Blend All About Wine Arquivo de port wine - Page 2 of 3

Quinta da Leda Vintage 1990, the first Quinta da Leda

October 19, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Pedro Carvalho

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.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Quinta-da-Leda-bottle

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

Ferreira 10-year-old White Port

October 2, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by Ilkka Sirén

Text Ilkka Sirén

I live in a city. I grew up in the countryside but couldn’t see myself living anywhere else than the concrete embrace of my city. Helsinki is just the perfect size; not too big, not too small. Only half a million people live here and it’s a capital of a country. Fairly peaceful but buzzing enough to keep it interesting. Still every now and then I feel myself, especially after a busy work week, yearning for some classic countryside peace.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Ferreira 10-year-old White Port

Nothing around you except wheat fields, forests and lakes. Just over an hours drive north of Helsinki you can find all the space and peace you want. I usually grab a handful of wines, some good food and head out to cook and relax. People say cooking is very therapeutic and they are not lying. Doesn’t matter if you are a good cook or not, just doing something useful with your hands is very rewarding and makes you think things differently.

There is always room for friends and family. If I wanted some alone time I would move to Siberia and become a monk. I find it very harmonizing to have lots of friends and family around you, just doing what they do. When the table is set the food starts flying around and wines get lined up. Even if Finland is geographically challenged we do get quite a bit of wines up here. But there is one wine category that has been absent for too long, white port. It’s frustrating to be a fan of fortified wines in Finland when the selection is very limited. But now a “new” wine has arrived to Finland.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Ferreira-Ferreira 10-year-old White Port-Table

Blend-All-About-Wine-Ferreira 10-year-old White Port-Tasting

It just might be one of the best listings in Finland this year. Ferreira 10-year-old White Port is the newbie everyone’s talking about. For a reason I can’t really understand white port wine has a slightly bad reputation. Well, for those who wonder I say WAKE UP! Aged white ports are in my opinion some of the most delicious and food friendly wines out there. This seductive port is a prime example of a good quality white port. The ripe fruitiness together with balanced aromas from barrel aging creates a delicious combination of flavours. A queen bee in the cheese table, going well with blue cheese or Gouda for example, or just as a slow sipper after dinner. Just let the golden hue flicker in the candle light. It’s a cliché but it works, trust me. I’m very happy that we can now find some proper white port in Finland. Slowly but surely people are starting to discover the wonderful world of port wines.

A Royal Flush From Vasques de Carvalho

August 27, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by Sarah Ahmed

Text Sarah Ahmed

Never before has poker shared a thought bubble with Port. Not in my head anyway. But royal flush sprang to mind when Vasques de Carvalho revealed its opening hand – these ever so handsomely packaged 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawny Ports.

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It’s a startlingly bold, high end debut in a sector with such notoriously high barriers to entry. Consider this. To start a new Port House requires a minimum stock of 150,000 litres if, like most houses, production is not exclusively sourced from your own vineyards. What’s more, the so-called “rule of one third” (Lei do Terço) requires Port producers to retain stocks of three times the amount they put up for sale. Suffice to say, with this strain on capital, Port houses do not spring up overnight. Less so producers of 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawny Ports, which require decades of aged stocks successfully to produce these highly complex wood-aged blends.

So how did Vasques de Carvalho pull it off? The answer lies in the partnership behind the brand. In 2012, António Vasques de Carvalho inherited his family’s wine cellars, 6 hectares of very old (80 years old+) vines in the Baixo Corgo and about 45,000 litres of old Ports, (including a rare lot of 1880 Tawny Port set aside by António’s great grandfather, José Vasques de Carvalho). António’s old friend Luis Vale of Kurtpace SA, a construction company, injected the capital, enabling Vasques de Carvalho (the Port House) to increase its stock to the requisite 150,000 litres. Additionally, the pair have started re-building the winery and barrel cellar at Régua (over which António sleeps, since the cellar is located below his house). The company has also acquired another cellar in Pinhão which already has 75,000 litres aging in small balseiros and toneis and four 40,000 litre capacity toneis.

Winemaker Jaime Costa is in charge of the portfolio. Having worked for 16 years at Burmester, the former Revista de Vinhos Fortified Winemaker of the Year 2005 is plainly thrilled once again to have such fine and rare aged Port wines at his disposal. And his timing is good. The recent spate of headline grabbing, luxury-priced Very Old Tawny Ports means that Tawny Ports are, at last, having their day in the sun.

In addition to the Tawny Ports – the jewel in Vasques de Carvalho’s crown – the portfolio includes an old White Port, 2013 Vintage Port and Douro wines (Oxum, X Bardos, Velhos Bardos Reserva). Next year the company will release a 2012 Late Bottled Vintage Port 2012, 880 bottles of 1880 Very Old Tawny Port and the first Douro DOC wine spirit, Aguardente Vinica. Though Douro reds Oxum and X Bardos (both 2012 vintage) did not impress me, the Tawny Ports (the only Vasques de Carvalho Ports I have tasted) most certainly did, especially the 40 Year Old. Its wonderful concentration and complexity is doubtless attributable to a judicious splash of the 1880 vintage, of which the company holds a remarkable stash – one toneis of 6,000 litres plus two casks of 400 litres (the latter presumably for next year’s Very Old Tawny release). Costa told me that all four Tawnies are 90% sourced from the Vasques de Carvalho’s old stocks, with 10% from other wines that the company bought between 2012 and 2014.

