Posts Categorized : Still Wines (Table Wines)

Quinta de Pancas, a classic’s reborn

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

I’m still in my little tour through the beautiful Quintas around the city of Lisbon. This time I went to visit the prestigious Quinta de Pancas that has been placing so much and such good wine on the table of consumers in recent decades. Quinta de Pancas, founded in 1495, is located 45 km northwest of Lisbon, in Santo Estevão e Triana’s parish, the so-called “Alto Concelho de Alenquer” close to Pancas. Between the Serra de Montejunto and the flatlands of the Tejo’s right bank, in between mountains, hills, valleys and plains Quinta de Pancas has 50 hectares of vineyards. The soils are predominantly calcareous, varying its origin as the altitude of the respective plots and slopes. Regarding the red grape varieties, the highlight goes to Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Merlot, Castelão, Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Petit Verdot and Malbec. In the white varieties we have the Arinto, Chardonnay and Vital.

For years its wines won the tastes of the most demanding consumers. The Special Selection were famous and greed targets in the 90s where shone among others the Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon, blinking the eye to a profile inspired by the Bordeaux wines that this house has never hid. At the end of that decade there was a wine that was placed on the market that would be the top of the range, a wine that still brings me fond memories, a wine of excellence that went by the name of Quinta de Pancas Premium. Then the time went by and we witnessed a renewal of the products, some of the charm was lost but not the “savoir faire”. An example of that was the launch of the Grande Escolha.

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Solar de Pancas – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Nowadays we witness Quinta de Pancas’ rebirth, with a new strategy that includes, along with Quinta do Cardo, the splitting of Companhia das Quintas. Now it has a renewed image, signed by Rita Rivotti. The wines, including labels, were also target of renewal and were presented recently. The entry range are the Pancas, red and white version, both from the 2015 vintage, a simple and very direct profile, focused on fresh and inviting ripe fruit. They are in my opinion a very fine buy for daily consumption.

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The new wines – Photo Provided by Quinta de Pancas | All Rights Reserved

In the range Quinta de Pancas there is the red 2014 and the white 2015. The white shows itself better, the red is more cohesive and coy losing to the more cheerful and dust clear Pancas 2015. But the white shows all the candor of ripe, fresh and airy fruit, with slight rounding. It is a clear leap forward in quality and pleasure. To end with, the two Reserva that have also the white and red version. The white is from 2014 and 100% Arinto. The red is from 2013. The Reserva white aged in wood for 8 months, enough to calm its spirit and bring greater complexity to the set, which is dominated by ripe fruit with citrus reminding a lemon tart, light vanilla and biscuit. Palate matching, freshness supported by a beautiful structure. The Reserva red 2013 has also a lot to show, a more rounded profile with red and plump fruit notes, full of harmony and flavor, little wood presence that gives its place for fruit to stand out. A palate with vigor, tasty and with very good freshness packing the tasting, asking for food around. Based on this brief tasting, the wines are still aging, I will say that the Quinta de Pancas’ future is once more promising.

Contacts
Quinta de Pancas
Porto da Luz, 2580-383 Alenquer
Tel: (+351) 263733219
Email: info@companhiadasquintas.pt
Website: www.companhiadasquintas.com

Soalheiro – Alma Mater

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

A history that began in the 70s when João António Cerdeira with the support of his father, António Esteves Ferreira, planted the first vineyard of Alvarinho. And so, in 1982 at Quinta de Soalheiro was born the first Alvarinho brand in Melgaço, which is nowadays managed by Maria Palmira Cerdeira and her children. An endure that was done through the generations of the Cerdeira family. This was my first contact with Alvarinho, curiously with the Soalheiro Alvarinho 1994, at the time a young man. So is case to say that with the passing of time, after the affirmation, the consecration and at last the project consolidation, comes the time for breaking new ground and challenges with the launch of new wines.

