Blend All About Wine

Posts Tagged : João Barbosa

Quinta da Pacheca Colheita White 2014
June 3, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I often get phone calls – this happens to everybody that writes about wine – and sometimes at quite inconvenient times, from people asking what wine they should buy for a dinner-party. I sigh and, for the sake of friendship, spill out a few.

This always happens when people are in a supermarket and in a hurry… time was wasted on meaningless stuff and wine ends up always being bought in a hurry, from the first fridge along the away.

I ask “When you buy a book, do you usually go to the supermarket? Or do you go to a book shop?”

Never mind. I mention some brands – makes it easier to understand – which often aren’t on the shelf. We switch roles and my friend tells me which are. Then, I will name an equivalent one… “Well, there’s this one, that one and the other. Safe bets. Now you decide, I’m in the middle of (something) and have to finish up.”

Usually, they go for Quinta da Pacheca. These wines are found in the modern distribution chain, they are good-quality and present affordable prices.

Quinta da Pacheca

Quinta da Pacheca – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

I have liked wine for quite a while now and am a diligent militant. Nowadays, it’s easier to find a good wine than it was 20 years ago. Back then, there were few brands, labels were bad, but not only the look was bad.

Still, there were already more than two handfuls of quality wine. Some have disappeared and others survived. Quinta da Pacheca has been bottling for ages and I have often bought from this company.

This producer popps up in my brain – on its good side – for many reasons: for having been introduced during my first long-lasting adult relationship, because my surname is Pacheco and because of the Riesling.

Much ahead of its time – apparently – Quinta da Pacheca was already producing single-variety wines, especially Riesling. This made for a happy buzz for those who didn’t have the pockets for foreign wines and wanted to, like a sponge (!), soak up the experience.

I defend Portuguese varieties, but I am never shocked if foreign varieties are farmed, as long as they aren’t certified as DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada – Controlled Source Denomination for Portuguese Food & Beverage). Riesling from Quinta da Pacheca often comes to mind.

So far, people have realised that foreign varieties haven’t generated any advantages. Douro wines take on the identity of autochthonous varieties. In this case: Cerceal, Malvasia Fina, Gouveio and Moscatel Galego.

Quinta da Pacheca Harvest white 2014

Quinta da Pacheca Colheita white 2014 in quintadapacheca.com

I can’t remember the Quinta da Pacheca range from the 90s. It’s quite wide these days. This Quinta da Pacheca Colheita white 2014 is easy and self-confident, well done.

It has the Douro accent and the breeze from Lamego. It’s refreshing, with a healthy 12.5% alcohol.

I think it has everything it takes to please many people, especially the price – they recommend charging five euros minus one cent. I am not everybody.

I understand why the “Galician Moscatel” variety (Moscatel Galego) was included in the plot of land. It makes the wine easier to drink and harder to resist (it’s not a flaw). Seeing as whites are usually drunk too cold, the sugar in this will bring out what could have been missing.

To me – someone who doesn’t have so much as half a litre to sell – Moscatel Galego should be excluded. It isn’t contributing to the Douro identity; I am not a fan of this variety. I have my personal taste; however, I write for the world to read and thus must step off the scales. This wine deserves to be bought and it will certainly be hard to let go.

For more on Quinta da Pacheca read José Silva‘s previous article here.

Contacts
Quinta da Pacheca
Cambres – 5100-424 Lamego
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 254 331 229
Fax: (+351) 254 318 380
E-mail: comercial@quintadapacheca.com | enologia@quintadapacheca.com
Website: www.quintadapacheca.com

The classic BSE, 2014 edition
May 27, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I have watched oenologists debate the difficulties in producing large amounts and small amounts. Debates may be repeated, and the dialogue will hardly change, because with wine – as with almost anything – scales bring out different results.

The bigger the universe, the lower the rate of excellence. That is why excellence is rare. There is plenty basalt around, yet diamonds are rare. This is one point; another very similar point is quality, generally.

You can take excellent grapes and make a terrible batter out of them. You can take mediocre grapes – as in average –, but you can never make a fine wine with them. Likewise, the health of the berry is equally important across grape categories.

