Wines from Portugal Annual
Tasting
Vinopolis, 14th March 2006
Adega Cooperativa da
Covilhã
The Adega Cooperativa da Covilhã was founded in 1954, with 147 members; the
first wines were released under the coop's labels in 1957. At first, the
main business was the supply of wine in bulk, moving into bottling their own
wines in the 1970s. Today the coop has almost 1200 members with around
1500 hectares of vines, producing around four million bottles per annum.
2003 Colheita de
Sócio Superior, Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, DOC Beira Interior, 13.5%
In an awful dumb-bell bottle, this is a blend of the unfamiliar varieties
Rufate, Jaen, Periquita and Marouco. Ripe and full, but lack some of the
character of the 2003 Piornos trindaceira. Very Good Indeed –
2003 Piornos
Trincadeira, Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, DOC Beira Interior, 13%
A lovely smoky nose. There is immediate, ripe, open fruit on the attack.
Very attractive flavours. It’s especially interesting towards and on the
finish when there’s a sour cherry and caramel note. Really plush and
attractive on the palate. Very finely knitted with a great tannic
structure. Very Good Indeed.
2004 Piornos Reserva,
Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, DOC Beira Interior, 13%
A blend of trincadeiro, jaen and rufeta. The nose is rather green, with
hedgerow fruit. Decent fruit on the palate, with a big structure. Very
nice on the finish with an interesting rich syrupyness contrasting with the
grippy tannins. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2005 Piornos Colheita
Branco, Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, DOC Beira Interior, 13%
A blend of Síria, Arinto and Fonte Cal, this has a rather unimpressive nose,
reminiscent of a very closed Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Crisp and fresh
on the palate. OK/Good.
2004 Monte Serrano
CS, Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, DOC Beira Interior, 12.5%
The CS stands for Colheita Seleccionada, not cabernet sauvignon. This has a
very pleasant, attractive nose. A very pleasant, easy drinking wine. Very
Good+
Conde Julião Colheita
Seleccionada (Red), Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, Regional Beiras
This has a confected, artificial nose. Decent enough on the palate – quite
enjoyable really. Simple, young, fresh and easy. Good/Very Good.
Conde Julião Colheita
Seleccionada (White), Adega Cooperativa Covilhã, Regional Beiras
A fairly interesting nose, with fragrant, delicate, musky scents. Very
simple on the palate. OK.
Quinta de Ventozelo
Represented in the UK by Alliance Wine, Beith (www.alliancewine.co.uk)
2003 Cister da
Ribeira, Quinta de Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £5.49)
A decent, chocolatey, porty nose, though with a bit of stink. Good clean
fruit on the palate. Very Good.
2001 Tinto, Quinta de
Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £7.49)
A big, fruity nose with lots of black fruit. In the mouth it is really nice
and ripe with interesting portlike flavours. Big tannins on the finish.
Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2002 Tinto, Quinta de
Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £7.49)
A pretty basic Douro red nose. Decent palate. Fairly simple. Good.
2003 Tinto Roriz,
Quinta de Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £9.99)
A fairly basic tempranillo nose. Nice balance in the mouth. It’s a good
wine, but rather unexceptional. Good/Very Good.
2003 Touriga Franca,
Quinta de Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £9.99)
A lovely nose with chocolate and blackberries. Ripe clean fruit on the
palate. Very attractive. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Touriga Nacional,
Quinta de Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £9.99)
A very deep, chocolatey, tarry mulberry nose. Very nice palate. Very Good
Indeed.
2001 Reserva, Quinta
de Ventozelo, Douro (RRP £10.00)
A very un-Douro-like nose with too much vanilla oak. Decent palate. Very
drinkable, though probably should need food. Very Good, if a bit
unexceptional.
Quinta do Zimbro Vinhos
Lda
2004 Zimbro, Quinta
do Zimbro, Douro (€5.50 ex cellars)
A typical Douro blend of touriga franca, tinta barocca, tinta roriz and
touriga nacional. This has a spicy, rich nose that is very inviting with
black fruit, tar and a hint of chocolate. The palate is very precise. The
fruit is still very zingy and it’s not quite together yet. Very Good, Very
Good Indeed in time.
2003 Quinta de Calços
do Tanha Reserva, Douro (€7.50 ex cellars)
A blend of more than ten traditional Douro varieties. The nose is very
minerally and talcy with soft fruit. Very attractive on the attack, with
seductive soft fruit and gentle tannins with nice acidity to balance it.
Impressive. Very Good Indeed.
Associação de Adegas –
Vinhos de Portugal www.vinhosportugal.net
Vinhos de Portugal is an association of three cooperative wineries from Ribatejo
and Estremadura.
The Adega Cooperativa de
Almeirim was founded in 1958 and is now a very significant player in
Ribatejo with around 720 associates with around 5,400 acres of vineyards,
producing around 30 million litres of wine a year.
The Adega Cooperativa de
Arruda was founded in 1954: it has around 1100 members with around 1600
hectares of vineyards.
The Adega Cooperativa da
Batalha was founded rather later, in 1969. In all they have around 830
hectares of vineyards, and the cooperative accounts for more than 85% of the
wine production in Batalha.
