Blend All About Wine

Posts Tagged : João Carvalho

Quinta do Cardo refreshing reds
November 9, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

This is for my most distracted readers even though I have previously written about two of the latest products by Quinta do Cardo (part of Companhia das Quintas), a white and a sparkling wine. Please note that this producer is in Beira Interior, in the vicinity of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo village, in Guarda district, northern inland Portugal. Vines are up high, covering a total of 444 acres, of which 170 are vines grown 750 meters high. Very recently, as oenology changed, so did the philosophy related to wine growing; nowadays, wines are presented as the fruit of biologic/organic agriculture.

Dust-free and full of freshness; even the new wardrobe seems to produce the desired effect, which is wines becoming more appealing to the point that you need to pick up the bottle to take a better look at the label; the next step is taking them home. They have mostly evolved on a presentation level, and this transformation was remarkable; a certain je ne sais quoi seems to live in the labels, which remind me of labels designed by Italian producer Vietti. And by that I mean that very good taste lies behind that decision. In fact, there was an upgrade in the look from the Colheita to the Reserva, which still features the thistle bloom.

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Quinta do Cardo red 2014 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta do Cardo Touriga Nacional Reserva 2012 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

As for the wines, I will now write about those two reds, which were presented as new products on the market. Quinta do Cardo red 2014, made from Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, has aged for 9 months in French oak casks. The wine surprised me with its new dust-free and refreshing form; the fruit was very loose and well-outlined, tasty; a light floral in a cohesive and well-structured blend. The time it spent in casks complements the aroma and slightly rounds it off on the palate without losing the youthful vigour; a wine that was made for lovely moments round the dinner table, and that proved ideal, even in terms of price, for daily consumption at a point where quality is high above average.

Taking a very clear step ahead in quality, Quinta do Cardo Touriga Nacional Reserva 2012 emerges after a 20-month ageing period in French oak casks. Because it is still very young, everything in it is still very new, even though it is already three years old; well focused on the grape variety and on its main descriptors. Great freshness and vigour in the blend, mineral austerity on a slightly earthy background, a lot of fruit mixed into a wine that currently seems like a tight and cohesive ball of yarn, needing more time to unwrap in the bottle. If it’s opened now, it should accompany heavily seasoned dishes, such as a wild boar feijoada [pork and bean stew] or hare with haricot beans.

Porto Blackett 30 Years, marked by the power of time
November 2, 2015 4 comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

I am once again tirelessly looking for novelty; I see this as a good excuse to carry on doing something I love: wine tasting. On a very recent occasion, amidst busy tables with bottles, somebody asked me if I knew the Blackett brand and its Port wines. I smirked and said I hadn’t heard of it; that smirk snapped into a big smile when a bottle of Porto Blackett 30 Years landed right in front of me. These moments make us feel like a child who just got a new toy – in this case, a proper Tawny.

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Porto Blackett 30 years – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Before I get more into the wine itself, I should say something about the person behind the wine, George Blackett, who was born in Leeds and settled in the city of Oporto in the 19th century as a Port wine tradesman. His positioning within the sector allowed for a remarkable progression, having made it to the top five biggest tradesmen of that century. His children later expanded on his trade, in the beginning of the 20th century, by linking up with maritime transport, which lead to the Blacket and Magalhães Company. Through time, this company that traded in Port Wine changed its name a few times: from Blackett e Companhia [and company], it was later renamed Blacket Sucessores [successors] until it was merged into a great company after World War II, more specifically in 1949. This name that had been lost in history was rescued by Alchemy Wines, Port Wines & Vineyards Ltd. and, in this case, it reveals a wine that was marked by the power of time, able to survive and to outgrow several generations, just as the purpose of this new company. This 30 year-old Blackett comes from vineyards whose age varies between 40 and 60 years-old; they are in Douro Superior sub-region and result from blending higher-quality wines aged in casks that are on average 30 years-old.

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Cellar – Photo Provided by Alchemy Wines | All Rights Reserved

I shall never question the majesty of Porto Vintage, but what I am most charmed by, and that which wins me over the most is a glass of Tawny Port; the older the better. In my view, the soul and essence of Port Wine resides in the Tawny style. The plot is an art mastered by the person who plays the master blender, who is such a genius that he is on first name terms with every old cask siting in the vast cellars. That figure will almost always go unnoticed in the eyes of the consumer, knowing, however, that they can choose between hundreds of the casks he considers to be the best as if he were assembling a jigsaw puzzle; he can create true works of art. In this case, a Tawny 30 Years of beautiful complexity; very refreshing, with amazing clean aromas, tobacco, walnut, crystallised apricot, milk caramel, a hint of hairspray, a silky feeling in an ample, deep blend with a greedy end on the mouth. The way the youth and vigour of the younger wines are combined is all very precise given the complexity and education of the older wines that compose the blend. This type of wine is the perfect reward as it keeps you company at the end of a long day’s work.