Not all grapes are born to make great wines. Most of what is bottled doesn’t make it to top quality, which is not necessarily bad, or an indication of bad production.

Blend-All-About-Wine-BSE-2014-Arinto-Grape

Arinto in confira.info

Oenology, like architecture, is a technical discipline. Drawing a factory requires a different set of skills from those needed to draw a unique home, designed according to its inhabitants.

When planning to make a mass-produced wine, technicians must consider sourcing a large amount of good-quality grapes in order to make a product that will please most people. Dedication must be the same, however, the procedure – due to costs and cash flow – cannot be the same for large-scale production as for small-scale production.

With only a few kilograms of the most beautiful grapes, is it harder to make a great wine, than it is to make a wine for millions of bottles? Or is it easier? The points made in one debate follow:

– It is hard to make a great wine, because that requires a lot of care in identifying the best bunches, the more appropriate techniques, the casks that truly enhance it, the exact ageing time… you can only do it in specific years… you must know how to interpret nature as a whole…

– What’s hard is to make millions of litres with enough quality to be consumed continuously, good enough to make a profit, to draw the consumer’s attention and keep them coming back, and to make it regular in aroma and taste, year after year.

A byzantine discussion. For this producer, the disagreement must be sustained. José Maria da Fonseca produce both wines of mass consumption, successfully – and success is never an accident – as well as author editions and pieces that emerge only if nature allows.

Blend-All-About-Wine-BSE-2014

BSE 2014 © Blend All About Wine, Lda

Branco Seco Especial (BSE) is one of the best mass-produced Portuguese wines. Fortunately, Portugal has more and more of this kind of product, whether in quantity or in regular quality.

What does BSE taste like? It tastes like BSE. A friend invited me for tapas at his place. Friends from high school and some colleagues will be there, as will some loud music, and children running about…

– Sancha don’t pull your sister’s hair.

– Rúben, share your playstation.

The lupin-seed-addicts will be there, as will those who love minis (20cl bottles of beer) and don’t like wine. There will be seafood, roast chicken, ham, some smoked sausages, two or three types of cheese, good bread…

It’s a party! A party is a party! And since I don’t feel like waking up the next morning to a grand piano on my head or hearing whispers as if through a loudspeaker, or feeling the taste of cardboard in my mouth, the wine at the party has to be good.

BSE is a safe bet. Just as safe as going to a Chinese restaurant or to a cosy little restaurant where my pockets feel safe – when laziness hits you, or when there’s no food in the fridge. Swiss precision.

Contacts
Quinta da Bassaqueira – Estrada Nacional 10,
2925-542 Vila Nogueira de Azeitão, Setúbal, Portugal
Tel: (+3519 212 197 500
E-mail: info@jmf.pt
Website: www.jmf.pt

Grandes Quintas Colheita Red 2012
May 20, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I know Casa d’Arrochela since 2010, when I was sent samples of Grandes Quintas Colheita Red 2007 and Grandes Quintas Reserva Red 2007. Every year, the company sends me their wines – and olive oil – for tasting and I like what I taste.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Grandes-Quintas-Quinta-Colheita-Red-2007

Grandes Quintas Colheita Red 2007 in Arrochela.com

Blend-All-About-Wine-Grandes-Quintas-Quinta-Reserva-Red-2007

Grandes Quintas Reserva Red 2007 in Arrochela.com

A regular product is a precious good. It’s important not to confuse regularity with patterns. Regularity conveys a familiar trait, composed of different outcomes of every year, and the ground’s persistence. Patterns create anonymity. A product may be good, but it will only be more of the same – not so much wine and more like ordinary produce.

These wines are Douro wines and not to be confused with any other location. Inside the bottles lies the schist floor and earth that was ploughed to make it, the wild grass about to dry out in the harvest season, rock-rose stands out, as does the warmth in the Oak firewood, and it has a nocturnal manner of getting to your senses. In the mouth, it’s deep, dark, dense and persistent.

Nocturnal? Well, yes, because this kind of wine – the traditional Douro – must not be drunk in the daytime. These wines are the blood of vampires, for relaxed conversations, or after a hard day’s work, for a quiet dinner and endless conversations, while soft music – not sad or tasteless – also takes part in the moment.