2001 Moinho do Céu,
Adega Cooperativa de Arruda, Vinho Regional Estremadura, 13.5%
A blend of cabernet and castelão, this has an attractive, very elegant nose
of soft red fruits. Soft, fruity and very open on the palate, with a very
nice finish that really adds depth and interest. Very Good Indeed (+)
2004 Moinho do Céu,
Adega Cooperativa de Arruda, Vinho Regional Estremadura, 13.5%
This comprises the aragonez grape with some syrah. A bright, attractive,
simple, fruity nose. Good clean palate. This represents nice easy drinking
with some character. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2003 Real Batalha
tinto, Adega Cooperativa de Batalha, VQPRD Encostas de Aire, 13.5%
A blend of baga and castelão. This has a rather muted, quite simple nose of
red and black fruits. Good palate: simple initially, but it really builds
in interest with layers of ripe red fruit. Very Good.
Cruz D’Aviz, Adega
Cooperativa de Batalha, Estremadur, Vinho de Mesa Tinto, 12.5%
From a blend of baga, trincadeira and grand noir grapes, this has a light,
Trebor fruit salad nose. Very bright flavours. Very easy drinking. Very
Good Indeed (+)
2003 Varandas, Adega
Cooperativa de Almeirim, Ribatejo DOC
A blend of castelão and aragonês, aged for nine months in 60% French oak and
40% American oak.
A very full tar-burner nose with smoky cedary fruit. A good, open palate,
with nice balance: really good fruit, balanced by decent acidity and very
good structure. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2003 Marachas, Adega
Cooperativa de Almeirim, Vinho Regional Ribatejano
From the castelão grape, aged for six months in a mix of French and American
oak. This has a very muted nose of black, plummy fruit and a hint of pencil
eraser. Very well balanced with really good structure and fine-grained
tannins on the finish. Very Good+.
2003 Marachas, Adega
Cooperativa de Almeirim, Vinho Regional Ribatejano
This is predominantly tinta roriz with just a bit of aragonês, again aged
for six months in French and American oak. Deep, if muted black fruit on
the nose. Good, simple, straightforward palate. Lacks the style of the
2002 Planicié. Good.
2002 Planície, Adega
Cooperativa de Almeirim, Vinho Regional Ribatejano
100% castelão, aged for six months in French oak. A simple, young, smoky
tar nose. Simple, yet attractive palate with some style and character.
Nice finish with soft tannins. Very Good Indeed.
NV Casal Garcia,
Vinho Verde (RRP £4.72)
A simple manufactured nose. This is a industrial vinho verde, light and
simple with the depth and character of a glass of tapwater. OK.
NV Aveleda Vinho Verde
(RRP £4.49)
A simple, quite minerally nose with grapefruit and cheap scent. Fairly
fresh with a bit of fruit on the palate. Perfectly drinkable. OK
2005 Quinta da
Aveleda Vinho Verde (RRP £4.69)
A lab sample. Delicate, lightly scented nose. Fresh with some floral fruit
on the palate. Decent enough stuff. Good+.
2004 Aveleda Loureiro
Vinho Verde (RRP £5.65)
A minerally, citrus, floral nose that’s quite delicate. Decent palate.
Attractive, easy drinking, though with no particular interest. Good+
2005 Aveleda
Alvarinho Vinho Verde (RRP £8.75)
A pleasant floral, peachy nose. Round clean fruit on the palate, with fair
depth. A definite step up from the preceding Aveleda wines. Very Good.
2001 Aveleda Tinto
Estremadura (RRP £4.71)
A rather straightforward, international nose. Very simple, if a bit
manufactured with little character. OK.
2003 Charamba Douro
Tinto, Aveleda (RRP £4.97)
A tarry, syrupy nose. Very sweet fruit on the attack. Sweet and simple.
Good.
2003 Quinta da
Aguieira Touriga Nacional, Beiras (RRP £15.20)
A twenty hectare property in Beiras owned by Quinta da Aveleda. Simple,
fresh and very ripe on the nose. Good enough on the palate, but overall
it’s just simple and uninteresting and offers nothing to justify the
excessive price tag.
2005 Casa de Vila
Verde Vinho Verde Branco, 11.5%
A blend of traditional vinho verde varieties: trajadura, loureiro and
arinto. A light, fresh, fragrant nose that’s quite peachy. Good, clean
palate. Quite full flavoured and it could possibly do with having a bit
more acidity. Very Good.
2005 Casa de Vila
Verde Alvarinho, Minho, 12.5%
(vat sample) A lemony, peachy nose. Very nice palate with lovely
character. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2005
Casa de Vila Verde Vinho Branco Seco, Minho,
13.5%
(vat sample). A curious, raw green fruit nose. Better on the palate
than on the nose. Nice crisp flavours, but with an interesting complexity
with layers of rather interesting fruit. Very Good +.