Contacts
Alchemy Wines
Port Wine & Vineyards
Avenida da Boavista, nº2121 – 4º Sala 405
4100-130 Porto
Portugal
Website: www.alchemywines.pt

Quinta da Leda Vintage 1990, the first Quinta da Leda
October 19, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

In 1979, the old Casa Ferreirinha, or a. A. Ferreira, in continuing the Ferreira family tradition, bought an uncultivated piece of land in Almendra parish called Quinta da Leda. About 60 acres of vines were planted for the testing of the quality of wines produced in Douro Superior sub-region. The plantation consisted of 34% Tinta Roriz, 33% Touriga Franca, 23% Tinta Barroca, 8% Touriga Nacional and 2% Tinto Cão. After ten years, the first wines they produced emerged as well as the first Vintage from Douro Superior by Casa Ferreirinha, Quinta da Leda Vintage 1990, which they only reedited in 1999. Nowadays, Quinta da Leda owns about 185 acres of land, providing the best of the company’s grapes, whose destiny is to be turned into wines such as Barca Velha and Quinta da Leda, whose first red is a varietal of Touriga Nacional in 1995.

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Quinta da Leda Panoramic View – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Leda Port Vintage 1990 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

I confess, again and again, that I am not a big fan of Porto Vintage – even I sometimes don’t understand my own rejection of it, or my inability to get excited about the Ruby type. I have a confessed preference for Tawny; wines to whom oxidation is the word of order have always tasted good to me. Besides, wines must know how to reason in order to know how to nobly resist time. Therefore, it is very possible that I cannot remember many Vintage wines that marked me categorically. However, I recently had the opportunity to drink this Quinta da Leda, a 25 year-old vintage that, in my opinion, is at that perfect drinking point, not too much, not too little. On my first sip, upon making first contact, I noticed I was wondering how this wine would have been when it was younger. It most certainly wasn’t a wonder of force with coarse tannins begging for the cellar and, on the contrary, it might have always been a young wine with a pinch of the necessary austerity for development, although, from the beginning, it revealed elegance and balance between the very ripe and juicy fruit and the freshness. This formula can be applied to Quinta da Leda wines that have been released into the market.

While I sip on what’s left of the bottle in an act of pure gluttony, I also enjoy a chocolate mousse with olive oil and red pepper. This amazing combination catapulted the wine to another sensory level; with enough acidity to cleanse the palate, the very fresh red fruit blends with the 70% cocoa chocolate in perfect harmony. With a lot of quality, it proves complex and rich in details, with fruits of the forest appearing macerated, tobacco, spices, dark chocolate, a slight earthy flavour on the bottom. On the mouth, all of the above is replicated, enormous freshness from the start, which escorts the whole trip through the palate with spiced notes and a dry finish. It will certainly last another few years in the bottle, but to me, it was a very enjoyable Vintage.

Contacts
Sogrape Vinhos, S.A.
Rua 5 de Outubro, 4527
4430-852 Avintes
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 227-838 104
Fax: (+351) 227-835 769
E-Mail: info@sograpevinhos.com
Website: www.sograpevinhos.com

Esporão Verdelho 2004, from the cellar to the table
October 16, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

In my early oenophile days, I acquired the habit of long-term wine saving in my cellar. The idea is and will always be to feed my curiosity for watching some of them evolve, as well as the absolute need for keeping another few wines that end up forgotten in there for many years. Those who like wines and who like to enjoy them are usually naturally curious; being curious is part of the condition of being human. That same curiosity makes us want to know a little more about how wines will behave through time, and even how time can educate them or not. What can be taken for certain is that risk is always a factor worth remembering, especially when the wines we keep have no kind of history to back them, ensuring that our patience will prove successful. The exception is all the wines that need to rest for a spell because they are too young and have edgy tannins. And then, a few dozens, then hundreds of bottles end up piled up by type or region. I promise you, the hardest part is beginning all this process. So far, surprises have almost always turned out well; there is always something to learn from these comparisons of the wine when it was young against the adult version it became. Some appear tired and reveal somewhat pronounced wrinkles of old age.