The wines this company produces have the Douro personality, strength and character. They go along with physically demanding meals, but may outlive them, lingering on the table and releasing a fortified or distilled wine.

The technical chart does not specify how much of each variety is in the wine: touriga nacional, tinto cão, touriga franca and tinta roriz. Because it’s a Douro variety, touriga franca shines, while allowing the others to speak up.

Touriga franca (frank touriga) – which cannot be “frank” because it’s a hybrid – has that noble character that allows the voice of other grapes to be heard. Maybe all – a dangerous word – the big varieties in the world will impose themselves, boastful like peacocks, or soaking up all the light. This Douro variety remains in the background, but not as decoration. It is generous and very rarely obtains the quality it can get in the Douro region… flying solo successfully is a tougher task.

The Grandes Quintas wines have an adorable touriga franca – with real character. Nature is not all it takes to get this result. Interpreting what is growing and making use of the best of it is a technical job. In this case, it’s up to Luís Soares Duarte, one of the best oenologists in the region.

The grapes came from Quinta do Cerval (70%) and Quinta de Vale de Canivens (30%), both in the Douro Superior sub-region. They have schist grounds and the vines are between 200 and 500 metres high.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Grandes-Quintas-Quinta-do-Cerval

Quinta do Cerval in Arrochela.com

The wine briefly aged in wood, with 60% of the wine ageing for four months in French oak casks. I feel as though it should have aged in that environment for a little longer – it had nothing but to gain.

The producer recommends decanting for five minutes before serving. Perhaps more, I suggest. Being as free as a vulture in Parque do Douro Internacional (International Douro Park), touriga franca has this character that craves freedom.

Contacts
Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco
Amoreiras, Torre 2, 9º Andar, Sala 8
1070 – 102 Lisboa
Tel: (+351) 213 713 240
Fax: (+351) 213 713 246
E-Mail: arrochella@fimove.pt
Website: arrochella.com

Vintage Taylor's is leading the stock market
May 6, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

My father was an artist, a painter. To him, investors were a hybrid of people with Diogenes Syndrome and speculators. However, this didn’t apply to all.

To visit a museum with my father was as fascinating as it was boring. With captivating words, he pointed out what many didn’t even notice. Then, he would gaze at a piece to soak up as much information out of it as possible, and turned…

– Father, will you take long? Can we move on to the next room now?

My father has pieces in many museums, private galleries and with a collection of investors. What annoyed him wasn’t the money, but the dark vaults and post mortem speculation.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Picasso

Pablo Picasso in web.guggenheim.org

My friend (father) Manuel Jorge told us about Pablo Picasso children destroying a lot of his work after the Andalusian died, so that the value went up. He was shocked by the cynicism, opportunism, disrespect for the artist and, mostly, for the man.

He divided the investors into two groups: those who publicly displayed their work and those who kept it in vaults. He was hurt mostly by the latter – hurt is the right word.

He convinced me… partly. There is a bit of roguery in buying and capturing unique products whose value or interest aren’t respected, and the added value is what matters. Those are the signature buyers.

The biggest investors are experts and/or people who consult specialists. Yet, there are frauds. Not counterfeit – that crime is easy to spot – but fakes, original work that convinces the eye of excited specialists.

The same happens with wine as it does with art. I have no reservations regarding the business – just like my father – I think I was clear. The business exists – full stop.

I have a friend who surfs the wine business. He doesn’t cheat at all, only does what any businessman wants to do: buy early to get the best price and sell when there is added value.

He isn’t the only one; it’s a simple process and you “only” need initial capital. He buys Bordeaux, Bourgogne en primeur (while still in the barrel) and gets rid of them when the rate is profitable. He saves one or two bottles for himself and keeps the rest of the earnings to buy future harvests.

This buddy of mine is a “good” investor; he enjoys what he buys and makes a profit out of it. The “evil” in other investors is in the eye of the beholder.