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Aged in the Douro (as opposed to in the cooler, more humid climes of Vila Nova de Gaia), I found the flavour spectrum of Vasques de Carvalho Tawnies to be rich and dark, with a touch of bake. Yet I was intrigued by their refinement – an elegant balance, persistence (good acidity) and silky smooth spirit integration. I asked Costa if this perhaps derived from the principal fruit source (the Baixo Corgo is relatively cool and wet). He agreed, replying “I think [it] had a great influence, because the temperatures aren´t so high like in upper Douro for aging, and the wines gets much more acidity, that will be important during the aging and also to balance the sugar level in the wines. That way, you get consistent tawnies, without cloying your senses while you are drinking old Ports, because as you know, many times, old tawnies, because of sugar level, could get that way.”

Here are my notes on Vasques de Carvalho’s Tawny range:

Vasques de Carvalho 10 Years Old Tawny Port – a ruddy, conker hue with rich dried plum, fig, toffeed dates and frangipane notes to the nose, which follow through on a beautifully balanced, silky palate with deep nutty resonance. Lovely freshness to the finish – not a trace of heaviness despite the richness of the flavour profile. A classy, concentrated 10 Year Old comprised of wines between 7 and 14 years’ old. 136g/l Residual Sugar. 20%

Vasques de Carvalho 20 Years Old Tawny Port – a deep but very bright tawny hue, quite reddish at the core, with a tawnier/yellower penumbra. With caramelised oranges to the nose and citrusy palate, it’s still fruity and elegant with toasted almonds, apricot jam and bourbon vanilla layers. Again, very silky with cassia bark and a burnish of nutty oak to the back palate. It is comprised of wines between 12- 25 years’ old. 138g/l Residual Sugar. 20%

Vasques de Carvalho 30 Years Old Tawny Port – deep amber hue, very bright, with a nuttier nose than the 20 Year Old, yet still with no shortage of dried fruits – apricot, dried fig, dates, marmalade, honeycake, marzipan and hints of clove and cassia bark. In the mouth it reveals dense, concentrated panforte layers of dried fig, nuts, spice and citrus peel, as well as milk chocolate orange and thick cut marmalade. Attractive wood notes (that burnish of nutty oak, here less almondy, more walnut) are well-integrated, as is its super-smooth spirit, making for a long, smooth, intense but well balanced finish. Comprised of wines between 18- 40 years’ old. 131g/l Residual Sugar. 20%

Vasques de Carvalho 40 Years Old Tawny Port – comprised of wines aged between 25 and 135 years’ old and boy does it show! The “40 Year Old” is a deep amber core with a rim of saffron fading to olive green. High class patisserie notes abound on a super-complex nose and palate, rich with honey, buttery, egg-yolk rich Madeleine, almond financier and denser panforte. Subtly attenuating iodine and vinagrinho notes bring tension, pace and lift – lovely energy. With no sign of drying out, the finish is wonderfully persistent, very nutty and very citrusy with marmalade, candied orange peel, even caramelised oranges (a testament to its freshness). A cognac fine finish lingers for the longest time. Delicious. 144g/l Residual Sugar. 20%

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

Port wine: a dog is a dog, a cat is a cat

July 22, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by João Barbosa

Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I will not be writing about politics! However, I will cite the current Minister for Education in order to better illustrate the focus of this text. Nuno Crato, a very contentious ruler, is a renowned scientist and teacher at Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (Lisbon Institute for Economics and Management), Maths and Statistics professor. He has an impressive resume, available online.

I heard Nuno Crato say, years before he became a minister, that learning doesn’t have to be fun. It doesn’t have to be tedious either, I add. It doesn’t have to be fun because educating goes beyond teaching numbers and letters at school, or learning how to use a knife and fork, and say “please” and “thank you” back home. Education should prepare a child/young person for adult life, during which he will not be comforted by colleagues or receive the headmaster’s kindness.

I have been told that the world of Port wine is complicated, too complicated, and the consumer does not understand it… there are too many categories and variations.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Port Wine-Vinho do Porto

Vinho do Porto in hipersuper.pt

I state that Earth’s seven billion inhabitants are all Homo sapiens sapiens, and thus gifted with intelligence and the ability to learn. Not every human is able to generate Cold Fusion, but if trained, they would very well be. Obviously, some are above average and others below it.

However complicated it may be, the world of Port wine is less complex than a PhD thesis about the role of aesthetics and conceptual ruptures in modern and Eastern societies.

The last time I saw somebody in shock, they had just been made aware of the “12” variations of Port wine… I can count 28. Therefore, I am joining the discussion short-handed. If the point is to simplify it, everything could be broken down to four variations: white, rosé, tawny and ruby. Or even three, removing the rosé, because it is actually a ruby.