Churchill Graham www.churchills-port.com
Churchill started developing table wines from the Douro in 1999, under the
direction of João Brito e Cunha, one of the new generation of Portuguese
oenologists. The grapes come from Churchill’s own vineyards, principally the
Quinta da Grincha, which they believe has a microclimate and terroir that
produces “distinctively elegant wines with excellent natural acidity and purity
of fruit.” As of 2003, they have increased the percentage of touriga nacional
to give them greater aromatic elegance and identity.
2003 Quinta da Gricha
Douro Tinto
Tinta roriz, touriga franca and touriga nacional from vines that are on
average 25 years old; matured for 12 months in a combination of old and new
French barriques. 6000 bottle were produced.
A really lovely chocolatey nose. Very powerful flavours in the mouth: quite
open on the attack, then that’s followed up by loads of power and grip, but
not at all over-tannic. Very Good Indeed/Excellent.
2003 Churchill
Estates Douro Tinto
Tinta roriz, touriga nacional and touriga franca; matured for eight months
in old and new French oak.
There is lovely bright fruit on the nose, though it’s let down a bit on the
palate, where it seems a bit simple and a touch internationalised.
Good/Very Good.
2004 Churchill
Estates Douro Tinto (cask sample)
A very caramelly, chocolate nose. Very good fruit on the palate. This has
much greater complexity than the 2003. Very Good Indeed.
Quinta de la Rosa, Sophia
Bergqvist www.quintadelarosa.com
The Bergqvist family have been making port since 1815 and bought Quinta de la
Rosa in 1905 as their flagship property. The family port shipping company,
Feuerheerd, was sold in the 1930s but they kept Quinta de la Rosa, which was run
by Sophia’s grandmother, Claire. In 1988 Sophia and her father, Tim Bergqvist,
decided to restart the family business and launched Quinta de la Rosa as a top
quality port producer onto the market place. Starting in the early 1990s, the
Bergqvist family were one of the pioneers in taking red table wine production
(as opposed to port production) in the Douro region seriously. More recently,
they have also been making their Vale da Clara wine, buying in carefully
selected grapes from nearby properties. The Vale da Clara wine is made for
younger drinking than the Quinta de la Rosa wines, the aim being for it to have
more fruit and less oak.
The quinta is on the north
bank of the Douro, one kilometre from Pinhão in the heart of the best
port-producing area. They have around 55 hectares of vineyards, A-graded
by the Casa do Douro, producing 100,000 litres of table wine per year (together
with another 50,000 litres of port). The older terraced vineyards with
their stone retaining walls are planted with mixed varieties, the vines being at
least fifty years old. The newer vineyards (patamares) date from the early
1970s and are block planted with Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca,
Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cão.
2004 Vale da Clara,
Douro tinto
Tinta roriz, touriga franca and touriga nacional. A light, fresh, fragrant
nose. Good attractive palate. Very Good Indeed -.
2004 Vale da Clara,
Douro branco
A blend of gouvela, rabigato and malvasia; matured in oak. An open,
fragrant nose. Nice balance on the palate. Very crisp and fresh. An
interesting wine. Very Good.
2004 Vale da Clara,
Douro rosé
Apparently made from the free run juice of vintage port. This has a nice
interesting nose, if a bit indistinct. Good palate, with a distinct,
characterful flavour. Very Good+.
2003 Quinta de la
Rosa, Quinta da Rosa Vinhos SA, Douro tinto
Tinta roriz, touriga franca and touriga nacional, matured in French oak.
Good round fruit on the nose with loads of character. Very attractive,
pleasant palate. Nice spice on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
2001 Quinta de la
Rosa Reserva, Quinta da Rosa Vinhos SA, Douro tinto
From old vine tinta roriz, touriga franca and touriga nacional; matured in
French oak.
An interesting nose: more open and more minerally than the 2003 non-reserva.
Very attractive on the palate with loads of character. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Dourosa,
Bergqvist, Douro tinto
Once again a blend of tinta roriz, touriga franca and touriga nacional.
This wine is available exclusively at Waitrose.
A dullish nose, though there’s quite zingy fruit on the palate. Lacks some
of the character of the Quinta da Rosa wines. Good.
2003 Poeira, Jorge
Nobre Moreira, Douro tinto
A mixed (????) blend, from old vines made in lagares. This has a very
interesting nose. Very spice on the palate. A very distinctive wine. A
bit hot on the finish. Not wholly to my taste. Very Good Indeed -.
2003 Cerejeiras,
Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Estremadura, 13.5%
A blend of aragonez, tinta miúda and castelão. Greenish red fruit nose with a certain
muddiness. Very unfocussed on the palate, lacking integration, and
certainly lacking pleasure. OK
2003 Sanguinhal,
Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Estremadura, 13.5%
100% aragonez. A more interesting nose than the Cerejeiras: slightly
fragrant and floral with some talc. Nice fresh palate. Quite zingy fruit.
A good barbecue wine. Very Good +.
2001 Sanguinhal,Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Estremadura, 13%
A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% syrah. An unexceptional, rather
international wine that you can’t really say much more about than that it
has ripe fruit. Good.