These are new ways to understand and show the Alvarinho grape variety, the first approach was the Quinta de Soalheiro from 1999 or so. More recently came the Primeiras Vinhas followed by the Reserva. And even more recent are these two releases, of which one is a première and the other is the second vintage. Debuting we have the Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit 2015, the result of a specific selection from vines planted above 150 meters in granitic soils. The fermentation was made at a temperature above normal for white wines and in stainless steel with battonage on fine lees. The goal is to show the variety’s expression as well as soil’s expression in an austere, mineral and drier side. The highlight goes to the good exuberance with focus on fruit associated with Alvarinho, a very clean profile with great elegance. The palate is lined with fruit and a solid mineral background wrapped in dryness. A very precise and focused wine, another beautiful creation from this producer.

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Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit 2015 & Soalheiro TerraMatter 2015 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Soalheiro, first brand of Alvarinho in Melgaço – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

In its second edition is the Soalheiro TerraMatter 2015, made with organically grown grapes, not subject to filtration, with the fruit being early harvested and partial malolactic in barrels of chestnut. Different and overwhelming thanks to its ability to immediately conquer us, both for the difference and the quality that is the hallmark of this house. Fantastic rendering of finesse, power and aromatic definition. There is no place for any kind of olfactory “massacre” in a focused and precise wine. Beautiful presence with still much to give, the time it lasts in the glass shows that. Dense, good volume in the mouth with elegance and freshness, with a slight sense of greasiness. A mineral palate creased in a background full of fruit flavor and freshness. In my opinion it’s better than 2014 and, as expected, it’s still very young so it will be very interesting to follow its evolution, if there are enough bottles for that.

Contacts
Alvaredo . Melgaço
4960-010 Alvaredo
Tel: (+351) 251 416 769
Fax: (+351) 251 416 771
Email: quinta@soalheiro.com
Website: www.soalheiro.com

Papa Figos white 2015 and Papa Figos red 2014

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The repetition of words or Latin rhymes always makes me think of magic. I do not know what books I’ve been reading or movies I’ve been watching. Well, here goes:

– Oriolus oriolus.

It’s the Latin name of orioles (papa-figos), a beautiful common bird of Europe that can even be seen in a part of Asia, flies to Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

It is a little bird with friendly air that my urban eyes cannot identify without the help of those who know. In addition to being friendly it is also beautiful. I’m not an ornithologist and let’s leave it at that because the topic is not about birds.

The Papa Figos are a couple of Douro wines. A few days ago Casa Ferreirinha (Sogrape) presented the new editions. The white is from 2015 and the red is from 2014. If the orioles are a joy to behold, the Papa Figos give a good gastronomic pleasure.

When I say gastronomic I’m not simply refering to the table, but to the whole gastro meaning. A greek word that means stomach. Today I look like a sage. I have written Latin and now Greek.

That is, both the red as the white (especially this one) are desirable in the summer. But I have to make a warning. The red has an alcohol content of 13.5%. At this time of the year, which asks for lighter foods and the beach asks for dives, I recommend caution.

It’s a red that has natural freshness, something we already know can deceive us. Moreover, in the heat, when it’s easy for the wines to become soup they should be freshened up. I usually leave them cooler than the usually recommended 16 degrees. This is because they heat up fast. Though the night may be the most suitable time of the day, the summer is often unfair to oenophiles.

Back to the reason why I said that it is globally gastronomic. It’s because it is easy to drink on one of those conversation nights with no set time to finish. During the vacation, whenever I can I relax with friends I cannot always hang out with during the work weeks, due to the short hours.

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Papa Figos red – Photo Provided by Sogrape | All Rights Reserved

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Papa Figos white – Photo Provided by Sogrape | All Rights Reserved

The white is more restrained regarding alcohol. It has a healthy 12.5%. And to think that not many years ago the products let the whites’ vintages skid. This is not me saying that they should always have low alcohol volume, because there are nectars that are looking good.

There is one more reason as to why this wine fell on my grace: The Touriga Franca, omnipresent, or almost, in the Douro reds. Here represents 30% of the blend. The Tinta Barroca has the same percentage and the Tinta Roriz 15%. The Touriga Nacional (I prefer the Douro one compared to the Dão), provides a sweet tooth that I appreciate, without ever making it cloying. It’s sober and represents 15%.

The grapes came from the Douro Superior and were grown mainly on slopes facing north and higher up in the mountain. The maceration is done in stainless steel vats as well as the alcoholic fermentation. A forth of the batch aged for eight months in French oak barrels. The bottling took place a year after the grape harvest.