Now, if a house cat is a Felis catus, a dog is a Canis lupus familiaris. However, both belong to the Animalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, Mammalia class and Carnivora order. They are, however, of the Canidae and Felidae families. Latin aside, even a toddler can tell a dog from a cat. The dog has owners, the cat has personal assistants.

Of course, a newcomer to the world of wine must not be expected to know everything, or almost everything, about Port… nor Bordeaux or Burgundy, etc.

Therefore, Port is complicated, right?! Right! Moving on to another wine region of the world:

In Bordeaux, there are six sub-regions (Blayais et Bourgeais, Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves, Libournais, Médoc and Sauternes), subdivided into 38 controlled protected designations of origin.

In 1855, emperor Napoleon III commanded the creation of a list for the Paris Universal Exhibition, where Bordeaux wines were to be laid out hierarchically. Thus, six qualitative levels were determined: Premier Grands Crus, Deuxièmes Grands Crus, Troisièmes Grand Crus, Quatrièmes Grand Crus and Cinquièmes Grands Crus.

This list encompassed only the left margin of the Garona river. On top were: Château Lafite (today including Rothschild), Château La Tour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, Château Mouton (today including Rothschild). That is, three from the controlled designation of origin of Pauillac, one from Margaux and the other from Graves (on its own; others were excluded in the meantime).

Seeing as they were left out of the list compiled in 1855, other specific tables were created. In Sauternes and Barsac: Premier Cru Supérieur, Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus. In Saint-Émilion: Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, Premiers Grands Crus Classés B, Grand Crus Classés… Had enough yet? Don’t forget the Graves table, and the Médoc. Oh! And then, the generic Bordeaux.

Oh yes, indeed. It would be easier to join all the pieces together, analyse them, and create a single list of Bordeaux… never mind the whole of France. But no! I say this sarcastically: Pitiful! Well-informed Bordeaux connoisseurs know and debate wines from either side of the river and its micro-regions… the years and the weather, the brands… Those who know and those who want to know will know. If you wish to know only a little, you will study only a little; if you purchase based on the price, you will check the tag and then weigh your pocket. If you purchase based on the label design, you will pick the prettiest; if you purchase based on reputation, you will purchase what you are recommended.

Let’s work it out:

Whites – Lágrima (very sweet), Sweet, Semi-Dry, Dry, Extra-Dry, 10-year, 20-year, 20-year and 40-year.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Port Wine-Ramos Pinto Lágrima branco

Ramos Pinto Lágrima white in ramospinto.pt

Rosé – Rosé (Ruby-style – aged in the bottle).

Ruby – Lágrima, Ruby, Ruby Reserve, Ruby Special Reserve, Late Bottled Vintage, Vintage Single Quinta, Vintage, Garrafeira, (aged in demijohns) and Crusted (this lot includes different years).

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Sandeman Port Vau Vintage 2011 in sandeman.com

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Taylor’s Quinta Terra Feita Vintage Port 1991 taylor.pt

Tawny – Tawny, Tawny Reserve, Tawny Special Reserve, 10-year, 20-year, 30-year, 40-year, Colheita (the year is specified) and Very Old.

Oh! And Quinado! Not quite a Port wine, but an association with kino (from “quinine”). Created for the population of the overseas colonies, seeing as kino is antimalarial.

Quinado Ferreirinha

The French are so complicated, yet so gifted with intelligence that they can tell a dog is a dog and a cat is a cat. In Portugal, we are, poor creatures, unable to understand – or try to understand – Port wine as much as any person from any other culture. The French know that seven billion inhabitants in the planet are all Homo sapiens sapiens. Around here, the concepts “cat” and “dog” need to be explained.

If the idea is to make things simpler, why not remove the protected designation of origin?… Having to know the region is a waste… and other countries care as much about that as they do about línguas-de-veado biscuits and lemon-verbena tea. Why even bother with the year? Will any trainee connoisseur or merely interested consumer want to know whether a wine is from 2009 or 2010? Will they know the natural difference between those two harvests?

I honestly want to know: does the common consumer outside the more traditionalist countries and the “Old World” want to know anything besides the variety? They like white or red, “just because”, and buy Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, or Tempranillo. That typical consumer from “The New World” or European countries where wine is not very renowned; will they want to know about the types of Port, or the classes of Bordeaux? If they fall in love with wine, will they search, taste, study, diversify… or other?…

Fernando Lopes Graça – one of Portugal’s biggest composers of the 20^th Century – refused to eat or drink while music was playing. To him, music was above all else, and he needed peace and quiet in order to listen to and enjoy every note. Do I understand?… Yes, although it seems a little much.

It is not snobbery. Just an observation. I can relate to car lovers, who can tell the age and the designers of a Ferrari by its wheel rims. I cannot tell a rod from a gearbox. It doesn’t matter to me, I don’t spend time on it. It’s just as valid for wine as for anything else.

In the 19th Century, somebody wrote that there are as many varieties of Port as there are ribbons in a haberdasher. Does that sound easy?! Discovering is both pleasurable and insightful.