Whether they are “good” or “bad”, they look for good deals. It’s good to know that some Portuguese wines are considered safe investments.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Top-20-Performers-Rest-of-the-World

Top 20 Performers in the Rest of the World Index in www.blog.liv-ex.com

The Live-ex Fine Wine 1000 index, in The Drinks Business magazine, has been low, but Taylor’s pushed the sub-index Rest of the World 50 up by 3.2%. The Bordeaux gained 1.1% in value.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Vintage-Port-1994

Taylor’s Vintage Port 1994 in www.taylor.pt

The most expensive wine in Rest of the World 50 is a Taylor’s, just like the third, fourth, seventh and thirteenth. Unfortunately, there are no other Portuguese wines within the top 20. The Vintage Port of 1994 by Taylor’s has been leading, having risen by 41.4% between July and February. Number 13 on the list, a Taylor’s 2007, went up in value by 10.3%.

Contacts
PO Box 1311
EC Santa Marinha
4401-501 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 223 742 800
Fax: (+351) 223 742 899
Website: www.taylor.pt

Vintage Taylor’s is leading the stock market
May 6, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

My father was an artist, a painter. To him, investors were a hybrid of people with Diogenes Syndrome and speculators. However, this didn’t apply to all.

To visit a museum with my father was as fascinating as it was boring. With captivating words, he pointed out what many didn’t even notice. Then, he would gaze at a piece to soak up as much information out of it as possible, and turned…

– Father, will you take long? Can we move on to the next room now?

My father has pieces in many museums, private galleries and with a collection of investors. What annoyed him wasn’t the money, but the dark vaults and post mortem speculation.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Picasso

Pablo Picasso in web.guggenheim.org

My friend (father) Manuel Jorge told us about Pablo Picasso children destroying a lot of his work after the Andalusian died, so that the value went up. He was shocked by the cynicism, opportunism, disrespect for the artist and, mostly, for the man.

He divided the investors into two groups: those who publicly displayed their work and those who kept it in vaults. He was hurt mostly by the latter – hurt is the right word.

He convinced me… partly. There is a bit of roguery in buying and capturing unique products whose value or interest aren’t respected, and the added value is what matters. Those are the signature buyers.

The biggest investors are experts and/or people who consult specialists. Yet, there are frauds. Not counterfeit – that crime is easy to spot – but fakes, original work that convinces the eye of excited specialists.

The same happens with wine as it does with art. I have no reservations regarding the business – just like my father – I think I was clear. The business exists – full stop.

I have a friend who surfs the wine business. He doesn’t cheat at all, only does what any businessman wants to do: buy early to get the best price and sell when there is added value.

He isn’t the only one; it’s a simple process and you “only” need initial capital. He buys Bordeaux, Bourgogne en primeur (while still in the barrel) and gets rid of them when the rate is profitable. He saves one or two bottles for himself and keeps the rest of the earnings to buy future harvests.

This buddy of mine is a “good” investor; he enjoys what he buys and makes a profit out of it. The “evil” in other investors is in the eye of the beholder.

Whether they are “good” or “bad”, they look for good deals. It’s good to know that some Portuguese wines are considered safe investments.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Top-20-Performers-Rest-of-the-World

Top 20 Performers in the Rest of the World Index in www.blog.liv-ex.com

The Live-ex Fine Wine 1000 index, in The Drinks Business magazine, has been low, but Taylor’s pushed the sub-index Rest of the World 50 up by 3.2%. The Bordeaux gained 1.1% in value.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Taylors-Vintage-Port-1994

Taylor’s Vintage Port 1994 in www.taylor.pt

The most expensive wine in Rest of the World 50 is a Taylor’s, just like the third, fourth, seventh and thirteenth. Unfortunately, there are no other Portuguese wines within the top 20. The Vintage Port of 1994 by Taylor’s has been leading, having risen by 41.4% between July and February. Number 13 on the list, a Taylor’s 2007, went up in value by 10.3%.

Contacts
PO Box 1311
EC Santa Marinha
4401-501 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 223 742 800
Fax: (+351) 223 742 899
Website: www.taylor.pt

Vinha d'Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia 2013
May 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Hate is an ugly thing. Besides making your nose wrinkle, putting your toenails in a twist and making your liver go bad, hate does no good. For instance, cases of fanatical and terrorist intolerance – an easy and current example, lately very popular in the news.