The white was made with the grape varieties Rabigato (50%), Viosinho (20%), Arinto (18%) and Moscatel Galego (5%). The fruit came also from the Douro Superior, at high areas. A fifth of the batch aged for three months in used barrels of French oak. The remainder was kept in stainless steel tanks.

And that’s it! Good vacation to anyone going and the continuation of good working days for those staying.

Quinta dos Plátanos, on the route of the Classics

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Quinta dos Plátanos is part of the Extremedura’s Viticultural Region, with Alenquer Designation of Origin. It’s one of the oldest Quintas in Alenquer municipality and is located in the Aldeia Galega de Merceana.

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Quinta dos Plátanos – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Its main activity over the years, and since the seventeenth century, has been the wine industry. The Quinta has always been maintained within the same family and would undergo a renewal in the twentieth century, initially by the hands of Artur de Menezes Corrêa de Sá, and later by his eldest son, José de Menezes Corrêa de Sá. And thus come the first wireframed vines and with compasses that allow the mechanization of works, first with animal-drawn implements and then mechanical, and later using air assets in the treatments being this way considered as a pioneer in some practices. In the 50’s it underwent a full cellar renovation that allowed the launch of wines with Plátano brand in the 60’s. Only later with the creation of the demarcated region were the wines rebranded to Quinta dos Plátanos. In the last years the vineyards have been being restructured, with 16 hectares including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In total there are 35 hectares of vines with white grape varieties such as Arinto and Fernão Pires and red grape varieties such as the Pinot Noir, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet, in addition to the above.

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The Vineyard – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Nowadays it’s Arthur Corrêa de Sá and his daughter Luísa who manage the Quinta dos Plátanos. The oenology is in charge of Jorge Páscoa, although when tasting the wines there’s clear distinction between the ranges, there’s a line that separates the range Quinta dos Plátanos from the Plátanos. This distinction is due to Luísa’s husband, the producer Joaquim Arnaud. While the first wines show the more classical side and say, the more rustic side of the region, the Plátanos wines show up in the most elegant side as is the hallmark of the Arundel lineage (Pavia). A place that oozes history, full of fantastic places, which in my opinion is still waiting for a wine that matches its full potential, and I might add that from what I tasted seems to be on the right track but still with some distance to go.

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The Vineyard – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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The Wines – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Both Quinta dos Plátanos are DOC Alenquer, the 2014 red and the white, also from 2014. The red shows up with breed, lots of ripe black fruit, freshness well present with a somewhat vegetal brake that provides it toughness and hardiness. In the mouth it shows fruit, fleshy fruit in medium body, it’s tasty and has a good freshness. The white gets its charms from the Arinto and Fernão Pires grape varieties, with great freshness, aromas with some sharpness, very citrus and some orchard fruit, flowers and lemon candy at the end. Mouth to match, fresh, inviting and appealing to the table in hot weather. In the Plátanos range two wines were tasted, the Plátanos Arinto 2014, with grape variety well present in the lemon leaf aromas, lime and lemon, great freshness, tense and with a slight floral somewhat shy in the background, a good example of the variety although it lacks greater angularity on the mouth tasting. The Plátano Tou Noir 2010 is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Pinot Noir, shows up fresh and very appealing, with a beautiful ability to go changing in the glass and adjusting over time. It becomes sweet tooth, fresh and terribly gastronomic with those veal chunks in coal accompanied with garlic butter. A lot of ripe and juicy forest fruit, fleshy and tasty, full of spices, a lot of guts while sweet tooth runs through the palate, all of it packed by a nice freshness that at no time lets it wilt.

A vertical tasting of Bafarela

Text José Silva | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The Brites Aguiar house is located close to one of the Douro’s wine-producing villages, Trevões, with its vineyards throughout the hillsides of Rio Torto benefiting from a fantastic terroir, which is shared with an olive grove, a cherry grove, a walnut grove and chestnut grove – very typical rural surroundings of this Douro region. It’s property of a family that has always been connected to the land. In 2002 they stopped delivering their grapes to the Adega Cooperativa and started working them in their own winery.So, the grapes grown in the 45 hectares of vineyards of the grape varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Francisca, began producing the wines of this house, with its own brands, “Brites Aguiar” and “Bafarela“.