The Port Knight Rises

July 9, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by Ilkka Sirén

Text Ilkka Sirén

A couple of months ago while having a vacation in Greece I received a letter. A letter signed by Mr. George Sandeman. A letter which was somewhat unexpected. It said I was to be knighted as a Cavaleiro da Confraria do Vinho do Porto. Ho…ly…sh*t!

Blend All About Wine The Port Knight Rises People jumping from Dom Luís I bridge

Problem number one: I need to find a good tux. And by a good tux, I mean a proper tux. Think James Bond. The event was set to take place in Porto in June, just a day before the summer solstice. Considering that is the busiest wedding time in Finland so good rental tuxes can be a bit hard to come by. Yes, a rental tux. Who actually owns one?! Well anyhow, it’s a huge honour just to be considered by the Confraria let alone accepted. So without a moments hesitation I booked my flights with my family to Portugal.

Blend All About Wine The Port Knight Rises Family Sirén in front of Palácio da Bolsa

When the day of the enthronement actually arrived it was well over +30°C in Porto. Unusual weather even for Porto. Tourists flocked in the Ribeira, youngsters were jumping from the Dom Luís I bridge and dozens of Super Bock pop-up bars were being built all over the city in preparation for the São João festival. As a Finn I’m not allowed to complain about hot weather but wearing a tux in that heat nearly killed me. Luckily it was a short downhill walk from our place to Palácio da Bolsa where the ceremony was to take place.

Blend All About Wine The Port Knight Rises Walking on the red carpet

The ceremony itself was very distinguished. Red carpets, evening gowns, cloaks, flags, big black hats with dangling ribbons and decorated sceptres that would make even Gandalf himself jealous. When all the soon-to-be confrades were seated I was among the first ones to be inaugurated. I was called by the Fiel das Usancas to the stage where Mr. Sandeman, the Confrarias chancellor, placed a green and red ribbon around my neck with a traditional 17th century port wine tasting cup tambuladeira hanging from it. After a picture was taken, I signed the Book of Honour and the chancellor handed me a diploma. I walked off the stage happy and extremely dehydrated. Speeches were made and the whole Palácio da Bolsa toasted the new confrades with a glass of port wine. It was tasty but to be honest I would have given my glass and the hand holding it for a big glass of cold water.

Blend All About Wine The Port Knight Rises Cavaleiro da Confraria do Vinho do Porto

After the ceremony the new and the old confrades marched to the Alfândega escorted by cavalry from Portugal’s National Guard together with a brass band. Lots of people were on the streets watching the parade. I felt like I was in some sort of wine Olympics and I just won the grand prize. At this point the avecs joined the confrades and proceeded to a terrace just next to the river. The sunset was beautiful, as was my dinner companion and the chilled glass of white port never tasted better.

Blend All About Wine The Port Knight Rises Port Wine

The evening continued with good food, great company and fantastic wines. I’m not a big fan of formal dinners but I actually really had some fun. After a handful of courses and way too many glasses of wine it was time to call it a night. It was a long, hot and definitely one of the most memorable days of my life. What made it extra special was that I had the opportunity to share it with my family who have supported me in all my escapades to Portugal over the years.

Then I had a final sip of the port and disappeared into the warm night of Porto like a true Port Wine Knight, to relief the babysitter.

The Lighthouse Keepers

June 18, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by Ilkka Sirén

Text Ilkka Sirén

Let’s just put it out there; winter sucks! Sure snow is nice, winter sports, skiing, Christmas etc. but let’s be honest, Summer was the reason why we humans were put on this Earth. If you disagree you are just lying to yourself. In Finland we have a very short summer which has taught us to learn to appreciate good weather. If that means cold beer, swimming and semi-naked people, so be it.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lighthouse-Keepers-Port wine-Darko-the-fisherman

Sometimes you have to play it safe. Finnish summer can be quite “cool”, let’s say. With this in mind me and my wife decided to pack our stuff and head to Croatia for a week. The blue Adriatic Sea seemed like the perfect spot to chill out for a few days. Our accommodation was a bit out of the ordinary. We stayed in a lighthouse. No hotel staff, no random tourists, just us and the sea.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lighthouse-Keepers-Port wine-The-Lighthouse

A really beautiful spot and nothing like any other accommodation I’ve ever been in before. It took about 25 minutes by boat to reach the lighthouse from the mainland. It’s a very small island and the house itself is very modest with a kitchen and a couple of rooms. There was of course the lighthouse keeper who lives on the island but he kept pretty much to himself. But I did made a new friend, his name was Mr. Jellyfish. There was plenty of dolphins around the lighthouse but those were a bit too fast for my taste. This jellyfish was more my speed.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lighthouse-Keepers-Port Wine-Mr-Jellyfish

After a long day it was nice to catch the sunset at the lighthouse. We witnessed some pretty spectacular sunsets. The dolphins swimming in the sunset was a total cliché but beautiful nonetheless. It was even my wife’s birthday so the situation called for some port wine. By coincidence I happened to have a small bottle of Churchill’s Reserve Port in my luggage. Whatever the situation and wherever you are in the world there is always time for port wine. Due the small size of the Reserve Port it’s perfect to take with you on trips. Because you never know when a glass of port is needed. With us it’s needed quite often.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lighthouse-Keepers-Churchill's-Reserve-Port wine

