction with a salty touch and dried fruit, buttery with slight iodine. Mouth with dryness, fresh with dried fruit and iodine, a persistent finish and length.

Lajido Licoroso Reserva Doce 2004 (DO Pico)
A more unctuous profile than the Lajido Seco, dry fruit notes covered in caramel, orange caramelized, raisins, biscuits, good complexity. Mouth to match the aromas, engaging and with a beautiful acidity. Long and persistent finish.

Czar Licoroso Superior Doce 2008 (DO Pico)
The more exotic and unusual wine from the tasting session, resin, touch of crystallized fruit with spices, herbs and “tisane”, good freshness packs the set with a touch of salt in the background. Fat, complex, greedy and strange, different and fun.

Curral Atlântis Verdelho/Arinto dos Açores Sweet 2005 (DO Pico)
Slept for 5 years in cask and for 1 year in bottle, very balanced, caramelized orange, saline and unctuous. Shows much freshness in palate connecting with caramelized fruit, syrup, in a long and persistent finish.

Filipa Pato: A Wine grower, not a Winemaker

April 21, 2014 1 comment in Uncategorized by Sarah Ahmed

Text Sarah Ahmed

If there is a characteristic which I particularly admire in winemakers, indeed in life generally, it is open-mindedness.

A willingness to learn and grow – a humility if you like which, in my (humble) opinion, is absolutely key to the true pursuit of excellence.

It is a quality which is typified by a new generation of well-travelled Portuguese winemakers even if, like Filipa Pato, they have now firmly rooted themselves in the regional vernacular. It doesn’t get more traditional than making Baga in Bairrada!

Although Pato had the chance to study winemaking she tells me, “I preferred to learn and practice with good winemakers because, when you study too much, you are too technical and don’t have enough practical experience.”

Alive to the travel opportunities which wine presented (her father is Bairrada’s globe-trotting Baga maestro, Luis Pato), she tapped his contacts in Bordeaux, spending time at Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux. Bitten by the travel bug, she then headed to Margaret River’s Leeuwin Estate, one of Australia’s most lauded Chardonnay producers, followed by Argentina, where Pato worked for Finca Flichman.

The outcome of this “industrial espionage?” Pato says “it’s important to taste other countries’ wines so that we can understand our differences and compare prices and quality and see very well our position in the market. Where our wines sit on the world stage.” Especially where, she adds, export markets are more demanding. It’s a process she witnessed first-hand at Leeuwin Estate where, eyes widening at the memory, she recalls every day the winemaking team would taste the very best Burgundies – “not village wines, but Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru!”

Though Pato is now exclusively focused on making wine for her eponymous Bairrada label, she believes “it is a great exercise to keep tasting other wines because it opens my horizons and gives me confidence in what I’m doing and a pride in our own traditions.”

Burgundy, which she visits every year, has a special place in Pato’s heart. Her eyes light up at the memory of talking grapes, vintage and winemaking with Burgundy luminaries like Eric Rousseau (Domaine Armand Rousseau). Not just because of their redoubtable skills but also, she explains, “because they have grown up in the same situation as me. They were born in the middle of the countryside and Burgundy is very similar to Bairrada with its soils [chalky clay], slopes and wineries in the midst of villages, each of which produces a different expression of wine.”

Pato’s dream is to develop a similar recognition for Bairrada’s micro-climates to which end she and her husband (renowned Belgian sommelier and restaurateur William Wouters) have leased or bought all the good old vineyards they could find.

She has even begun to create a map of its best terroirs (pictured). More importantly, explaining “I don’t like to say I’m a winemaker, I’m a wine grower who grows grapes and makes the wine,” Pato has embraced Burgundy’s culture of vignerons (or wine growers).

Impressed by their preoccupation with old vineyards and great terroir she observes, “if you go to Burgundy, vignerons spend most of the time in the vineyard.” It’s why, when the vines are asleep over winter, Pato travels while, during the growing season (March to October), she aims to be at home in Bairrada.

Filipa Pato – Photo provided by Filipa Pato

She asserts “for me now, it is quite important to make wine in only one region, to breathe Bairrada every day and work with the same grapes and same vineyards so that, with experience and focus, I can get better every year.” And being better means producing wines which reflect their unique origin or, as her labels put it “authentic wines without make-up.”