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António Domingos – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

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The Douro – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Being a family business, António Domingos (Tomi to the closest friends) abandoned the idea of going to medical school and has now dedicated over 30 years entirely to the land and follows in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather. Between 1986 and 2004 he fully reconverted the vines so that they could be mechanically worked. He made his first vintage in 2003 and since 2004 he has been working with 2PR, from António Rosas and Pedro Sequeira – something that proved to be a right decision for they have been having great success. So, in 2004, the first Brites Aguiar is born, as well as the first wine with 17%. From the year 2008 onwards comes the Grande Reserva Bafarela, a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. It ages in 500 liters’ barrels that are used 3 times. Recently they decided to make a vertical tasting of the Grande Reserva Bafarela, which had never been made. And it was in the Douro environment that this tasting was carried out, in the presence of Tomi and his wife, and the winemakers António Rosas and Pedro Sequeira.

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D.O.C. – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The venue, D.O.C., could not be more appropriate, literally over the river and with that sweeping landscape that fills the eyes and never tires. The wines were timely open and at the recommended temperature all showed an intense but elegant red color.

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The wines’ profile – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

They have a common profile, elegant yet consistent with delicious chemical notes that give them some rusticity.

We began the tasting with the Grande Reserva Bafarela 2008 that has 14.5% alcohol. The nose shows some notes of evolution, some spices and hints of red fruit. In the mouth it has good acidity, it is elegant and has a simple but consistent structure. The age shows but drinks very well.

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2008 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2009 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2010 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

The Grande Reserva Bafarela 2009, also with 14.5%, is velvety, full of elegance, with notes of wild plants, rock rose, very fresh. In the mouth has volume, it is fresh and has excellent acidity, very persistent. It features notes of spices, fine tannins, and dry and great complexity. A serious wine.

Next up was the Grande Reserva Bafarela 2010, still with 14.5%, very soft, fine, good ripe fruit and very elegant. The palate is fresh, intense, well-bound tannins, beautiful acidity and red fruits, complex and very long, already good for drinking.

The Grande Reserva Bafarela 2011, with 15% alcohol, is very soft, elegant, has plenty of fruit and some freshness. In the mouth the same profile, excellent acidity, very ripe fruit, freshness, some spices and a very long finish. The year doesn’t show.

Then it was time for the Grande Reserva Bafarela 2012, with 14% alcohol, a beautiful aromatic profile, some floral, very fresh. Soft notes of spices, bulky, good presence of ripe fruit, intense tannins and beautiful finish. A year that continues to surprise with beautiful wines like this.

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2011 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2012 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

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Grande Reserva Bafarela 2013 – Photo Provided by Brites Aguiar | All Rights Reserved

It ended with the Grande Reserva Bafarela 2013, the latest, with 14.5% alcohol. Very elegant, silky, ripe fruit, intense, hill plant fragrances. In the mouth it is very fruity, fresh, with the acidity well-linked with the tannins, good structure. A wine still young, evolving, and time in bottle is going to enhance it.

The tasting was then followed by a lunch in that so welcoming environment.

After one of the Chef’s appetizers we started by an excellent crab ravioli with celery and mushrooms, a very fresh dish that was very well accompanied by the brand new Bafarela Rosé 2015, full of freshness, dry, very good. Too bad there’s so few bottles of it!

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Ravioli – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Bísaro Pork – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The we had Bísaro pork cheeks with French pearl barley, creamy, well-connected, really good. The harmonization was made with Bafarela Colheita 2014, young but intense, giving good replica to the pork.

We then proceeded to the lamb of milk with Jerusalem artichoke and truffle jus, refined, aromatic, very tender and tasty meat, in the company of Bafarela Grande Reserva 2013, which we had already tasted and was up to the dish.

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Lamb – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Dessert – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

We had the dessert with this same wine – cheese and red fruits.