We sat on the walls of the lighthouse. The place looked like a small fortress and the setting was an almost perfect spot for sipping some port. The velvety and spicy port with its smooth finish lingered long after the last rays of sun bounced off the calm surface of the Adriatic Sea.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lighthouse-Keepers-Enjoying-a-glass-of-port wine

The whole stay in the lighthouse seemed a bit surreal. Something out of B-class movie starring Kevin Costner. But it’s an experience I can highly recommend. Being completely isolated with your thoughts, with the ever fascinating “big blue” and a glass of port just to make things perfect. I will miss this place and really hope I can return one day. After all, these situations where you can truly unplug yourself are quite rare. Just have to make sure to bring enough of supplies, meaning good port wine.

Contacts
Churchill Graham Lda
Rua da Fonte Nova, 5
4400 -156 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 22 370 3641
Fax: (+351) 22 370 3642
E-mail: office@churchills-port.com
Website: www.churchills-port.com

The Symington family’s new Vintages

June 17, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

The Symington family chose the renovated Casa de Chá de Boa Nova, in Leça da Palmeira – right on top of the cliffs and the sea –, to present its two most recent Port wines.

Blend-All-About-Symington-New-Wines-Casa-de-Cha

Blend-All-About-Wine-Symington-New-Wines-The-Cliffs

Opposite the famous building by architect Siza Vieira stands the stone engraved with a verse by the poet António Nobre, who enjoyed musing for inspiration there.

Blend-All-About-Symington-New-Wines-The Space

The place looks incredible, with light coming in from the sea, the restaurant now in charge of a team led by chef Rui Paula, who was able to not only provide an excellent flawless wine service, but also provide us with a delicious meal accompanied by wines from this Douro producer: the white Altanos full of freshness, elegant, of excellent acidity – modern whites. The Vesúvio reds are at a great level, full of structure, mighty yet elegant – very cuisine ready.

Blend-All-About-Symington-New-Wines-The Space-The-Presentation

The Symington cousins, Charles and Ruper, made a careful presentation of the wines we were about to taste. Besides the two new wines, we made a short but delightful trip through a few superb Port wines. Charles Symington also did a peculiar and very interesting talk on the use of new technologies for studying and controlling vineyards, using techniques that completely master the earth’s morphology and composition, its humidity, acidity and many other parameters. What’s the goal here? Well, to continuously improve the vineyards’ performance and obtain ever better grapes. The results are out.

Blend-All-About-Symington-New-Wines-The Space-Grahams-Colheita-1972

We begin with two extraordinary Tawnies: first, the Grahams Colheita 1972, of a dark amber, and gold and brown streaks, proved a touch dry in the nose, notes of orange-tree flower, walnuts, hazelnuts, tobacco, full of scents. In the mouth, it has complexity, dry fruits, caramel, incredible acidity, some dry notes, it’s slightly smokey, ever evolving in the glass to an endless finish… already a classic Port.

Next followed Dow’s Colheita 1974 – of an average clear amber, it’s very elegant with notes of orange, some citrus, very delicate, almond-like scents, with spices, an authentic perfume. Excellent elegance in the mouth, powerful acidity, persistent, orange peel, still very refreshing, nuts and almonds, some smoke, tobacco, a very lasting finish for an extraordinary wine.

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Next in turn were the Vintage; beginning with Dow’s Vintage 1975, they were served in an interesting fashion: poured from a sample Tappit Hen bottle of 2.1 litres, still used occasionally by the family. The wine is clearing up, revealing a pale hue of ruby. It’s extremely elegant in the nose, yet showing some fruit, jam and light notes of spices. Beautiful acidity, very engaging, some nuts, cherry, very elegant yet persistent, a lasting finish in a vintage that will continue developing for a long time. Next was Warre’s Vintage 1977, good-looking – a light average ruby. The austere nose, yet elegant, is smokey, still fresh, including notes of jam and fruits of the forest. In the mouth, it was deep, with amazing acidity, very complex, with notes of overripe fruit, still full of freshness, a lasting and flavourful finish. Finally, out came a delicious Graham’s Vintage 1977, a year of great Port for this producer. Unlike its cousins, the colour is amazing – a dark red, almost opaque. An amazing nose, deep, austere, but full of elegance, a lot of dark fruit, chocolate, very good. Very voluminous, very balanced but of mighty acidity, deliciously complex, some nuts, and an amazing, full, engaging finish; a great wine.

After a short break for a breath and two light talks by the two cousins about the new vintage wines, came the Dow’s Vintage 2013 by Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira. Opaque, almost black, and shiny. In the nose, it presented notes of dark chocolate, very ripe dark fruits, blackberries, plums, raisins, but was also very floral. Powerful in the mouth, sweet notes, chocolate, very ripe figs, tobacco, vibrant acidity, very involving – a beautiful interpretation of an excellent modern vintage.

Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage 2013 and Dow’s Vintage 2013 Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira © Blend All About Wine, Lda

Finally, the tradition of Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage 2013. Very dark, almost black, and silky. A fully fruity nose, a lot of elegance, floral, smokey, tobacco, cocoa and spices. Incredible in the mouth, excellent acidity, powerful, very ripe dark fruits, slightly spiced, almost spicy. It takes over your mouth and never ends… the interpretation, near perfection, of a place, a piece of land, vineyards, Quinta do Vesúvio! And also of the tradition of grapes crushed by foot inside granite presses – the return to Douro’s primal memories. A great Port wine!

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Once at the table in the restaurant, after a glass of champagne al fresco, we started with some appetisers: smoked mackerel with peppers, fake tomato with cottage cheese, and an olive with olive-oil merengue served in a charming tin.

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Next was the fish: smoked eel with beetroot and marrow.

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For meat, we had rack of lamb with tupinambur and fennel.

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A selection of national cheeses introduced dessert, a disconcerting “take it away” (tiramisu).

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In the meantime, we got back to the Port… the sea still splashing against the rocks.

Contacts
Symington Family Estates
Travessa Barão de Forrester 86
Apartado 26
4431-901 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: +351 223 776 300
Fax: +351 223 776 301
E-mail: symington@symington.com
Website: www.symington.com

Porto Cruz, an Ever Expanding Company…

May 26, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

It may belong to a big French drinks producer and distributor, but this is a very successful Portuguese company. It leverages its strong Port wine production and has been highlighted as one of the biggest producers of Port wine in Portugal, and more so abroad, where most of the products go.

Also in the portfolio, you will find C. da Silva, who produce Dalva wines, and are a reference in their own sector.

A couple of years ago, the company got hold of most of the capital from Henriques and Henriques, and the total capital from Justino’s – both companies produce Madeira wine. Porto Cruz has recently bought Quinta de Ventozelo, one of the largest extensions of Douro vineyards.

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However, it previously opened the latest cellar in Alijó, which relies on the most modern and most revolutionary technology in wine production.

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This cellar can hold 22 million litres of wine. It has 40 vats that can hold up to 360,000L, other vats of up to 180,000L, among many other smaller vats. Two huge filters feed the entire complex, as do the structures for nitrogen and compressed air. An innovative automatic cleaning and disinfecting system keeps all the vats spotless.

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The wine pumping system is also automatic. Everything is controlled via a sophisticated automation system.

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The stainless steel presses feed into the vats where wines will ferment and age. The wine is then moved into casks or directly into bottles. All the equipment paraphernalia impresses the visitors, whether due to quantity and quality, or due to the flawless hygiene.

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Every process takes place in this cellar, where all the company’s wines are made. They are stored there and dispatched from there.

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Many go to Vila Nova de Gaia, where they will be stored in giant stainless steel vats, or age in the biggest park of mashing tubs in the region, of enormous dimension.

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Equally grandiose, the old facilities were adjusted to modern needs and have seen continuous growth. Inside, the old cement vats still active and part of an efficient use of all the space.

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That is also where a sophisticated filling, labelling and packaging system takes place. It fills the enormous daily need for wine, in turn shipped worldwide. Efficiency seems to be the word of order as an announcement is made about improvements being done on the admin and lab sections.

The oenology team is supervised by Engineer José Manuel Soares, who has a lot of experience in wine growing and Douro oenology under his belt. Engineer Jorge Dias is in charge of project and strategy, and he has shown a talent in outlining a new profile for Porto Cruz wines as well as for the company’s branding, which is out for the world to see.

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All that visibility is concentrated further down the hill, in the imposing Porto Cruz building – already a landmark of that area – on the riverside avenue in Gaia. From an old construction, they made a space where, as the owners put it, “wine must be lived!” A bold and very modern décor is home to the many visual devices the company invested in as innovative solutions for presenting the wine, especially Port. All of this was very well combined with culture, which fills this space permanently as well as temporarily, and all for the sake of Port wine and its history.

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The top floor hosts a modern restaurant, under chef Miguel Castro Silva’s consultancy, but where chef José Guedes works his wonders with a consistent appetising cuisine.

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On the terrace, there’s a bar with a 360º view of Gaia and Porto, sitting right opposite. It’s open until late in the warmer months of the year. On S. João night (24^th June – a celebration of Saint John with riverside concerts and fireworks), we sit in the front row.

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By the end of a very comprehensive visit, we toasted with some Porto Dalva Golden White 1971.

The river Douro flowed by peacefully…

Contacts
Espaço Porto Cruz
Largo Miguel Bombarda, N.º23
4400 – 222 Vila Nova de Gaia
Tel: (+351) 220 92 53 40 / 220 92 54 01
Fax: 220 924 299
Website: www.myportocruz.com | www.porto-cruz.com

Back to the Thirties With The House of Tawnies

May 14, 2015 1 comment in Uncategorized by Sarah Ahmed

Text Sarah Ahmed

The Big Fortified Tasting is the largest wine fair in the world exclusively dedicated to fortified wines. It’s also one of my favourite tastings of the year, not least because wood-aged fortifieds – vinous works of time – are amongst the most delicious, complex wines on earth. So I jumped at the chance to attend the “House of Tawnies” Masterclass in which Sogevinus turned back the clock to the 1930s. It may have been the depression era but, from a Port perspective, there was much to celebrate as we tasted Colheita (single vintage Tawny) Ports from 1935, 1937 and 1938!

