PIG stands for Portugal-Italy-Greece, the three main areas covered by the three wine importers/merchants who have banded together to show their wines off.

Raymond Reynolds Ltd
Putting the P in PIG.

• N.V. Luis Pato Bairrada Espumante Maria Gomes - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada
  Fragrant and fresh on the nose. Decent refreshing stuff with individuality and character. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Quinta dos Roques Dão Quinta do Correio - Portugal, Beiras, Dão
  Quite an unusual nose: a bit muddy, but with creamy, sweet pear notes. Fairly easy on the palate. Nice character. A bit unusual. Nice touch of acidity too. Very Good+ (87 pts.)
• 2004 Casa de Mouraz - Portugal, Beiras, Dão
  This is an organic wine from a blend of Malvasia Fina, Bical and Cerceal. It has a smoky, sort of extracted, concentrated nose with raisins and a bit of rubber. Full, round and easy on the palate, with some suggestions of peach/pear fruit. It really deepens and fill out towards the finish. This is a big wine, and, interestingly, with lots of minerality. Very Good Indeed. (90 pts.)
• 2004 CARM (Casa Agrícola Roboredo Madeira) Douro Castello d'Alba Reserva - Portugal, Douro
  A fresh, yet complex nose with a touch of spirit and a touch of plastic. Interesting palate: fairly rich and concentrated with some tropical fruit and a bit of oak(?). Very full, but a bit odd, and it feels a bit confected. (81 pts.)
• 2005 Luis Pato Maria Gomes - Portugal, Beiras, Vinho Regional Beiras
  A good fresh nose - quite floral. Very good palate, with nice spice and minerality. A very interesting wine; also very food friendly. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Luis Pato Vinho Regional Beiras Vinhas Velhas (Branco) - Portugal, Beiras, Vinho Regional Beiras
  Barrel fermented, with a high proportion of bical in the blend. The nose is, like many Portuguese whites, unusual, though there's some oak on this. This is a curious, interesting wine, though I'm afraid I don't find it terribly attractive. Very Good. (86 pts.)
• 2004 Quinta dos Roques Encruzado - Portugal, Beiras, Dão
  The nose is very much like viognier indeed, and quite almondy-sweet. Interesting palate, with a bit of an oxidised/sherrified feel on the finish (though it isn't either of those). Very Good+ (87 pts.)
• 2005 Valle Pradinhos Vinho Regional Trás-os-Montes Branco - Portugal, Trás-os-Montes, Vinho Regional Trás-os-Montes
  A blend of gewurztraminer, riesling and malvasia from the continental climate of Trás-os-Montes, the area to the north of the upper Douro.
  This has a glorious fragrant nose, without the gewurztraminer being to obvious. Very attractive floral palate. Really quite elegant on its own as an aperitif, but would work really well with many foods, especially Chinese and Thai, I think. Very Good Indeed+ (92 pts.)
• 2003 Quinta dos Roques Touriga Nacional Dão Quinta do Correio - Portugal, Beiras, Dão
  A blend of jaen and touriga nacional, with smaller amounts of alfrocheiro preto and tinta toriz, fermented in stainless steel and then matured for 12 months in barriques.
  This has a young, fresh fruity nose with lots of black fruit and a touch of chocolate. Lovely round palate with good fruit character. Very easy and very nice. Has great balance. Very Good+ (88 pts.)
• 2005 Lavradores de Feitoria Douro - Portugal, Douro
  A glorious young purple colour. Young, perfumed blackberry nose with floral violets. Nice palate: very clean and fresh. Good structure and very nice balance. A rather nice wine, with the added advantage of being great fun. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Quinta dos Roques - Portugal, Beiras, Dão
  Quite a floral nose with a nice scent. Good, round palate. Very easy drinking, but it also has a nice depth. Very clean finish. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2004 Herdade São Miguel Alentejo Montinho - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo
  A blend of tempranillo, trincadeira and cabernet sauvignon. Not a bad nose, though it feels a bit confected with sweet raspberry fruit. Rather simple on the palate, with lots of tannin. Seems less successful than the other Portuguese reds today. (83 pts.)