I really had a good time in Douro, with the Bafarela family…

Dona Berta wines, the lasting of a will

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Let’s take a jump to the Douro Superior, to Freixo do Numão where Dona Berta‘s wine cellar is based. For years this wine’s brand image was the charismatic producer who I remember with longing, Eng. Hernâni Verdelho. It was with him that I first met the Rabigato grape variety of which he was a great supporter. I got to know his wines full of character, both the reds and whites. The conversations used to last for hours, always in a good mood and with a charisma that he was able to convey to his wines in a way that few are. It was interesting to notice that the roughness and the sometimes more rustic touch that sometimes insisted on showing up at first, seemed to sag and bow at the feet of Engº Verdelho. Going back to the tastings and the contact with the new vintages, the wines miss their creator, but the lines that define them are present. His heirs continued the project, and ensured to make last the dream of a man, which nonetheless continues to be powered by the fantastic old vineyard from where are born the different references of the wine cellar. These are wines that need time in bottle, whose well-marked character changes depending on the vintage year. That’s the way of being that I seek and like in a wine. A wine that can transmit to us the way of being of a given year, a wine that is not the same year after year as if it were a product made in series. Those of which I speak now are wines with aging potential that were wisely educated and prepared for life by the winemaker and professor Virgílio Loureiro. Thus, do not be surprised that after ten years both the reds and whites show an enviable health.

This tasting had two moments. The first moment was with the wine Dona Berta Vinhas Velhas Reserva white 2015, a wine with 100% Rabigato full of freshness. The wine has no longer the intense and fruity aromas that somehow made us guess the grape variety immediately, now shows up more tense and mineral. Very good freshness with well-cohesive and present fruit, and with no exaggeration for that is a thing that was never part of the party here. Tense and nerve in the mouth, good dryness in the well-structured background’s body. It has everything to evolve favorably as time goes by. For now, asks for fish/shellfish dishes with good seasoning because the structure that it shows gives it that clashing ability. Grilled fish in coal will also make a nice matching.

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Dona Berta Vinhas Velhas Reserva white 2015 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Dona Berta Reserva red 2012 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

The second moment was with the Dona Berta Reserva red 2012, where once again the red takes its time to enter the market. Lots of character in a wine with power and full of energy, a lot of fruit (berries and forest fruits) but also a slight austerity in the flavor confirmed on the palate. All very compact and well-cohesive, so tight that only with time will we be able to better unveil the aromas. For now it is a red full of life and energy, able to make an outstanding company to a rump steak on charcoal with alioli sauce.

Esporão – Monte Velho red 2015 and Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2011

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The Alentejo and the Douro regions are two of the most renowned Portuguese wine regions. More than looking at the sales numbers, which can hide arguments about preferences, the live voice says a lot about the reasons of the choices.

Here, in these two regions, are produced wines easy to please, and that’s no motive for censorship … yes, as in almost everything, there are defenders that say that only the difficult, angular, complicated or eccentric things are good. So, for me, the easiness of liking is not synonymous of poor quality or pleasure incompatibility.

Companies exist to make profit, and naturally many firms produce in these two regions or at least market with their own brand wine that they purchase on one of them. The Esporão is one of the companies that advanced from the plains to the mountains.

The Esporão is a project of anticipation. Joaquim Bandeira realized the potential of the region, that at the time was very focused on cereal and cork production. José Roquette understood the vision and went with the idea.

Its foundation happened in 1972 and the venture would eventually be postponed due to the Reforma Agrária (Agrarian reform), Marxist-inspired, which took place after the 25 April 1974 revolution. After the revolutionary period and the entrance in the then European Economic Community (1986), came the calm period that allowed the economy to proceed smoothly.

The Herdade do Esporão in Reguengos de Monsaraz, was restored in 1979. The winery was only completed in 1985, the year in which the first wine was released, and whose label features a John Hogan painting.

Ever since that first wine that the firm illustrates each vintage with artistic works. The principle has been followed since the Quinta dos Murtas’ first edition, located in the Douro, where photography is the art chosen.

Art is not the Esporão’s sole eccentricity. The firm has adopted a sustainable agriculture policy, with recovery of watercourses, soils, flora and fauna – something that has also helped saving in pesticides.

Another madness was the new winery, built in the traditional mud system, which allows the building’s climate control without having to resort to demanding and costly refrigeration appliances.

Another oddity is the respect for the historical heritage, the preservation of a medieval tower, an arch and a Renaissance chapel, and the excavation of a vast archaeological area with remains of up to 3,000 years before Christ.