Somebody said ‘there is no use to a man without enemies’. I disagree and even reverse this: there is no use to a man without friends. However, nobody is all bad or all good. I will write about people and stories of what their tastes get them into. A debate, when civilised, can be delightful, especially when it is more than just a chat, confrontational rhetoric and absence of thought. Some cases are inexplicable – also interesting to talk about.

Something keeps badgering me! A quixotic war against Antão Vaz grape species. To be honest, if so many farmers grow it, it must have many fans. Maybe I am the one who’s “wrong”.  A friend of mine goes into an epileptic seizure – metaphorically – if he even smells cabernet sauvignon. For me, it’s that other grape named after a person.

I can be extravagant at times, which is why I sometimes have romantic tiffs. In another life, they would put me in sabre duels with antão vaz. Pretending is fun, as do teenage girls with nervous smiles when they lock eyes with the cutest boy in school… me at the time!

As a knight defending his damsel in distress – i.e. the pleasures of scent and taste – I am imperative:

– I hate antão vaz grapes! Its vines should be pulled down and the vineyards cleaned out. And anyone caught with a stem of the “thing” should suffer physical punishment in re-education camps.

I don’t hate! I know – since last year – some words are very dangerous: never, always, everything, nothing, all, none…

During a recent visit to Adega da Ervideira, near Monsaraz, a medieval village, I had to swallow a series of insults I had previously used for antão vaz. Literally swallowed.

This species may well be the most appreciated in the whole of Alentejo. Almost always (for me) heavy, excessive, sickening, tiring and rustic. Faults, which most wine lovers admit to exist in some wines. However, natives of Alentejo “discovered” arinto and the end result is higher than a simple arithmetic sum.

What I do wish to mention is one antão vaz single-species in God’s cellar… A devil of a wine. This is my second favourite Antão Vaz. The other one is also a single-species (Solista 2010, Mayor cellar, by oenologist Paulo Laureano).

Blend-All-About-Wine-Vinha-Dervideira-colheita-tardia-2013

Vinha d’Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia 2013 in wonderfulland.com/ervideira/

Vinha d’Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia (Late Harvest) 2013 has impressive freshness and character, it is sweet but not over-the-top; it is mighty. It fills your mouth, where it releases scents and goes far and deep for a long time.

I have only mentioned it because of my quarrel with antão vaz and because I was surprised to hear it is a late harvest, and free of botrytis. However, one collection has other choices, all within the usual quality and natural charm. Nélson Rolo is the oeonologist in charge of Ervideira wines.

By the way… Herdadinha is worth a visit. This piece of land accommodates Ervideira Cellar. Why not join in on wine tourism? The land goes as far as Monsaraz and has a view of the Alqueva lake… Gorgeous! Although I do miss the time when the sea wasn’t there… I sigh conformed.

Contacts
Adega Ervideira
Herdadinha – Vendinha
Reguengos de Monsaraz
PORTUGAL
el: (+351) 266 950 010
Fax: (+351) 266 950 011
E-mail: ervideira@ervideira.pt
Website: www.wonderfulland.com/ervideira

Vinha d’Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia 2013
May 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Hate is an ugly thing. Besides making your nose wrinkle, putting your toenails in a twist and making your liver go bad, hate does no good. For instance, cases of fanatical and terrorist intolerance – an easy and current example, lately very popular in the news.

Somebody said ‘there is no use to a man without enemies’. I disagree and even reverse this: there is no use to a man without friends. However, nobody is all bad or all good. I will write about people and stories of what their tastes get them into. A debate, when civilised, can be delightful, especially when it is more than just a chat, confrontational rhetoric and absence of thought. Some cases are inexplicable – also interesting to talk about.

Something keeps badgering me! A quixotic war against Antão Vaz grape species. To be honest, if so many farmers grow it, it must have many fans. Maybe I am the one who’s “wrong”.  A friend of mine goes into an epileptic seizure – metaphorically – if he even smells cabernet sauvignon. For me, it’s that other grape named after a person.