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Leaving aside the evident quality of these Ports, the self-styled “House of Tawnies” moniker is no idle boast. When Sogevinus acquired Kopke, Burmester, Barros and Cálem a decade ago, it took possession of Portugal’s largest stock of Colheitas (single vintage tawnies) – the group has 17 million litres of Tawny Port according to Chief Winemaker Carlos Alves. What’s more, since Colheitas are bottled to order, they remain in wood for very much longer than the legal minimum of seven years. It was quite remarkable to think that we were tasting wines which had spent up to 80 years in wood! All four Colheitas had only been bottled a fortnight beforehand.

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It’s a longevity which relies on both a mastery of grape sourcing and the caretaking of these fine rare Ports during their long spell in wood. Alves explains, not only must the grapes have the structure to age, they must also fit with the house style. He assesses this in the vineyards each year at harvest; grapes for the Colheitas are the first to be allocated where this category is so emblematic for the company.

For Kopke, Colheitas have been sourced from the middle and upper slopes of Quinta S. Luiz near Pinhão in the Cima Corgo since the 1920s. Rising to 600m, it provides the acidity for Kopke’s very structured, intense style. When Barros acquired Kopke in 1952, it also looked to Quinta S. Luiz for grapes but, this time, grapes with a higher sugar content are selected from two lower, hotter parcels within the vineyard near the river. They are better suited to this house’s richer Ports.

As for looking after the Ports during their time in wood, Alves has a dedicated team of two because “they need to know the wines to work them well.” He adds, they are very careful to ensure that the pipas, toneis and casks remain linked to the same house “because the wood – size and type of wood – really gives profile to the house.” For example with the greatest variety of casks, Cálem has a tradition of ageing in exotic hard wood.

At least once a year, Alves and his team transfer Colheitas from their individual 550 litre pipa (Port barrel) to a large cask in order to adjust the spirit (a neutral brandy spirit which evaporates over time) and maintain the requisite level of alcohol (the spirit integrates much better when done on a larger scale in cask). Airing the Ports in this way together with cleaning the pipas before the Ports are returned to them also explains why the 30s’ Colheitas – the oldest wines which the company has for sale – retained such admirable freshness. Here are my tasting notes:

Kopke Porto Branco 1935

Established in 1638 by Christiano Kopke and his son Nicolau, Kopke is the oldest Port wine export firm. In 1953, it was acquired by the Barros family in whose family it remained until 2006 when it was acquired by Sogevinus. With around 45g/l residual sugar, this rare pale amber example of a Colheita made from white grapes is drier in style than Kopke’s Tawny Colheita made from red grapes. It has a firmer, more focused yet restrained nose and palate with a distinctive ozone/sea spray note and a fino-like nuttiness – lighter and less sweet than the nuttiness which I associate with tawnies. And perhaps because it has less extract and residual sugar, its freshness is particularly marked. From a highly regarded Douro vintage it has a striking intensity of perfumed orange peel, orange and apple eau-de-vie and hints of spicy aniseed to the long, clean finish.

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Kopke Porto Colheita 1935

Deep amber with a saffron rim. With its orange and grapefruit peel notes to the nose, it has a palpable sense of freshness – an edginess. But there’s a richness too, which puts me in mind of yolky Madeleine biscuits. In the mouth it has terrific energy. A nutty spine brings length and tension, grapefruit and orange peel lift add spice, while a touch of “vinagrinho”/ fruit chutney makes for a tangy counterpoint to its sweet and mellow dried fig. A long, very resonating finish has lovely timbre. Fabulously complex and characterful.

Burmester Porto Colheita 1937

Henry Burmester and John Nash began shipping Port wine to the British Isles following their arrival in Vila Nova de Gaia in 1750. The Port house remained in the Burmester family until 2005 when it was acquired by Sogevinus. Though dark toffee coloured in hue, this is an exceptionally silky Colheita, very different in mouthfeel (and apparent sweetness) from the Kopke. It seems much younger, so seamless and harmoniously fruity is its salt caramel edged palate. Alves describes it as “a box of perfume” because of its aromatics. It delivers tamarind, sweet cinnamon and black cardamom spice to its dried and tangier apricot chutney fruit. Rich but beautifully balanced, it has great poise and persistence to the café crème tobacco accented finish. Mellifluous, very elegant.