• 2004 Herdade São Miguel Alentejo - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo
  A fairly classic Alentejan blend, including tempranillo and trincadeira. This is much more complex on the nose than the same producer's 2004 Montinho, with good raspberry and blackberry fruit. Good body, again with lots of tannin. Needs time. (86 pts.)
• 2003 Casa de Saima Bairrada - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada
  Made from old vine baga grapes, trodden and fermented in lagares, before ageing in 100 year old large barrels. This has a very elegant nose with cherries and chocolate. Very elegant on the palate too, with a good tannic structure. Feels very Barolo like. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Luis Pato Vinho Regional Beiras Vinhas Velhas - Portugal, Beiras, Vinho Regional Beiras
  From a single vineyard with the old vines of the label. There is concentrated and fresh raspberry and cherry fruit on the nose, which is also quite scented. Very good palate: there's a nice hint of bittterness, balanced by some ripe fruit and tannins. Has some of the character of a baby barolo. Very Good Indeed. (90 pts.)
• 2004 CARM (Casa Agrícola Roboredo Madeira) Douro Quinta do Côa - Portugal, Douro
  Produced organically. This has a restrained, portlike nose with out the power and spirit. Good palate - very Douro, but with a lightness and elegance uncharacteristic of the Douro. Huge length. Very Good Indeed+ (93 pts.)
• 2004 Quinta do Zambujeiro Vinho Regional Alentejano Monte do Castanheiro - Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano
  The pretty standard Alentejano blend of varieties, here 55% trincadeira, 15% aragonez (aka tempranillo), 15% castelão, 10% alicante bouschet and 5% cabernet sauvignon.
  This has an attractive black fruits nose with some raw oak (30% new barrels apparently). Big palate, but very well balanced. Very good length with nice grainy tannins on the finish. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2002 Niepoort Douro Vertente - Portugal, Douro
  This has a really lovely nose, very typical of the Douro. Very full on the palate with lots of chewy tannin. No doubt this is serious stuff. Very Good/Very Good Indeed. (88 pts.)
• 2002 Niepoort Douro Redoma - Portugal, Douro
  A very complex, powerful nose with good oak character and great depth. Very integrated, smooth palate. Long and smooth. Very distinguished. Very Good Indeed+. (93 pts.)
• N.V. Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Muy Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
  From Domecq's 18th century solera blended with Gilbey's 19th centruy soleras. This is designated as a VORS with 30 years of age, though they say it's 39 years old. It has a beautiful nutty, complex nose with a very savoury note. A bit spirity on the palate, though the overall impression is that it's very savoury - almost a parmesan-umami-like savouriness. Very concentrated too. Impressive stuff. (90 pts.)
• N.V. Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Amontillado Muy Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
  The solera for the Bodegas Tradicion Amontillado goes back to the 19th century solera of Gilbey, Bobadilla, Osborne and Delgado-Zuleta. Classified as a 30-year old VORS, the Bodega puts an age of 37 years on this. Quite a gentle nose with a lovely purity. Pure and really quite fresh on the palate. Very concentrated. Very clean. Very delicious. Excellent. (95 pts.)
• N.V. Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Palo Cortado Muy Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
  This fabulous VORS palo cortado originates in 19th century Domecq solera and Croft harvests of 1970 and 1982. Immediately on the nose, you can tell this is something special: it has a lovely purity, with sweet caramelly almonds and pine kernels (though no caramel is added in the production). A really superb palate. Huge balance. Breathtakingly impressive. Excellent. (96 pts.)