I can be extravagant at times, which is why I sometimes have romantic tiffs. In another life, they would put me in sabre duels with antão vaz. Pretending is fun, as do teenage girls with nervous smiles when they lock eyes with the cutest boy in school… me at the time!

As a knight defending his damsel in distress – i.e. the pleasures of scent and taste – I am imperative:

– I hate antão vaz grapes! Its vines should be pulled down and the vineyards cleaned out. And anyone caught with a stem of the “thing” should suffer physical punishment in re-education camps.

I don’t hate! I know – since last year – some words are very dangerous: never, always, everything, nothing, all, none…

During a recent visit to Adega da Ervideira, near Monsaraz, a medieval village, I had to swallow a series of insults I had previously used for antão vaz. Literally swallowed.

This species may well be the most appreciated in the whole of Alentejo. Almost always (for me) heavy, excessive, sickening, tiring and rustic. Faults, which most wine lovers admit to exist in some wines. However, natives of Alentejo “discovered” arinto and the end result is higher than a simple arithmetic sum.

What I do wish to mention is one antão vaz single-species in God’s cellar… A devil of a wine. This is my second favourite Antão Vaz. The other one is also a single-species (Solista 2010, Mayor cellar, by oenologist Paulo Laureano).

Blend-All-About-Wine-Vinha-Dervideira-colheita-tardia-2013

Vinha d’Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia 2013 in wonderfulland.com/ervideira/

Vinha d’Ervideira Antão Vaz Vindima Tardia (Late Harvest) 2013 has impressive freshness and character, it is sweet but not over-the-top; it is mighty. It fills your mouth, where it releases scents and goes far and deep for a long time.

I have only mentioned it because of my quarrel with antão vaz and because I was surprised to hear it is a late harvest, and free of botrytis. However, one collection has other choices, all within the usual quality and natural charm. Nélson Rolo is the oeonologist in charge of Ervideira wines.

By the way… Herdadinha is worth a visit. This piece of land accommodates Ervideira Cellar. Why not join in on wine tourism? The land goes as far as Monsaraz and has a view of the Alqueva lake… Gorgeous! Although I do miss the time when the sea wasn’t there… I sigh conformed.

Contacts
Adega Ervideira
Herdadinha – Vendinha
Reguengos de Monsaraz
PORTUGAL
el: (+351) 266 950 010
Fax: (+351) 266 950 011
E-mail: ervideira@ervideira.pt
Website: www.wonderfulland.com/ervideira

Porto Fonseca Bicentenary
April 29, 2015 2 comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Wines can be classified as good or bad, those with stories and those without, those which have history and those which don’t. Only good wines reach this last level. Longevity allows for historical stories. Frequency establishes a good reputation and high status. Fonseca ports are made of “kindness”, stories, history, reliability and reputation.

Centenaries are a good reason for a toast. The Fonseca company, now part of The Fladgate Partnership group, is celebrating its bicentenary. Coincidentally, another significantly more important date is also celebrated this year.

In the 16th century, a man named Michel de Nostredame became famous for his prophecies, apparently accurate. He divined – believe it or not – the emergence of three antichrists: the first Napoleon Bonaparte and the second Adolf Hitler, whose name is similar to “Hister”, the prophet’s original vision.

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Fonseca’s Port Wines in the-yeatman-hotel.com

I took the liberty of rewriting this “truth” on antichrists: Josef Stalin, Fuminaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot and many dictators of lower impact. Napoleon could only be deemed a demon in his era. He held the motto of the French Revolution and spread it – at random – throughout Europe.

Before the “real” Napoleonic war, the War of The Oranges took place, when Spain took over Olivença, in 1801. In 1806, Portugal refused the order to take part in the naval blockade of the British Isles. Hence, it was invaded by Spain and France, and King Dom João VI, his family, the court and the staff escaped to Brazil.

There were three French invasions: one in 1807, then 1809 and 1810.  In what we call The Peninsular War, those invasions were lead by Jean-Andoche Junot, Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult and André Massena. In 1811, Anglo-Lusan (Portuguese) troops kicked out the French and Spanish invaders.

Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the British troops, commanded by Arthur Wellesley and allies, on the 18th June 1815 in the Battle of Waterloo. Once the conflict was over, the soldiers returned: Lusitanian Loyal Legion patriots and the traitors of the Lusitanian Legion, who fought for France. Many of the traitors were spared and some even had streets named after them. I don’t understand my country.

The Chinese write recession with two combined characters: danger and opportunity. Business is naturally risky, and in war times, even riskier. The Peninsular War ended on the 10th April 1814, with the Battle of Toulouse. The news didn’t travel fast; it was virtually impossible to keep up-to-date with the army’s moves. Even though a year had gone, starting a business in that context was very risky, especially since the client was in Great Britain and there were still fiend ships at sea.

In 1815, supported by the Monteiro family, João dos Santos Fonseca bought 32 casks of Port Wine. Later, in 1860, the Guimarães family arrived – the anglicised name is Guimaraens – and, later on, the Yeatmans, in the second half of the 20th century.

It still is a family business. Two hundred years later, what can one say? Everything is written in the first two paragraphs.

Contacts
Quinta do Panascal
5120-496 Valença do Douro
Tel: (+351) 254 732 321
E-mail:marketing@fonseca.pt
Website: www.fonseca.pt

Vasques de Carvalho Wines
April 23, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Cosmic scale aside, ‘a century ago’ is a long way away. Back then, the world was black and white… at least it’s what photographs show. Nonsense aside, reaching that milestone is worth celebrating.

Although not absolutely extraordinary, the truth is few humans get to say they got as far or beyond the one-century-old hurdle. Just a few days ago, Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira died at the age of 105. Those who met him say he was very youthful – just like these wines.

The same goes for companies, or for the time a family has lived in a specific location. The moment such a contract is signed is when the story begins. This is a young company, founded in the year 2000, but its roots go back hundreds of years. The Vasques de Carvalho family settled in Vale do Rodo in the mid nineteenth century. They now own twelve acres of old vines, traditionally planted in tiers. Like most Douro farmers, Vasques de Carvalho sold their wine to companies in Gaia. However…

However, not one single year did José Vasques de Carvalho, great grandfather of the current manager, let go of a harvest. He kept everything until 1880. It’s a gem – confirming the vision of this eighteenth-century farmer.

Back to the main point; what can we taste now? Besides Port Wine, Vasques de Carvalho are presenting a wine collection, whose origin is identified as the Douro region. That designation is common to all the wines, as is a very elegant and scented profile. Because the white grapes are bought outside Portugal, I believe the design is oenologist Jaime Costa’s craft, of renowned competence. All the wines are refreshing and elegant.

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Oxum white 2013 in vasquesdecarvalho.com

The 2013 White Oxum encompasses viosinho, gouveio and rabigato grape species – a good conversation starter for passionate oenophiles, who often debate nose and mouth. Jaime Costa, once an army general, uses words like “very mineral, with fruity notes of peach and ripe citrus.” I beg to differ and, in agreement with my tasting partner, would say: delicate without being fragile, with a bouquet of soft jasmine, orange tree blossom and a pinch of lemon. The mouth, unfortunately, is missing something scent-wise. Each chooses one, between these two and other options. All in all… a beautiful wine.

Now, the white is where I mostly disagree with the oenologist, who was persistent on the Douro. To be honest, I find that writing descriptors is dull and I doubt that anybody would buy 0.75 litres of fruits of the forest…

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Oxum red 2012 in vasquesdecarvalho.com

Oxum Red 2012 keeps your appetite keen. Elegant and enjoyable, I feel some Douro in it as well as exceptional elegance. Above it is X Bardos Red 2012 – robust as a knight and pleasant, with remarkable depth in the mouth.

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X Bardos Red 2012 in vasquesdecarvalho.com

The Tawnies we tasted are not alike. Oh, the elegant aromas present in these wines. I did expect the 10-year-old Tawny to stand out more. I believe it could be improved.

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Vasques de Carvalho 10 years Tawny in vasquesdecarvalho.com

Ten years aren’t the same as 40, the comparison being an intellectual exercise. Vasques de Carvalho 40 years is a brilliant wine. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

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Vasques de Carvalho 40 years Tawny in vasquesdecarvalho.com

I wish them success, because producers at this level are always welcome. Right, I almost forgot: the company will be selling 750 bottles of the 1880 wine. A few thousand litres of this treasure will remain untouched in the vats. An “all-inclusive” wine, better to taste it for yourself.