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Barros Porto Colheita 1938

Barros was established in 1913 by Manoel de Almeida and acquired by Sogenvinus in 2006. From a hot year, the Barros is a deep tawny hue with saffron and olive to the rim. It’s a little spirity on the nose with a hint of walnut which, though the converse is true, would suggest it is the older of the Tawny Colheitas. In the mouth, it is more toothsomely sweet with medjool dates, crème caramel, salt caramel and nougat to the mid-palate. However, the finish shows a trace of dustiness and bitter walnut – it’s drying out a little. It’s not as harmonious as the others.

My favourite? I find it hard to choose between the Kopke and the Burmester – they’re such different styles, as it should be. On balance, the Kopke is the more ethereal of the two – I loved its energy, tension and lift. But the Burmester’s silky balance won most votes on the day.

Should you wish to do your own Burmester v Kopke challenge, why not join me on Blend All About Wine’s trip to Oporto, Vinho Verde and the Douro next month? We’ll be pitting Kopke’s and Burmester’s 20 Year Old Tawny and White Ports against each other before finishing up with two Colheitas from Kopke from 1966 and, a favourite, the 1957 – one of my top Port picks in my December article for wine-searcher. Happy days!

Contacts
Sogevinus Fine Wines, S.A.
Avenida Diogo Leite nº 344
4400-111 Vila Nova de Gaia
Tel: +351 22 3746660
Fax: +351 22 3746699
E-mail: comercial@sogevinus.com
Website: www.sogevinus.com

If It’s Meant To Be, It’s Meant To Be

May 7, 2015 4 comments in Uncategorized by Ilkka Sirén

Text Ilkka Sirén

It was the summer of 2009. I was working in Bierzo, Spain as a cellar hand / vineyard mule. For me it was like a dream come true. Just the fact that I was working outdoors in the vineyards, which in Finland is impossible, was a great experience. When I had some weekends off I used to borrow my friends car and drive down to the Douro valley. I knew the area from working there the vintage before in 2008. Going back and forth Douro and Bierzo, some of my favorite wine regions, is still one of my most precious memories. Wine, food, travel, no wife and no kids. Just me and my corkscrew. Long nights and blurred memories of people decanting a bottle of Taylor’s 1966 Vintage Port through a lemon juicer. A frat house of some sorts, full of aspiring young winemakers. Good times. Not that I’m complaining about my life now but you know. By that time I already was madly in love with Douro and was in fact planning to move there one day.

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Being away from home long periods of time isn’t always easy though. I broke things off with my longtime girlfriend before I packed my bag and travelled to Bierzo like the little wine-vagabond that I am. Finland was in my rear-view mirror and I thought that was that. Oh how wrong was I. You know what they say; absence makes the heart grow fonder. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that I was a complete idiot to let my girlfriend go. A classic fool. Luckily before we broke-up she had bought a ticket to Spain and she didn’t want to waste a perfectly good trip, so we decided that she should come and visit me in Bierzo. I saw my window, my second chance to make things right. I knew I didn’t want to spend my life without her so I started planning my proposal.

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One week before my then ex-girlfriend came to Bierzo I drove down to Douro to scout some places where I could pop the question. I wanted it to be special and I just couldn’t think of a more special place than Douro. I drove around for one day visiting vineyards and searching a perfect spot. That night I slept in my car in Pinhão riverfront because I didn’t have a place to crash and I was saving my money for the gasoline to drive back to Douro the next week. But the reconnaissance mission was worth it because I did find a fantastic vineyard with a beautiful view down to the river. The next week I was driving the same old route from Bierzo through Galicia back to Douro with my future wife. She just didn’t know it.

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To put a long story slightly shorter I took her to the special spot, popped the question and she said yes. Needless to say our personal relationship and our relationship with the Douro valley got indefinitely intermingled. We stayed that night in a cozy rural hotel and a wine estate Quinta do Pégo. I didn’t have a ring to give her so the next day we drove to Porto. After strolling around a bit I bought pretty much the cheapest “silver” ring I could find from Vila Nova de Gaia. I know, keeping it classy. But the whole trip was unique, fun and a great way to start our lives together. Much of that we owe to Portugal.

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A couple weeks ago by some freakish coincidence my father-in-law gave me wine to taste blind, which he almost never does. I taste it; definitely a port wine, probably LBV. But when I saw that the wine actually was Quinta do Pégo LBV 2009, the same quinta where we stayed when I proposed to my wife and even the same vintage. I have no idea where my father-in-law found the wine and he didn’t know the quinta so it was just pure coincidence…or was it? Either way, it made all these memories rise to surface like a vinous memory enhancer! How was the wine? Dense, fruity, tannic. A typical young LBV. Definitely needs some years to open up. But more than anything the wine was a good reminder that a wine doesn’t always need to be the most expensive or the best for it to really touch you. Although this was a pretty straightforward LBV it is one of the best LBV’s I have ever had. It made me genuinely happy.

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Contacts
Hotel Rural Qta. do Pégo
Valença do Douro
5120-493 Tabuaço
Tel. + 351 254 73 00 70
Fax + 351 254 73 00 79
E-mail: info@quintadopego.com
Website: www.quintadopego.com

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Porto Cruz, an Ever Expanding Company…

Back to the Thirties With The House of Tawnies

If It’s Meant To Be, It’s Meant To Be