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“Cellar” – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Esporão Verdelho 2004 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Very recently, on the occasion of a dinner with friends at my place, I decided to salvage one of those wines I have been keeping in the cellar, a Esporão Verdelho 2004. This 11 year-old white is a risk, or a moment of insanity – some might say. As it turns out, however, this Verdelho was very able to achieve the wow factor usually only observed in great wines. That factor emerges when most of the people present let a faint smile slip after they taste the wine in their glass and mutter the word “Wow.” I tasted this wine time and again when it was first released into the market. I liked it so much, that I decided to save a few bottles. This may have been the last surviving Verdelho 2004, that revealed envious freshness on the mouth and nose, all the fruit that used to be fresh and is now embraced in syrup, and slightly sweetened, with vegetal touches of herbal tea and a bouquet of flowers, everything is very well composed, forming a serious and adult wine with very well-set values. On the mouth, freshness and a hint of creaminess rolls the fruit round the palate; the latter appears solid and with very good presence, and providing a lot of pleasure when you drink it at first, and again, and again, tirelessly.

This is one of the reasons why I store wine; especially curiosity, but also the satisfaction of having the opportunity to later share them with people who can appreciate their value. The only downside is when a bottle is dried out and we ask ourselves why we didn’t store a few extra bottles.

Contacts
Herdade do Esporão
Apartado 31, 7200-999
Reguengos de Monsaraz
Tel: (+351) 266 509280
Fax: (+351) 266 519753
E-mail: reservas@esporao.com
Website: esporao.com

Casa da Passarella, a day at the harvests
October 5, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

During our visit to the historic Casa da Passarella in Dão – with Serra da Estrela in the background – we literally rolled our sleeves back to work on this producer’s oldest vines. Right in the middle of the harvest season, we accepted the invitation to go see the amazing old vineyards that give birth to this company’s best wines. The field work was very insightful, and we had a very relaxing lunch, which enhanced two brilliant new releases. In the end, we did a vertical tasting of the Vinhas Velhas including two new products that will soon hit the market.

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Casa da Passarella – Photo Provided by Casa da Passarella | All Rights Reserved

All we had to do was arrive, grab a pair of scissors, and walk down the roads of this picturesque Passarela village to get to the vineyards. An amazing scenery composed of three small plots of vineyards now over one-hundred years old, spread out through three little banks set upon mostly granite-rich soil, where white-grape vines cohabitate with red-grape vines. Varieties with names so unorthodox, they risk being forgotten; no matter how hard you try, you can only understand all the magic and specificity of such a vine once you’re in front of it and see the huge range of varieties that also live there. It’s a shame that Dão vines were in decay for a long time, and consequently, so was their quality. It was necessary for producers to heavily invest in planting new vines, which in a way helped separate or even withdraw the older vineyards.

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Grapes from the cecntenary vineyards – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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Enxertia Jaén 2012 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

The resulting blend of these old vines bares the soul of the region; the biggest Dão asset lies in its oldest vines, and we must thank all of those who put an effort and a lot of dedication into fighting to preserve them and to obtain wines that, if well-educated in the cellar, can reach very high quality standards. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised at how passionately oenologist Paulo Nunes speaks of his “babies”, who – according to himself – have taught him a whole lot. Based on what he learns from them, in his expert-creator hat, he has been able to interpret their teachings so well that the results speak for themselves. Trends apart, he knows how to create and educate great wines; you can tell that, with every harvest, his Dão da Serra [mountain Dão] style is tuned to a mix of tradition and modernity with elegantly exuberant wines of very defined fruit that combines determination, character, body, and a natural velvety feel that insists on showing from the early stages.

Already at the table, enjoying a traditional dish of Rancho, I had the company of the latest product: Enxertia Jaén 2012. A dangerously appetising wine that disappeared from the glass in two shakes – the combination of structure/freshness/juicy fruit results in a perfect combo at the table. This wine, this Jaén, completely owned a very enjoyable chat; it tasted marvellous and marked another beautiful social moment.

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Paulo Nunes, vertical of Vinhas Velhas – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

However, we still had the old vines in our heads when we performed the vertical tasting starting with the first sample of Vinhas Velhas 2008 and ending with the most recent, the 2012. The evolution of the profile was evident as the 2008 showed more presence of vanilla and toast as well as very plump and juicy fruit. The poorest performer, and entirely different from the rest of the tasted wines, was the 2010, whose sweeter notes completely clashed against the others. The most quiet at the moment is the 2011, which is still in a tidy-up phase, and is still shy, although in perspective, it’s already a gorgeous wine. They were the winners of this tasting, if I may call them so. The 2009 might well be the best to date, now with the 2012. Compact and seductive medium-bodied wines of good balance, and a little more rounding conveyed by the cask. Despite all this, it maintains the usual acidity/freshness found in wines of this region.