• N.V. Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Pedro Ximénez Muy Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
  This is classified as a VOS with at least 20 years of age and originates in Sandeman soleras from the 19th century and Harvey's soleras. Naturally, as ever with PX, this looks like thick heavy engine oil, though it doesn't have the greenish tinge that some have. Liquid raisins, of course, but also some roasted coffee notes. This is a really excellent example of a PX: very balanced and nowhere near as sticky, sickly cloying as some examples can be. (94 pts.)
• 1996 Barbeito Madeira Single Harvest - Portugal, Madeira
  A nuttier nose than Barbeito's Veramar, with hints of maple syrup, though there's a much dryer feel overall. Very good on the palate with huge elegance and blanace. Superb stuff. Lovely balancing acidity. Excellent. (95 pts.)
• N.V. Barbeito Madeira Boal Reserve Veramar - Portugal, Madeira
  A lovely, winning nose with marzipan and cherry kernels. There's a medium-sweet richness on the palate. Easy and quite refreshing. A really lovely drink. Excellent. (95 pts.)
• 1994 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia Single Cask Colheita - Cask 276a - Portugal, Madeira
  The "a" apparently refers to the warehouse, and "a" is Barbeito's coastal warehouse where this finished its maturation. A really good, complex nose with hints of vieille prune. Super palate. Very balanced, with a lovely acidity. Very pure and clean. Massive length. Excellent. (96 pts.)
• N.V. Niepoort Porto Dry White - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  A remarkably attractive nose for a white port! Quite raisiny on the attack. Most unusually for a white port, this is not a bad drink on its own - quite orangey and nutty; and would work well with terrines and maybe non-fresh-fruit desserts. (85 pts.)
• N.V. Niepoort Porto Senior Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  Almost a Tavel rosé colour, rather than a tawny. Quite a sweet nose with red fruits - stewed strawberries. This is a remarkably wine-like tawny, until the spirit comes along on the finish to remind you it is port. A delicate, fresh, fruity wine. Rather impressive. (89 pts.)
• N.V. Niepoort Porto Junior Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  A very unusual nose - quite green in character. Much more evidently port on the palate than it was on the nose. Very restrained, but this is sweeter and fuller and much less charming than the Senior Tawny. (84 pts.)
• 2001 Niepoort Porto Late Bottled Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  Elegant black fruits and concentrated violets on the nose, with a hint of bitter chocolate. Attractive palate with great depth. Decent complexity. A very controlled, self-assured port. Very balanced. Very Good Indeed. (90 pts.)

Wine Traders (UK) Ltd
Who brought a range of interesting Italian wines.

• 2005 La Parrina Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Costa dell'Argentario
  A fragrant, fresh nose. Light, clean palate. Decent character on the finish. Very good length and character after. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Fattoria Nicodemi Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
  A light, gently perfumed nose. A gentle, easy palate with nice depth. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Terre di Talamo Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT
  A rounded, rather dulled nose. Fairly powerful palate. Decent depth. I find this a bit blowsy. Very Good. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Inama Soave Classico Superiore Vulcaia - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico
  A rather closed nose, with some asparagus notes. Crisp, clean palate with good depth. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2004 Inama Soave Classico Vigneti di Foscarino - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico
  Barrel fermented in old oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This has a lovely round palate: full an dcomplex, yet also very clean. Very impressive stuff. Very Good Indeed+. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Terre di Talamo Piano Piano Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT
  A lovely bright pink colour. Lots of strawberry fruit on the nose. You wouldn't guess this was sangiovese without a lot of prompting. Nice and crisp and clean. Good balance and with decent depth and character. (89 pts.)
• 2004 La Parrina - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Parrina
  100% Sangiovese.
  Warm cherry fruits nose. Quite austere on the palate. Very fine and elegant, with a lovely cherry kernel finish. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Pecchenino Dolcetto di Dogliani Siri D'Jermu - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Dolcetto di Dogliani
  A warm, sweet raspberry nose. Very nice palate. Quite fruit driven and in really quite a modern style. Rather austere finish. Very Good/Very Good Indeed. (88 pts.)