These crazy things – synonyms that I left unquoted for more creasing – are called respect and intelligence. Respect for nature and the ancestral wisdom and intelligence because they result in cost savings.

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Monte Velho red 2015 – Photo Provided by Esporão | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2011 – Photo Provided by Esporão | All Rights Reserved

Now that the company Esporão is presented, let’s advance to the two wines that justify this text. The Monte Velho red 2015 (Regional Alentejo) and Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2011 (Douro).

The Monte Velho red 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the brand and the label is illustrated with a pattern of Alentejo traditional blankets. This wine was made with Aragonês, Trincadeira, Touriga nacional and Syrah grapes.

It is a wine to be drunk casually. It’s not a big wine, a nectar for special occasions. It can be classified as a safe bet, because vintage after vintage remains in a regular level of quality.

The Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2011 is more demanding. It’s a blend of Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousão and some more that the producer does not mention specifically. Grapes from vines with over 40 years. The fruit was foot treaded in granite lagares and in a vertical press. It aged one year in barrels of French and American oak.

It’s a nectar that shows the Douro and wants food to eat slowly. It’s from the 2011 vintage, a year of excellence in the country and in the region. To be drank before the arrival of the tremendous nights of heat of summer. Or wait for cooler times.

Contacts
Herdade do Esporão
Apartado 31,
7200-999
Reguengos de Monsaraz, Évora – Alentejo
Tel: (+351) 266 509 280
Fax: 351 266 519 753
Email: reservas@esporao.com
Website: www.esporao.com

Quinta da Gândara

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

This white wine comes from the Sociedade Agrícola de Mortágua (Agricultural Society of Mortágua) and was produced at Quinta da Gândara, founded in 1756. From the granitic soils through the mountains of Caramulo and Bussaco are born the grapes that give place to the two wines now tasted, a white from the grape variety Encruzado and a Touriga Nacional red. Lacking more detailed and accurate information, I just want to register that these wines are part of Caves da Mantanha’s (Bairrada) “squad”. These are wines that fall under a profile that does not turn its back to the region, however, it is noticeable that everything is done in a more modern way and to the image of our days. It’s not that that’s bad sign, these are just signs that the region has known how to evolve and reposition itself in order to meet the demands of the market and new consumers.

A sign of this are the more modern wines. Wines that are more ready to drink and with more honed tannins where the aging and life in the bottle are often left aside. We are therefore faced with the immediate pleasure and we lose that keeping potential that gave so much fame to regions, such as the Dão. The question is whether this is the way forward or if it was just a shortcut that was chosen seeking early success. Both wines bear the designation Reserva. The aging was made in new French oak and lasted seven months for the white and ten months for the red.

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Quinta da Gândara Touriga Nacional Reserva 2011 & Quinta da Gândara Reserva Encruzado 2013 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

The Quinta da Gândara Reserva Encruzado 2013 has a rich aroma, is ample with a clear presence of wood entangled in ripe fruit, and has some dried fruit pointing to an precocious evolution. The rest of the set is fresh, medium-sized, with a mineral clipping background reminding flintlock, vanilla. A medium weight profile with good dose of freshness. On the palate combines ripe fruit with lemon pie notes, it’s ample and with final dryness.

The Quinta da Gândara Touriga Nacional Reserva 2011 is the opposite of the white. Its aromas immediately take us to the Dão. The set has a good freshness showing a fresh and mature Touriga Nacional, floral, orange peel with a slight tip of austerity and exuberance. All packaged in a sweet tooth tone with notes of cocoa, spices, forest fruits jam, wrapped in freshness with cohesive mouth, a lot of energy with austerity in the background, fleshy and full of flavor.

Quinta de Foz de Arouce and Buçaco – Two battles and two wines

Text João Barbosa | Translation Bruno Ferreira

I promised myself to write this chronic a long time ago. But, since nothing happened that would make it an emergency I was postponing it. Now has come the time that makes it urgent. The matter concerns two iconic wines from ‘unlikely’ and ‘impossible’ locations.

One was made with grapes from an absolutely magical place, which is located nowhere. Foz de Arouce does not have the right to use any designation of origin. Silly things of the Portuguese, who are able to accept the unification of locations in one region even though they look nothing alike and aren’t contiguous…

If it was in France, an inescapable reference in the recognition of quality and differentiation, Foz de Arouce would have the status of the Burgundy micro-regions. It would probably be a ‘monopoly’. But the Arouce River is located in Portugal, as is the Ceira, who receives it.