While she says Portugal did not really have this culture of wine growers in the past or, at least it was not well regarded, Pato reckons “there is a new movement of [well regarded] vignerons in Portugal.” She adds the development is invaluable not just for wine, but because “we need wine growers and other artisans, or we won’t keep our villages; places will lose their charm.” It’s why she and Wouters are restoring an old winery in the heart of Óis do Bairro, the village where she grew up. And, of course, it means she can be close to the vines.

Here are my notes on the latest releases of Filipa Pato’s authentic wines without make-up:

Filipa Pato 3B Blanc de Blancs 2013 (Vinho)
For the first time, Pato pressed this traditional method blend of Bical and Maria Gomes with stems and this, combined with old vine fruit sourced from chalky clay soils, makes for an exceptionally fresh, precise sparkling wine. Lovely purity and persistence of perfumed pear fruit. Very good. 12.5% abv

Filipa Pato Nossa Calcário Branco 2012 (Bairrada)
This 100% Bical (tasted from magnum) is one of my favourite whites from the region (and indeed Portugal). Made from grapes sourced from Pato’s village of Óis, this complex, textural wine is aged in 500 litre French oak casks on lies with batonnage. Ripe, round creamy stone fruit is deftly balanced and teased out over a long finish by its brisk cut and thrust of grapefruity, mineral acidity. Salty, smoky nuances speak of its Atlantic chalky clay terroir. Superb. 13.5% abv

Filipa Pato FP Baga 2012 (IGP Beira Atlântico)

This is the first time Pato’s FP red (the junior red) is all about Baga (it used to include a significant percentage of Touriga Nacional to “soften” the palate). In 2012 the root to drinkability is instead achieved by a dash of co-fermented white grapes (1% Bical, 1% Maria Gomes) together with a cold soak on skins followed by a super-short, gentle 2-3 day maceration. Additionally, it sees no oak (which would add tannin), having been aged in concrete vats. It’s a delightful wine, somewhat reminiscent of Loire Cabernet Franc (of which Pato is a fan) with its crunchily fresh cinnamon-edged red cherry, plum and damson fruit and fine tannins. Uber-drinkable. 12% abv

Filipa Pato Nossa Calcário Tinto 2010 (Bairrada)
Modern in its purity, classic in its structure this 100% Baga (tasted from magnum) has crunchy but sweet, ripe red fruits, a flinty, smoky minerality and terrific freshness and persistence. Intense rather than dense, an ultra-fine sheen of tannins powders a lingering, dry but juicy long finish. Very good. 13% abv

Filipa Pato Nossa Calcário Tinto 2011 (Bairrada)
The 2011 vintage reveals riper fruits of the forest (red and black) which are well supported by more sucrous, rounded tannins. Nonetheless, very true to its roots, this is a well-structured, well-defined wine – long and persistent with a mineral-sluiced, delicately hewn finish. Very good. 13% abv

Filipa Pato Espírito de Baga Uma Saga (Vinho)
Pato has revived a Bairrada tradition which was lost in the late 18th century as a result of measures designed to protect the Port industry. Which seems a bit silly when this fortified red bears little resemblance to Port. As you’d expect given the Atlantic influence, it’s fresher and more finely wrought. Really silky, poised and persistent with succulent but well-defined black fruit, peppery lift and a long, mineral-sluiced finish. The secret to its elegant spirit integration? The spirit comes from Baga grapes from Bairrada. Unique and excellent. 17% abv

Contacts
F. Pato – Vinhos Unip Lda
Rua da Quinta Nova, s/n, 3780-017 Amoreira da Gândara.
Tel: (+351) 231596032
Email: filipa@filipapato.net
Site: www.filipapato.net

Posts Categorized : Several Wines

Dona Maria, between classical and modernity

Quinta do Rol – in the heart of Lourignac

Blue Skies Drinking? The Rise of The Serious Rosé

Alambre 20 Years … The magic of the Moscatel of Setúbal

The Javali (wild boar) terroir…

The Atlantic wines of the Island of Pico (Azores)

Filipa Pato: A Wine grower, not a Winemaker