• 2004 Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Tempo Terre di Talamo - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Morellino di Scansano
  This has a gorgeous nose. Lovely elegant fruit on the palate too. Very clean. Big grainy tannins on the finish and after. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
  A lvoely cherry kernel nose - sweet and perfumed. Very good, light palate with some lovely fresh notes. Fairly simple. Very Good+ (87 pts.)
• 2001 La Parrina Parrina Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Parrina
  This has an utterly beautiful nose with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit. On the palate, there is ripe, fresh fruit backed up by lots of oaky tannins. This is serious stuff and needs time. Very Good Indeed. (90 pts.)
• 2002 Palari Rosso del Soprano Sicilia IGT - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia IGT
  A smoky mulberry nose - very earthy and very forest floor. Light and perfumed on the palate with a gentle tannic structure. Very Good Indeed+. (93 pts.)
• 2001 Palari Faro Rosso - Italy, Sicily, Faro
  A blend of nerello and a host of other indigenous Sicilian grapes. There's hedgerow and black fruit on the nose. Very smooth palate. Very fresh and clean. Very Good Indeed. (89 pts.)
• 2003 Inama Bradisismo Veneto IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT
  Cabernet Sauvignon 70 % : Carmenère 20 % : Merlot 10 % from the Colli Berici near Vicenza.
  This has a lovely nose - concentracted blackcurrant and blackberry with a hint of dusty sawdust. Very rounded and balanced on the palate with a lovely tannic structure. Very pure finish. Great length. Very Good Indeed. (92 pts.)
• 2001 Castello di Bossi Corbaia Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  65% sangiovese; 35% cabernet sauvignon.
  A rather stinky black fruit nose. Good, very concentrated palate. Very concentrated with good structure, but doesn't really do it for me. Very Good. (87 pts.)
• 2000 Castello di Bossi Girolamo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  100% merlot. Round plummy fruit on the nose with a nice perfume. Very good on the palate: a nice fresh attack is followed up by ripe, plummy black fruit. Very significant detract a bit on the finish. (88 pts.)
• 2002 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Binomio - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
  Binomio is the result of a collaboration between Stefano Inama from the Azienda Agricola Inama in the Veneto and Sabatino di Properzio from Fattoria la Valentina, their intention being to allow old vine Montepulciano to show the greatness that it can achieve. The Binomio vineyard (which they bought in 1999) had been planted with the low-yielding Africa clone in 1971. The grapes undergo a very strict selection: apparently in 2002 more than half the grapes were discarded!
  This has a big, sweet, gamey nose that's hugely attractive. Fairly light and fresh on the palate, though it also manages to be a bit hot and spicy on the finish. (89 pts.)
• 2004 Graziano Lambrusco Modena IGT Fontana dei Boschi - Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Modena IGT
  A pretty stinky black fruit nose. Powerful black fruit on the palate. Very clean yet also very big. I get the feeling this really needs meat; red meat. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Boroli Moscato d'Asti Aureum - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti
  A gorgeous fresh, muscatty nose. Light, fresh, clean. Very good balance. An excellent example of a moscato d'asti. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Inama Vulcaia Après Vino Dolce - Italy, Veneto
  12%, 375ml
  Late harvest sauvignon blanc, aged for nine months in acacia barrels.
  A medium orange gold. A fairly rich nose with some fresh marmalade notes. Good fresh palate with a nice light sweet richness and some lightly caramelised orange flavours. Really good balance with very precise, clear, clean flavours. Lacks the opulence and decadence of richer sweet wines. Not at all cloying and leaves the mouth nicely refreshed. Really good restraint. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)

Eclectic Wines
It is only fair to point out that I tasted the Eclectic Wines range towards the end of the day, when a number of bottles were nearly empty and Mary Pateras and her husband were needing to set off on a long drive for the London arm of the PIG tasting. It was not possible to give all the wines the full consideration they deserved. Hence the brevity of the notes.