2001 Sanguinhal,
Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Estremadura, 13.5%
100% touriga nacional. A decent, ripe nose. Attractive, fairly simple,
very young feeling, ripe palate. A bit hot on the finish. Very Good.
2003 Sanguinahl,
Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Estremadura, 13.5%
A blend of touriga nacional and syrah. Leathery, black fruit nose. Simple
and attractive, though there’s a curious astringent, almost pinotage-like
bitterness on the finish. Good.
2003 Quinta de S.
Francisco, Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Óbidos
A blend of castelão, aragonex and touriga nacional. Quite a minerally nose
with lots of young red and black fruit, though I could swear there’s the
scent of some grilled sardines somewhere in there on the nose too! Soft and
open, with good fruit and structure. Very Good Indeed?
2000 Quinta do
Sanguinhal, Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal, Óbidos
A blend of 75% castelão, 20% tinta miúda and 5% carignan. This has an interesting nose
of minerally red and black fruit. Very soft and open on the palate, with
big structure and a spicy finish. Very Good Indeed.
Fiuza & Bright www.fiuza.net
Imported by Portukal Impex Ltd.
2005 Fiuza Oceanus
White, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo (Stelvin), 13% (RRP £4.99)
Fernão Pires. Fragrant and floral. Good clean stuff. Very Good Indeed.
2005 Fiuza Sauvignon
Blanc, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 12.5% (RRP £4.99)
A fragrant grassy nose. Crisp and clean. Tight and concise. Very Good +
2005 Fiuza
Chardonnay, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 13.5% (RRP £6.50)
Part barrel fermented, part in stainless steel; aged for three months in new
American oak. A fragrant, peachy,
tropical fruit nose. A straightforward, very international chardonnay.
Good/Very Good.
2005 Fiuza Rosé,
Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £5.99)
Made from cabernet sauvignon with 24 hours skin contact before fermentation
controlled at a temperature of 15°C. A crisp curranty nose. Nice palate: good
crisp flavours. Well rounded with a very clean finish. Very Good Indeed.
2005 Fiuza oceanus
Rosé, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 11.5% (RRP £4.99)
100% aragonês. A light, gently fragrant nose. Decent palate. Very light,
fresh and crisp with some structure. Good.
2004 Fiuza Trés castas,
Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 12.5% (RRP £5.99)
A blend of touriga nacional, aragonês and cabernet sauvignon that spends six
months in a mixture of new and old oak barrels. An earthy,
leathery nose with a bit of spice. Nice palate. Good character and
balance, with the fruit balanced by a nice spice and a hint of oak. Very
Good/Very Good Indeed.
2004 Fiuza Oceanus
Red, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo (RRP £4.99)
An unoaked touriga nacional. Fair nose, with a slightly curious astringent
note. Simple, easy and unexceptional. Good.
2004 Fiuza Cabernet
Sauvignon, Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 14.5% (RRP £6.50)
An interesting nose, though with very little cabernet sauvignon character.
Very, very ripe fruit on the attack. This is a very interesting wine, but
I’d never guess it was cabernet sauvignon. Very Good+.
2003 Fiuza Premium,
Fiuza & Bright, Ribatejo, 14% (RRP £6.99)
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, trincadeira preta and aragonês. Aged
for 16 months in new French and American oak, followed by 5 months in
bottle. The nose has
blackcurrant, rose petals, honeysuckle nose with a hint of cinnamon. Very
good on the palate and very attractive. This has good depth and decent
acidity to keep it all in nice balance. Very Good Indeed.
Quinta do Casal Branco Sociedade de
Vinhos www.casalbranco.com
The Casal Branco estate is located on the left bank of the Tagus River in the
Almeirim region, and has been owned by the same family for more than two
centuries (the winery is in a building dating back to the 18th century). The
estate extends to 660 hectares, 140 of which are under vines. The vineyards are
planted mainly with Portuguese varieties such as the white Fernão Pires, and
(for red) trincadeira, castelão, and touriga nacional; more recently Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Alicante and Syrah have been planted. As well
as producing wines, the Quinta do Casal Branco also maintains a stud going back
to the second Earl of Sobral (1807-1876).
2005 The Cork Grove
Fernão Pires, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £4.79 – main
stockists Waitrose & Co-op)
A vat sample. From 25-year old vines. Lovely fragrant nose. Fresh, crisp and very refreshing.
Lovely fragrance with decent elegance too. Nice balance. Very Good Indeed.
2005 Terra de Lobos,
Fernão Pires/Chardonnay (RRP £4.79 – stocked by Waitrose)
A more muted nose. There’s a touch of fragrance on the nose, together with
a touch of buttery melon. Decent palate. More of a food wine than ‘the
Cork Grove’. Very Good.
2004 Falcoaria white,
Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo (RRP £5.99)
100% Fernão Pires, half of which is fermented in barriques. A very curious
nose with a sour oak and lactic feel. A simple, rather characterless
palate. Of little interest and not doing it for me. OK.
2004 Terra de Lobos,
Castelão/Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% (RRP £4.79 Waitrose)
Made from
85% castelão, 15% cabernet sauvignon grapes that are foot-trodden in 'lagares'
before fermentation in stainless steel.