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The new “O Fugitivo” – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

Lastly, the official presentation of the new wines. They had already been brought out and were still a little shy at the time, but they are now in their official attire. Included in the O Fugitivo range, Garrafeira white 2013, and the red Vinhas Centenárias 2012 thus emerge. Neither produce any more than 2000 bottles. These are two great wines that mirror the land that raised them. The red, as previously mentioned, collects determination, character, and body along with acidity and a taste of vegetal that conveys beautiful energy in the palate. It’s complex, deep, and at the same time still very young with a very similar profile to Vinhas Velhas 2012, although it has a bit more of everything. Now, the Garrafeira white is a flabbergasting wine; not easy and fashionable, its scent reminds you of older Dãos. Very driven, with strong tannins in the very dry finish, the wine desperately needs to rest more in the bottle. Electric, nervous, and most of all still very young on the nose and on the mouth, it was the best that this region has offered me in the last few years.

Contacts
Rua Santo Amaro, 3, Passarela
6290-093 Lagarinhos
Telefone: (+351) 238 486 312
Fax: (+351) 238 486 218
E-mail: info@casadapassarella.pt
Website: www.casadapassarella.pt

Caves da Montanha
September 28, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

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

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

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Caves da Montanha Chardonnay-Pinot 2009 – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

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

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

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Caves da Montanha Chardonnay-Baga 2008 – Photo Provided by Caves da Montanha | All Rights Reserved

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Caves da Montanha A.Henriques Edição Especial 70 Anos 2006 – Photo Provided by Caves da Montanha | All Rights Reserved

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

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

Quinta dos Abibes, Bairrada in a Sublime mode
September 21, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

After having been abandoned for over a decade, Quinta dos Abibes (in Anadia) gets its name from a migratory bird called Abibe (Vanellus vanellus, or peewit). This property includes 24.7 acres – of which 17 are covered in vines – and was acquired in 2003 by professor Francisco Batel Marques. Oenology was left to the renowned oenologist Osvaldo Amado, and the first harvest of Quinta dos Abibes was not to sprout before 2007. The chosen varieties were the red Baga, Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon, while the whites consisted of Arinto, Bical and Sauvignon Blanc.

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Prof. Dr. Francisco Batel Marques à esquerda e o enólogo Osvaldo Amado à direita- Foto Cedida por Quinta dos Abibes | Todos os Direitos Reservados

Quinta dos Abibes evidently invest in differentiation, and most of all in the quality of their products. Baga, for instance, is only used for the production of sparkling wines. In the case of Sparkling wine Quinta dos Abibes Sublime Brute Nature 2009, production stopped after 3200 bottles of this quality bubbly, in which notes of biscuits stand out and joyfully combine with aromas of citrus fruit. It is quite refreshing and tastes a little bit toasted with a mineral background. The mouth matches all of the above, and creates excellent harmony between the fruit and the toast notes. This very high-end sparkling wine feels slightly creamy.

Moving onto the more peaceful wines, we try Quinta dos Abibes Sublime white 2010, made from the Arinto variety and in the high register that oenologist Osvaldo Amado has always treated us with. This white reveals notes of ripe fruit, especially citrus fruits and some apple combined with the wood it has aged in, which brands the blend – perhaps a little too much for my taste – contributing with aromas of toasted bread and some nuts. Delicious, it goes down easily, allying freshness to creaminess, elegance, and ending with good persistence.

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Quinta dos Abibes 2010 branco, Sublime 2010 tinto & Espumante Sublime Brut Nature 2009 – Foto Cedida por Quinta dos Abibes | Todos os Direitos Reservados

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Vanellus Classic Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – Foto Cedida por Quinta dos Abibes | Todos os Direitos Reservados

We change the tone and start with the reds. Firstly Quinta dos Abibes Sublime 2010, which shines the spotlight on the soloist variety, Touriga Nacional. A wine of a concentrated and charging profile, a lot of energy and freshness displaying ripe dark fruit with hints of smoke, spices, and something earthy in the background. The mouth shows good structure, the very flavourful fruit revealing more detail than in the nose; freshness runs throughout the whole palate, and a lasting and persistent finish with tannins still present in the finish of the mouth.