The other wine refers to a concrete place, but one that is not a wine location. The Bussaco (with two ‘s’) is beautiful and has one of Portugal’s most beautiful and historic hotels. However, the grapes that make their wines are from Bairrada and Dão. Now, this makes one plus one equals zero – having no right to use the designation of origin.

Though the wines are made with the grape varieties Baga from Bairrada and Touriga Nacional from the Dão, the Buçaco wines (with «Ç», so that it does not conflict with the bureaucratic dictates) are wines that can be said to mirror their territory because the vines have been the same throughout the years. It is as if they came from a single Quinta, divided by two specific regions. Authenticity and charisma abound.

Allowing myself to push the concept out of the established, I say Bussaco is a terroir of cellar and bottle. I will assume as true the geographical location of the hotel. And so, these are two vinous places that are in a plasma dimension – neither solid nor liquid.

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Bussaco in wikimedia.org

Looking at the map, Bussaco and Foz de Arouce are not far from each other, just 36 kilometers. The path is beautiful and the road demands attention. The computer says that the trip between the two places takes 50 minutes. However, it took me more than an hour when I visited the two places in 2011.

I mentioned that the Buçaco red wines are made with Baga and Touriga Nacional. That is because Foz de Arouce’s vine consists of those grape varieties. The winemaker and wine entrepreneur João Portugal Ramos is son in law of the Counts of Foz de Arouce and a few years ago he added the Touriga Nacional to the plantation that consisted only of Baga. The Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de Santa Maria remains the same, while the Quinta de Foz de Arouce is now a result of the two grape varieties’ merging.

I’ve already praised Foz de Arouce’s wines here. What I bring today is a special and commemorative edition. It’s a 2007 wine, produced to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Foz de Arouce in which stood out a family member of current Count.

The Battle of Foz de Arouce was not a moment of transcendent importance in the context of the Peninsular War (III French Invasion). Some even just designate it as Fight of Foz de Arouce. It happened on 15 March 1811 when the Napoleonic army was retreating, pressed by the Anglo-Portuguese forces. Leading the allies was Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and leading the invaders was Michel Ney.

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Arthur Wellesley by George Dawe

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Andrè Massèna by Edme-Adolphe Fontaine

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Monument to the III French Invasion in panoramio.com

Bussaco was also source to the name of a confrontation of the Peninsular War, with greater importance. It happened on September 27, 1810 and leading the Anglo-Portuguese side was Arthur Wellesley, and leading the French was the commander of the III French Invasion, Andrè Massèna.

The Allies came out victorious in both clashes. As for the wines, those who have the opportunity to have them do not hesitate. Face them and let yourself be conquered. They will win and the oenophiles will deserve them.

I notice I’m evoking a specific wine of a particular year and another wine of which I haven’t even mentioned the year. I’ll add “all” Foz de Arouce wines and “all” Buçaco wines to the list. And why? Because they are all wines that deserve to be known, and that keep (obviously I haven’t drunk all the vintages, but I’ve came across many) their physical identity characteristics and differentiation of years. They are nectars able to evolve over time and to live long. This generalization is conscious and voluntary.

I am averse to the list of descriptors, as for me, it just sums up the wine to a “thing”, because it becomes reductive. The “small wines” don’t surprise in the definitions and “great wines” surprass that characteristics’ counting.

The Quinta de Foz de Arouce – Batalha de Foz de Arouce 200 years (2007) has in it what its siblings Quinta de Foz de Arouce and Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de Santa Maria have. The wine is more than the grapes, it is “that place”. Fortunately it’s not the same, as otherwise it would not be worth having another name, there would only be difference in the label. I drank it and I would keep drinking it longer had not the bottle only 0,75 liters. It has many years ahead.

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Quinta de Foz de Arouce Batalha de Foz de Arouce 200 years

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Buçaco L2004 Reservado

The Buçaco L2004 Reservado has the greatness it’s expected to have. Great in all aspects, alive and elegant, with many years ahead. The bottle had the same problem as the above: only 0,75 liters.