Contacts
Vasques Carvalho
Av. Dr. Antão de Carvalho n. 43
5050-224 Peso da Régua
Douro, PORTUGAL
Mobile: (+351) 915 815 830
Tel: (+351) 254 324  263
Fax: (+351) 254 324 263
E-mail: vasquescarvalho43@gmail.com
Website: vasquesdecarvalho.com

I bet on Península de Setubal
April 15, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

Península de Setúbal is a peculiar region, in a way. On the one side, it belongs to Lisbon’s Metropolitan area, yet still considered part of Alentejo. The map outlines it as one of the districts, but adding different realities to the mix makes an even greater mess and the political drawing becomes abstruse.

I don’t understand why a vineyard in Grandola could be similar to one in Palmela. Right, the Atlantic Coast; of course… In that case, why is Odemira part of Alentejo? Never mind the fact that the Alentejo boroughs in the Setúbal district aren’t, in fact, in a peninsula.

Bureaucracy and nonsense aside, what matters is the wine from a region which I find very interesting, from an oenophilic point of view.

I will start – and end – with the quality of the wine. Finding a bad wine in the Setúbal Peninsula is not an easy task. There are trustworthy producers in “both regions”. However, few are big enough to expose their products properly. According to the Regional Vine-Growing Commission (CVR) there’s a “Top 9”, which proves my point: the tenth is in another reality. Few companies have the minimum necessary dimension to be talked about.

In alphabetical order – to be polite – there is Adega de Palmela, Adega de Pegões, Bacalhôa, Ermelinda Freitas, Horácio Simões, José Maria da Fonseca, SIVIPA, Venâncio da Costa Lima e Xavier Santana. Together, they make up 98% of the wine. There is still another recently popular one Herdade de Rio Frio.

Although decreasing, the dimension of cultivated land is a measure for a wine’s success: 23350 acres (in 2000) became 23227 (in 2013). It’s the 6th biggest producer, the 4th biggest exporter and, as per the CVR, sales increase has been “excellent”.

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Península de Setúbal in www.vinhosdapeninsuladesetubal.pt

In the year 2000, 12,622 hectolitres of Moscatel de Setúbal were produced, while in 2013 production came to 14,298. The nectars certified by Palmela have increased from 19,286 (in 2000) to 24,622 (in 2013). The Regional Península de Setúbal jumped from 110,818 (in 2000) to 245,558 (in 2013).

Producers, from 2000 to 2013, grew from 92 to 128. There were nine for Moscatel de Setúbal and now there are 12. Purple Moscatel had four and now six.

When it comes to success, I think we have made that clear. If the “9” are responsible for 98%, this means they are the drivers for the smaller producers who focus on niche-markets. I like Herdade do Portocarro best of all for their amazing wines Cavalo Maluco (Crazy Horse) and Anima (Latin for ‘soul’) – in West Alentejo.

A few years ago, I visited a producer in the region because of a programme for RTP television channel and, when pointing to a vine of red grapes, I asked the image specialist:

  • Do you know what species this is?

He replied that he didn’t.

  • It’s castelão.

I might have had a 95% chance of getting it right… the farmer intervened:

  • Actually, it’s syrah.

For more than a century, the wines in the region “usually meant” castelão. Others appeared, but this variety persevered; 70% consists of red species.

What, then, makes this 2-in-1 region special? A mix of freshness and heat from Alentejo sand and air. The freshness comes from the Setúbal Peninsula, from locations that may be higher and may contain more clay (Serra da Arrábida) and from winds that run through the Tejo and Sado estuaries. In West Alentejo, river Sado is near, pools of the deep-water rice plantations live about, the sea is close and the neighbouring pine forests give it some subtlety.

In my view, I would add palate, a subjective factor. These two regions are worth exploring. They have yet another advantage: prices are usually kind to the pocket. Besides, there are GREAT wines in the Setúbal Peninsula and in West Alentejo.