I finished with Vanellus Classic Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, a Beira Atlântico with hints of Bordeaux, aromas of graphite, earthy notes and a light vegetal presence. Ripe and very fresh fruit, a lot of blueberries, many scented wild berries bursting in flavour compose a refreshing and cohesive blend. With a medium body revealing rusticity and asking for more time in the bottle, the freshness wraps the ripe and delicious fruit in a finish of good persistence.

Contacts
Quinta dos Abibes Vitivinicultura, Lda
Aguim – Anadia
3780 Anadia
Bairrada – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 917 206 861
E-Mail: quintadosabibes@gmail.com

Quintas de Caiz, on the hillside of river Tâmega
September 11, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

Quintas de Caiz is a very recent project in the Portuguese wine panorama and it’s in the middle of the Vinho Verde region. A fruit of the passion that the Freitas have for the earth as well as the desire to create something unique that would also be a good product of that region, and specifically the hillsides through which river Tâmega slithers. The three wines by Encostas de Caiz in this tasting were all from 2014 – the same first harvest that was put on the market.

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Quintas de Caiz Vineyard – Photo Provided by Quintas de Caiz | All Rights Reserved

Restless wines, still nervous from having been recently bottled; not long before they came into my hands. Again, I repeat, the wines from this region generally benefit from one or two years in the bottle; more than enough time to set their anxhiety aside when they appear to be free from the shakes or memory loss. Just a whiff of fresh air and everything was back to normal, making the tasting quite reassuring of the quality of these new Encostas de Caiz.

The first wine to be tasted was Encostas de Caiz Grande Escolha 2014 of a lot composed of Alvarinho and Loureiro. It spoke the least out of them all, given that Loureiro was completely dominated by Alvarinho, and the blend needs time seeing as everything is still very tense and in a tuning stage. Nonetheless, it appears wrapped in freshness, with enough strength to unwrap by itself during the next couple of years. Encostas de Caiz Grande Escolha Alvarinho 2014 was better, although it did also reveal a need to age in the bottle a little longer. Very fresh and sharp in aromas and flavours, quite a tight blend, tense, seamlessly tropical, dominated by very ripe fruits from the orchard wrapped in freshness with hints of flowers and the mineral austerity dominating in the background.

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Encostas de Caiz trio – Photo Provided by Quintas de Caiz | All Rights Reserved

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Sardines – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

For the end, the one I liked best, the most pleasing and quickest to disappear out of the bottles, Encostas de Caiz Grande Escolha Avesso 2014. It immediately wins you over with a combo composed of lightly exotic fruit with a touch of pear and citrus fruits joined by a floral aroma. Perfumed and inviting, it reveals a background marked by minerality, a very good ability to revitalise the palate with oriental-style meals, where the seasoning usually rules. In this case, every wine served to accompany beautiful sardines roasted on coal.

Convento do Paraíso, the Algarve reconquered
September 7, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

As a productive district, the Algarve has come a long way from being virtually non-existent to a timid desire to be noticed. The investments made over the last decade have been harvesting their fruits, and nowadays, the Algarve is in fact a quality district for wine production. It’s still an orphan as far as having its own identity is concerned, which makes its wines indistinguishable from the ones in the other districts. This is its own fault and it’s up to the Algarve itself to find its own path to recognition. It’s the producers’ duty to promote their success as they did with Convento do Paraíso (Silves).

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Convento do Paraíso Vines – Photo Provided by Convento do Paraíso | All Rights Reserved

Quinta de Mata Mouros is where all the action takes place, the property of entrepreneur Vasco Pereira Coutinho, on Arade River bank, adjacent to the town of Silves. The Nossa Senhora do Paraíso Convent was built in the 12th century, after the town of Silves was conquered. 29.65 acres of vineyard freshly planted in the year 2000, where the reds Cabernet Sauvignon or Sousão and the whites Alvarinho and Arinto are budding; this is only but the fourth harvest by the joint venture commencing in 2012 between the Pereira Coutinho family and the Soares family (who own Herdade da Malhadinha Nova and Garrafeira Soares). In that cellar, two different systems are combined to achieve the same result – the traditional system resorts to wine presses and the most modern one uses cutting edge technology.