• 2005 Hatzidakis Aidani Assyrtiko - Greece, Aegean, Santorini
  This is a blend of 25% aidani and 75% assyrtiko, produced organically, and sees no oak. Around 2,000-3,000 bottles are produced each year (the Hatzidakis winery's total production is only 70,000 750ml bottles a year). The label was "designed" by the Hatzidakis' young children.
  The nose is very full and fruity, if a little muddy and unfocussed. Decent palate. Quite complex, just a bit confused on the palate. Very Good. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Hatzidakis Santorini - Greece, Aegean, Santorini
  A blend of 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Aidani, and 5% Athiri. Unoaked.
  This has a lovely fresh, clean nose - bright and fragrant and very attractive. Really pleasant palate with good fruit, balance and character. This is lovely stuff. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Hatzidakis Barrel Santorini - Greece, Aegean, Santorini
  This is 100% assyrtiko and, as the name suggests, aged in oak for between nine and twelve months.
  This has a very good nose with the wood coming through but by no means dominating. The palate is excellent. Very similar to Hatzidakis' unoaked Santorini, but with extra complexity. It's taken the oak very well. (94 pts.)
• 2004 Hatzidakis Nykteri Santorini - Greece, Aegean, Santorini
  100% Assyrtiko, late harvested when very mature. The grapes are harvested in the early morning and then pressed that night. Half of the wine is aged in second use oak for six months, half in stainless steel. It has quite a perfumed nose. Lovely smooth, rich palate. Round and full. Very Good Indeed. (91 pts.)
• 2006 Finca Sophenia Sauvignon Blanc Altosur - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato
  A very hard green beans nose. Decent palate; fairly rounded. Scarcely impressive though. Good. (82 pts.)
• 2004 Vignoble Guillaume Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté - France, Franche-Comté, Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté
  A rich buttery nose. Rich and full on the palate, delivering all a basic chardonnay should and more. (90 pts.)
• 2005 Finca Sophenia Malbec Altosur - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato
  A lovely perfumed nose with powerful black fruit. Sweet and pure on the palate. Very Good Indeed-. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine Evharis Ilaros - Greece, Attica
  This is a blend of 60 Agiorgitiko and 40% grenache rouge.
  Good ruby colour. A bit stinky on the nose, but there's still some good fruit. Good palate, with nice clean, pure flavours. Very Good+ (88 pts.)
• 2003 Megapanos Winery Nemea - Greece, Peloponnisos, Nemea
  The grapes are destemmed and then fermented in stainless steel for 6-10 days. The wine is then clarified and stablised with gelatine and then matured in Greek oak for a year. The wine is filtered before bottling and matured in bottle for another year before release.
  A bittersweet cherry kernel nose. Full and pure on the palate with a nice bitterness on the finish. (86 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine Vassiliou Nemea - Greece, Peloponnisos, Nemea
  There's cherry-raspberry fruit on the nose, but the palate doesn't live up to the nose at all. It has a pinotage like rubbery bitterness to it that I find rather unappealing. (78 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine Vassiliou Erythros - Greece, Attica
  A blend of Agiorgitiko and cabernet sauvignon, fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel and then matured in new French oak for 14 months.
  This has an attractive red fruits nose with a nice perfume. Zingy and fresh on the palate with very forward young fruit. Not sure what to make of this. (85 pts.)
• 2005 Vignoble Guillaume Pinot Noir Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté - France, Franche-Comté, Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté
  The Guillaumes are renowned for their vine nursery, supplying great names such as Romanée Conti and Sassicaia with new vines. They also make wine.
  This pinot noir has lovely warm strawberry-cherry fruit on the nose with a nice earthiness. Lovely palate, delivering all the nose promised. Very Good Indeed. (90 pts.)
• 2005 Vignoble Guillaume Pinot Noir Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté Vieilles Vignes - France, Franche-Comté, Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté
  Light cherry and red fruit on the nose. Very pleasant indeed. (89 pts.)