A pleasant black fruit nose.
Pleasant palate, though rather unremarkable. Bit hot on the finish. Good.
2003 The Cork Grove
Castelão & Merlot, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £4.79, Coop)
15% merlot. Quite a plummy nose. Good palate with nice interesting fruit.
It has some complexity yet there’s still good freshness. Very Good Indeed.
2004 The Cork Grove
Castelão & Shiraz, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £4.79
Waitrose)
75% Castelão, 25% shiraz. Sweet brambly fruit on the nose. A touch
disjointed on the palate. This doesn’t seem to me one of the most
successful pairings of grape varieties. Good/Very Good.
2003 The Cork Grove
Castelão & Alicante Bouschet, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP
£4.99)
75% castelão, 25% alicante bouschet. A leathery, tarry nose. Good fruity
palate with nice depth and a very interesting character. There’s black
fruit and a definite sweet cherry flavour on the finish. Very Good/Very
Good Indeed.
1999 Falcoaria red,
Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £6.99)
This is a blend of trincadeira, aragones and castelão: the castelão comes
from 80 year old vines. Foot-trodden and fermented in lagares, before
ageing in French oak.
Quite a cedary nose with some black fruit and
leather and tobacco. Light and elegant. Very well structured, with firm
tannins on the finish. Sort of like a Medoc with something in it. Very
Good Indeed.
2004 Capucho Merlot,
Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13.5% (RRP £7.99)
Foot-trodden and fermented in lagares, before ageing for 3 months in
French oak.
A very ripe merlot nose with strawberry and raspberry jam scents.
Attractive, if rather straightforward on the palate. Very Good/Very Good
Indeed.
2000 Capucho Cabernet
Sauvignon, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13% (RRP £7.99)
Foot-trodden and fermented in lagares, before ageing for 9 months in
French oak.
A very smoky, intense blackcurrant nose with very ripe fruit. Undoubtedly a
very good, very well made wine, but I’m left wondering why bother? Very
Good Indeed.
2004 Falcoaria
Reserva, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo, 13.5% (RRP £9.99)
A blend of Castelão and Trincadeira, from an 80-year old vineyard.
Trodden by foot and fermented in lagares, before ageing in French oak.
An interesting nose with lots of red and black fruits, if rather
indeterminate. Very attractive attack. This has lots of depth on the
palate and is quite big overall. Very good finish with good tannic
structure. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Capucho Alicante
Bouschet, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo (RRP £12.99)
A very fragrant nose with deep, complex black fruit. Nice structure on the
palate. Interesting flavours. Quite impressive. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Capucho Petit
Verdot, Quinta do Casal Branco, Ribatejo (RRP £12.99)
A very tarry nose with brambly fruit. Very open and ripe on the attack.
Good flavour. A bit simple maybe, but it is a single variety petit verdot.
Very nice balance. Very well made. Very Good Indeed.
Prats & Symington
Imported by John E Fells (www.fells.co.uk)
Chryseia is a joint venture between the Symington family, who have some four
generations’ experience of port and wine production in the Douro, and Bruno
Prats, former owner of Château Cos d’Estournel: a collaboration, then, that
brings together experience from the two regions that have probably been
historically very important wine-producing regions for the English gentry.
The name Chryseia is a Greek
translation of Douro (i.e. ‘of gold’). Further upstream the Douro/Duero, in
Spain, the Marques de Grinon and Haciendas de Espana have started their Durius
project, and in the new world, there has been a minor fashion for Latin names on
wine labels: the Symington-Prats collaboration decided that for their new wine,
a classical Greek name would be appropriate.
The Chryseia project started
in 1998 when James Symington suggested the collaboration to Bruno Prats to
produce top quality dry reds from the Douro. The new company, Prats & Symington
was set up in 1999 and a number of experimental lots were made from the 1999
harvest to assess the potential. For the 2000 vintage, a new press was
installed. No Chryseia was made in 2002, as the wet weather during harvest
meant there were insufficient grapes of the required quality and concentration.
Chryseia and the Post
Scriptum are blends of Touriga Nacional (the principal variety), Touriga Franca
and Tinta Cão. Sometimes tinta roriz (the tempranillo of Spain) can be included
as a minor component in the blend. Unlike most of the older vineyards of the
Douro, the Symingtons have planted parcels of single varieties in their best
quintas, allowing each varietal to be chosen from the quinta where it performs
best. Each variety is vinified separately in a series of fermenters dedicated
to Chryseia within the Symington family’s Sol winery near Regua. Chryseia also
has its own barrel cellar.
Vinification and élevage
follow the classic Bordeaux methods: individual bunch selection, destalking,
light crushing and fermentation in small temperature-controlled stainless steel
vats (though at lower temperatures than in Bordeaux). This is followed by
frequent (though less than in Bordeaux) pumping over of the cap, and prolonged
skin contact. After malolactic fermentation has finished, the wine is matured
in 350 and 400 litre new oak barrels, the oak coming from Allier and
Fontainebleu. Chryseia usually only spends eight months in oak, though the
power of the 2003 meant a twelve month period in barrel was necessary.