By the way, I’ll explain the “L2004 Reservado” reference: because it is a table wine, supposedly the lowest category in the scale, this Buçaco could not carry its year indication. However, the description of the blend could be whichever one that the producer wanted. So, these nectars blends have the same numbering of the vintage year to which they correspond. Bureaucracy is not an exact science, it is often just stupid. Intelligence wins. Why can’t the table wine be “reserva”? But once again the bureaucrat was dribbled, the term ‘reservado’ is not covered by the objections.

And like this, a bit of Portugal’s history was told.

Arundel, around the lands of Pavia with Joaquim Arnaud

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

Joaquim Arnaud is a name that has been around since 1883 and that has been passed on from generation to generation as tradition. He’s a descendent from an Alentejo family, from Pavia, documented there since 1515. A family that has always been dedicated to mounted, olive groves, vineyards, cereal cultivation and livestock (pigs, cows, sheep and horses). Their properties are located in the municipalities of Mora and Arraiolos, in the Évora district. In 2010, in order to maximize these resources, Joaquim Arnaud decided to create his custom brand, to which he gave his own name. His business goal is based on bringing to the market selected products with short runs, in which he combines the artisanal with sophistication. This is how producer Joaquim Arnaud presents himself, the wines that he creates in his cellar speak for themselves. In this tasting I only focused myself on the wines coming from Alentejo, more properly Pavia.

His wines express a will and an ideal and are made to his liking. This led him to move away from the scrutiny of the Comissão Vitivinícola Regional Alentejana. In this way he doesn’t feel cramped or trialed, he freeform creates his wines coming from the terroir of Pavia. His range of wines has been being broadened and we can notice that over there there is no rush to launch novelties or new vintages, the wines are only made known when Joaquim Arnaud believes that the time is right. So, even during the tasting, we oscillate between the strength of youth and the exemplars with tannins already educated. Of the five presented wines I decided to separate them into three groups:

Arundel Young 2013 and Arundel Petit 2012 are the example of youth and the fruit’s strength, both with a dose of austerity providing a very good energy to the set. Both share the same blend comprising of Aragonez, Syrah, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet, varying only in the time spent aging in barrel, 6 months for the Young and 9 months for the Petit. Wine with a fleshy profile, dense, with the Alentejo marking its presence with a quality bouquet emanating notes of plum, blackberries, spices and jam. Good freshness and purity of aromas in a conquering and breathtaking set. Wines asking for food nearby, grilled meats are the perfect match at this time.

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The Wines – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

The wines resulting from the partnership with Trienal do Alentejo are more recent. The first release is the Arundel 36 2009, which results from a wine that was literally forgotten in the cellar and originated a the small amount of about 500 bottles, aged for 36 months in barrel. A serious and fresh set showing a mix of sweet fruit with red blueberry notes, strawberries and blackberries, a slightly floral fragrance with spice in the background. Great set harmony with a good mouth passage. A more open profile and less concentrated but creasing the entire palate with fruit flavors and spices. Ends broad, with a slight dryness in the gastronomic side that is the hallmark of this house.

The second edition goes by the name Arundel T & T 2012, a blend based on the grape varieties of the previous two wines that aged in barrel for 12 months. For the most curious T&T are the initials of the Trienal and Terranagro (production company of Joaquim Arnaud’s wines). Another example that combines finesse, freshness and fruit. In this case the fruit is less present giving place to a more floral and spiced side. The red and acid fruit, with tones of raspberries and blueberries appears in the background next to a light earthy/graphite. Mouth full of flavor, a slight dryness in the background, much cocoa, tobacco leaf and fruit.

Culminating with the Arundel Great 2008, 400 bottles of a wine that aged 12 months in barrel and another 24 months in bottle. A 100% blend of Alicante Bouschet. A sweeping red right from the first contact, such is the finesse and lasciviousness that it displays. Pure class, great harmony of an adult wine and ready to provide pleasure, very fragrant with juicy and fresh fruit on a huge quality bouquet where everything shows up well-defined. Not nipped by time at all, showing that it has managed to evolve for the better side. Like all of this producer’s wines shows a good Alentejo character, asks for table and shines brightly alongside some wrapped partridges.