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Imprevisto 2014 – Photo Provided by Convento do Paraíso | All Rights Reserved

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Euphoria red – Photo Provided by Convento do Paraíso | All Rights Reserved

They could choose to make predictable wines, but luckily they don’t, in my opinion, and this sets the tone for the red Imprevisto 2014 (“unpredicted”), a lot composed of Touriga Nacional/Aragonez. It conveys youth with a lot of fleshy and quite succulent fruit, a lot of nerve, balancing from the sweetness of the fruit and the acidity, floral with a comforting touch of jam – quite direct and appetizing from your first sip. Next comes the Euphoria range, which reminds us of the feeling of well-being, satisfaction and joy in a rosy, a white and a red version. Three wines that follow the same standard, very clean and ripe fruit with very present aromas and, as a whole, revealing energy and a good mood. The white 2014 shines for its freshness consisting mainly of Alvarinho/Arinto, some tropical syrup involving the citrus fruit, appropriate, floral, inviting and very attractive as a whole.

As for the rosé 2014 with Touriga Nacional/Aragonez, it reveals well-shaped red fruits wrapped around a delicate perfume. Good freshness on the palate with a tasty passage and slightly dry end with good persistence. Lastly, the red 2013, which was entitled to age for 6 months in French oak casks. It comes in a more serious level where the dark and red fruit is very focused on the wild berries and mixes with a very present vegetal touch. Some soil notes and of some spice complement the set; at the bottom, the barrel embraces the whole set. In spite of still being young, this wine is already pleasant enough at the table.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta Convento do Paraíso-2012

Convento do Paraíso 2012 – Photo Provided by Convento do Paraíso | All Rights Reserved

Finally, it’s time for what is supposed to be a top-of-the-range wine: Convento do Paraíso 2012 is a result of the unusual lot of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sousão. Different, challenging and, at the same time charming, whether in terms of aroma or flavour. The very solid and fresh fruit combined with ripe vegetal tones, some jam and spices with a beautiful atmosphere created by the wood. Wines from a recent project that deserve to be recognised and whose quality standard – granted by the team of Herdade da Malhadinha – promise a lot of joy in the near future.

From the seaside to the countryside holding a glass of wine
August 31, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Jani Dunne

The middle of August is the right time to relax. In fact, at this point, I don’t like to be too picky, nor am I picky with food, so I look for multipurpose wines that everyone will enjoy. Now that Summer is in, it’s about time we pick and chose. Between the beach and the countryside, you certainly won’t miss the grilled seafood, fish or meat. That’s when fresher, lighter food is entitled to a reserved seat at the table; wines should be equally fresh and only briefly aged in wood, or not aged at all.

From the north to the south of Portugal, I have had the chance to choose some of the white wines that have proven all year long to provide me with remarkably good times along with my family and friends. Some of those whites come from the Vinhos Verdes district, where the best examples of Alvarinho and Loureiro are; brands like Soalheiro or Quinta do Ameal are examples of guaranteed satisfaction and, if I forget about a bottle, it will surely last for many years. The connections these wines make with the most various salads, or dishes of middle-eastern influence, completely justify selecting them.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Country-City-Beach

Seaside – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

A bit further down, around Bairrada, without forgetting the whites produced there, I decided for the sparkling wines, and went for samples of Adega de Cantanhede and Caves São Domingos. These sparkling wines, like many others, are almost always the starting point of a meal; sparkling wines give the festive atmosphere to a meal; they cheer up the glasses, and their connection with the most varied starters is almost always a success. Still by the sea and already in Lisboa district, I looked for very fresh wines with enough body to be able to accompany dishes from seafood au naturel to casseroles, or even the most varied rice dishes; wines with fewer aromas of a tropical influence, in this case more tense and with that mineral tendency, and an invigorating and simultaneously palate-cleansing acidity. The range of choices is broad and diversified, starting with the versatility of the Arinto variety, including Chocapalha and Vale da Capucha or even Quinta da Murta from Bucelas. Widening the range to include Malvasia de Colares variety, with Arenae da Adega de Colares or Malvazia do Casal de Santa Maria. To finish up my trip to Lisbon, I picked up a Vale da Mata white. Year after year, it performs very well at the table alongside strongly seasoned dishes like oven-baked fish.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Country-City-Pool

Countryside – Photo by João Pedro de Carvalho | All Rights Reserved

I complete my selection with some high-standard rosés, which are no doubt the best you can produce in Portugal. Wines like Dona Maria Rosé (Alentejo) or Covela Rosé (Vinhos Verdes), selected to accompany freshly grilled food; served chilled, they match up to the boldest cuts of meat or the fatter fish. Obviously, I could have made different choices, but this year, whether at the seaside or at the pool, those were the wines I chose to have in my glass.