After the third vintage, they
agreed that a ‘second wine’ would be appropriate to use the grapes that aren’t
good enough for Chryseia. Post Scriptum de Chryseia is made for slightly
younger drinking than Chrysea: it will be made in years such as 2002 when
Chryseia is not made, and as a second wine in other years.
Bruno Prats and the
Symingtons bought Quinta da Perdiz in the Rio Torto valley in the summer of
2004, which will become a key contributing vineyard to both Chryseia and Post
Scriptum de Chyrseia.
2004 Post Scriptum de
Chryseia, Prats & Symington, Douro (RRP £10.99)
A very deep, plummy nose with scented blackberries. Very scented attack,
with powerful flavours. Very integrated and very impressive. Loads of
power, but not to the detriment of its style and character. Very Good
Indeed/Excellent.
2003 Chryseia, Prats
& Symington, Douro (RRP £29.99)
A very, very deep nose with lots of rich fruit and some tarriness.
Remarkably open on the palate. Real depth and finesse. Excellent.
2004 Chryseia, Prats
& Symington, Douro (RRP £29.99)
A very, very deep nose again – essentially similar to the 2003, but much
more closed. Very much the same on the palate but more closed and more
tannic. Needs time. Excellent.
Azamor Wines
Owned by Alison and Joaquim Luís Gomes, the densely planted Azamor vineyards
(the first planted in 2001) cover 27
hectares of the 260 hectare estate in the upper Alentejo, not far from Estremoz.
The grape varieties grown are: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Alicante,
Syrah, Mourvedre, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The winery, built in
2005, is described by Azamor themselves as a boutique winery, set in olive
groves with breathtaking views. Represented in the UK by Liberty Wines.
2003 Azamor, Alentejo
(RRP £6.99)
A blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Touriga Franca and 20% Merlot, this is the first
vintage since the estate was purchased in 1998. This has an attractive black fruit nose. Slightly disjointed on the palate. Decent
ripe fruit in the mouth, but this really doesn’t seem together. OK/Good.
2004 Azamor, Alentejo
(RRP £6.99)
A lovely, minerally cassis and black fruit nose. Good, ripe attack. Nice
neat fruit in the mouth. Curiously, this seems much more precise and
focussed than the 2003.
Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos Represented in the UK by
Maison Marques et Domaines Ltd.
2004 Duas Quintas
Branco, Adriano Ramos Pinto, Douro (RRP £9.99)
Made from traditional Douro white grapes, such as Viozinho, Rabigato and
Arinto. This has a powerful musky nose that’s not entirely attractive.
Interesting, very characterful palate. OK.
2003 Duas Quintas
Tinto, Adriano Ramos Pinto, Douro (RRP £7.99)
A blend of touriga francesa, tinta barroca and tinta roriz. Quite a light
nose with deep mulberry fruit. Rich and ripe on the palate. Very long
finish. Very Good Indeed.
2001 Duas Quintas
Reserva, Adriano Ramos Pinto, Douro (RRP £25.99)
Combining just touriga nacional and tinta barroca, this has a closed, rather
tight nose. Very big on the attack with very impressive fruit. Great
depth. But certainly not worth the difference in price. Seems to be in a
more international style. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Duas Quintas
Reserva Especial, Adriano Ramos Pinto (RRP £40.00)
A foot-trodden field blend from the old vineyards at Quinta do Bom Retiro.
There is spicy, minerally black fruit on the nose. Very rich on the
attack. Very concentrated, deep stuff. Eye-watering price, though. Very
Good Indeed +.
Quinta do Tedo, Douro
Quinta do Tedo, with its Grade A vineyards in the Alto Douro high above the
Douro and Tedo rivers, is owned by Vincent Bouchard, son of
Joseph Bouchard of Burgundy’s Bouchard Père et Fils. Vincent and Kay
Steffey Bouchard (a winemaker in her own right in California) bought the 250
year old property in 1992. Quinta do Tedo was the first property in
Portugal to introduce the "lutte raisonée" approach to growing vines. The
vineyards contain traditionally closely spaced vines planted on steep terraces,
and the vines are an average of 30 years old and include 18 varieties, mainly
Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Câo, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa.
The estate is separated into 4 parcels which are always vinfied separately.
Imported by McKinley Vintners
2003 Escada d’Oro,
Quinta do Tedo, Douro (RRP £8.99)
A slighter nose than the 2004. Ripe and rich on the palate. Very Good+
2004 Escada d’Oro,
Quinta do Tedo, Douro (RRP £8.99)
A nice, fragrant, open nose. Ripe, fragrant red fruit on the palate. Very
Good Indeed.
2003 Escada d’Oro
Reserva, Quinta do Tedo, Douro (RRP c. £25)
This seems a bit more Douro-like than the previous two. Much richer and
deeper. Very Good Indeed.
Samuel Magalhães e Silva,
Herdeiros, Douro
Samuel Magalhães have around 100 hectares in three properties in the DO Douro.
2002 Poyares, Samuel
Magalhães e Silva, Herdeiros, Douro
The grapes come from 30 year old vines, are foot-trodden and fermented in
lagares. The wine is then aged for a year in French oak. The blend
comprises touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta amarela and tinta roriz.
A very attractive nose with gorgeous red fruits and some minerality. Very
good on the palate. Soft, fruity, quite direct but with some interesting
spicy layers. Possibly just a bit over-oaked. Very Good Indeed.
Sociedade de Vinhos do
Casal do Castelão www.casal-castelao.pt
Situated around 50km north of Lisbon, some 15km inland.
2002 Casal Castelão
Tinto, Estremadura
Made from the alicante bouschet variety. This has a very fragrant nose with
lots of violets and some rose petals. Very smooth, velvety attack. An
interesting palate with a nice fruit character is followed by softish
tannins that build on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
2004 Casal Castelão
Tinto, Estremadura
This is 100% cabernet sauvignon, but has a curious, un-cabernet-like nose.
Huge zingy fruit on the palate. Simple and unattractive. OK –
2004 Casal Castelão,
Estremadura
From the aragonês variety (the local name for tempranillo). This has a very
unusual nose with smoky charcoal and just blown-out candles. Quite zingy on
the attack. Full, round and very open. Really very different indeed.
Fairly tannic on the finish. Very interesting and different. Very Good
Indeed.
2004 Monte Oureça
Reserva, Soc. Vinhos Casal Castelão, Estremadura
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, aragonês and pinot noir (50:25:25). A muddy,
wet, earthy forest floor nose with a hint of blackcurrant fruit, some smoke
and then some pinot noir fragrance at the end. Very integrated attack, but
then it quickly falls apart. Soft, very open and very attractive fruit.
Very gentle tannic structure. Very nice, but it feels a bit unfocussed and
rather like 3 wines in one glass. Good/Very Good.
2004 Casal Castelão
Branco, Estremadura
From a blend of 60% chardonnay and 40% arinto grapes. A rather mute, light
nose. Similar on the palate. Light and fresh and simple. Very Good.
2000 Casal Castelão,
Tinto
Quite a muted black fruit nose. Light and slightly tarry fruit on the
palate. Simpler than most of the others. Light and attractive. Very Good+
The Sociedade Agricola
Encosta do Guadiana is a former cereal producer and now a new wine producer in
southern Alentejo. The project is converting a cereal monoculture to
vineyards and olive trees: they have no background in winemaking, but know they
like nice easy wines, so that’s what they’re aiming to make. The vineyards are now a mere six years old
(the first was planted in 1998, but most were only planted in 2000 and 2001); and construction
of the winery only began in 2002. The
winery is located in Monte do Paço do Conde, in Baleizão, a small village in
southern Alentejo. The second stage of the winery construction was
completed in 1994, upgrading capacity to 1 million litres and installing a
laboratory, bottling line and barrel and bottle stores.
The 96 hectares of vineyards are planted with the Portuguese varieties Aragonez,
Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional and Castelão, together with Cabernet Sauvignon,
Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Merlot. The vines are drop irrigated and
there is a high degree of mechanisation. Harvest is done late at night or around
dawn to avoid the high daytime temperatures, which can often reach 35º to 40º C.
2004 Herdade Paço do
Conde, SAEG, Alentejo, 13.5%
A blend of primarily aragonês and trincadeira, along with some cabernet sauvignon and alicante bouschet
that spends two months in French oak. There are very intense, ripe, red
fruits on the nose. Very open and fruity on the palate with interesting
depth and character. Nice interesting flavours: very open and attractive.
Very Good Indeed.
Sociedade Agricola da
Labrugeira www.valedasareias.com
SA da Labrugeira is a family owned company that has been producing wine in the
Estremadura for generations. Both the vineyards and the winery have recently
been renovated: their 15 hectares of vineyards have been replanted with touriga
franca, tinta roriz, castelão, touriga nacional, arinto and fernão pires,
together with some sauvignon blanc and syrah. 2003 was the first vintage from
the new plantings. The grapes are picked by hand, destemmed and lightly
crushed before fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks,
with long maceration periods. Wines are then kept for 6-12 months in
French oak before bottling.
2004 Vale das Areias
tinto, Soc. Agricola Labrugeira, Estremadura, 13%
26,500 bottles were produced of the blend of
75% aragonês and 25% touriga nacional; temperature controlled fermentation
in stainless steel. Not currently available in the UK, but would be £6.00 -
£7.00.
A light, fresh, delicate fruit nose. Nice fresh, clean palate. Very young,
but attractive, with a non-aggressive tannic structure. Very Good.
2004 Vale das Areias
branco, Soc. Agricola Labrugeira, Estremadura, 13%
Not currently available in the UK: the price would be £5.00 - £6.00. A
blend of sauvignon blanc and arinto; temperature-controlled fermentation in
stainless steel. Some 12000 bottles are produced annually. This has a
floral, tropical fruit nose. Round and very fruity on the attack, but it
tails off on the palate and there’s some hard acidity on the finish. Very
Good.
2004 Vale das Areias
Rosé, Soc. Agricola Labrugeira, Vinho Mesa, 12%
Not currently available in the UK – price would be around £4.00 - £5.00.
12,000 bottles were produced of this blend of aragonês and castelão.
A light red-fruit nose. Very attractive palate – apparently only 1.5g/l
residual sugar, but it has a nice sweet richness. Very Good Indeed.
Caves Transmontanas
2004 Vértice branco,
Caves Transmontanas, Douro
A blend of rabigato, viosinho and gouveio, aged on its lees in barrels for a
year. Bottled in January 2006. A lovely, floral nose. Very delicate,
scented floral palate with a minerally background. Very Good Indeed.
1999 Vértice Reserva
Bruto, Vinho Espumante de Qualidade, Caves Transmontanas, Douro
Made from port grapes grown at higher altitudes in the Douro valley. Zero
dosage. A very yeasty nose indeed – like a wine that’s still fermenting.
Deeply uninteresting and largely tasteless. OK.
2003 Vértice tinto,
Caves Transmontanas, Douro
A blend of 35% touriga nacional, 35% tinta roriz and 30% touriga franca,
aged for 12 months in French oak, half new, half used.
This has a lightly fragrant, lightly chocolate nose. Very interesting
palate. Loads of character and a really nice structure. Very Good Indeed.
Quanta Terra, Sociedade de
Vinho Lda
Quanta Terra was established
in 1999 by Jorge Alves and Celso Pereira, two Douro winemakers. The grapes come
from 10 hectares of 17-year old vineyards, at an average altitude of 250m,
belonging to the Quinta do Tralhão in the Upper Douro. The typical blend
comprises 65% touriga nacional, 3% tinta roriz, 30% tinta barroca and 2% sousão
and aged for a year in new French oak barriques. Only around 8,000 bottles
a year are produced.
2003 Quanta Terra,
Douro
A lovely rich chocolatey nose with mulberries and blackberries. Very
smooth, rich and silky on the palate. Very rich flavours. Very big and
rather impressive. Very Good Indeed.
2004 Quanta Terra,
Douro
A more delicate nose than the 2003. Very young and tannic, but clearly very
high quality and it could be better than the 2003 in time.
Caves do Freixo www.cavesdofreixo.com
The Caves do Freixo were founded in 2001 by a group of wine lovers.
2001 Painel, Caves do
Freixo, Dão, 13%
A blend of touriga nacional, jaen and tinta roriz. A touch stinky on the
nose, followed up by some soapy notes; but not unattractive. Good attack
with a nice balance of fruit and structure. Round, full and quite open and
expressive. Very Good.
2001 Império, Caves
do Freixo, Bairrada
A blend of 95% baga and 5% touriga nacional. This has a lovely, open,
expressive nose and very interesting flavours, although in texture it feels
quite simple and basic. Lovely spicy finish. Very Good Indeed.
2001 Imperium, Caves
do Freixo, Douro
A blend of three of the main Douro varieties: touriga nacional, touriga
franca and tinta roriz. A very minerally, fragrant nose with a hint of
brett. Very good palate, if maybe a bit simple. Lacks Douro character.
Good/Very Good.
Non-wine
Rui Francisco Neves Dias,
Rui Simeão Tavira Sal
Producers of salt, and
notably what in France is known as fleur de sel or Flower of Salt. Fleur de sel
is the product of combining sea water, sun and wind: the evaporation of the sea
water in salt pans forms particularly delicate, often pinkish crystals on the
top of the salt – this is skimmed off with special tools and is one of the most
prized forms of salt.
The Rui Simeão salt from
Tavira is certified organic (it comes from salt pans on the edge of the Ria
Formosa nature reserve) and an EU PDO has been applied for. They have some 13
hectares of salt pans, producing 60-80 tons of flower of salt and 800-1000 tons
of traditional sea salt per year.
I found the Rui Simeão flower
of salt to have a deep, complex almost floral flavour, at one time more “salty”
than such as the Maldon sea salt and also more diversely flavoured.
Salt is good for you (like
everything in moderation), and pure sea salt, and even more so, flower of salt
more so, given its purity compared to standard table salt. A salt solution of
60g per litre of water has the same mineral content as amniotic fluid and blood
plasma. It is more salty than regular table salt, so less is needed.
Sovena – Comércio e
Indústria de Produtos Alimentares www.sovena.pt
I tasted two of their olive
oils:
Oliveira da Serra Colheita
Especial, Sovena
Cold extracted with 0.3% acidity. A very fruity nose. Really good on the
palate with very, very low acidity. Quite a creamy, almost buttery feel. Very
peppery on the finish.
Oliveira da Serra Seleccão,
Azeite Virgem Extra
Much more of a greasy feel. Distinctly less impressive.
2005 Andorinha, Simão &
Ca.
A premium extra virgin olive oil from the first cold pressing. 0.3% acidity.
50,000 bottles. This has a fruity, more minerally, more appley nose. Very mild
and creamy.