Wines of Portugal

1
Ray Pocock

This publication is intended as purely a guide to Portuguese wines and their originals. All I have
done is collated information from the various experts and tried to put into some semblance of
order and sense.
The idea, in this modern technological age is to install the file onto your mobile, Ipad or whatever
other gadget you use, so when you are shopping it is relatively easy to look up a particular wine.
The views of the expert do not necessarily accord to my own, but they are the experts and I am
a mere enjoyer of Portuguese wines.
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To view a region simply click on the name.
1. Vinho Verde
2. Minho
3. Tras-os-Montes
4. Douro - Duriense
5. Barraida,
6. Dão
7. Beira
8. Ribatejo,
9. Colares
10. Lisboa
11. Terras do Sado - Setubal
12. Alentejo
13. Algarve
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ALENTEJO
The Alentejo is huge, with its flat plains covering almost a third of the country. Much of this area is given over to
cereal production. It’s also hot, and irrigation is common. In contrast to the northern regions, with their
fragmented smallholdings, production is dominated by large, professional outfits.
The Alentejo is where Portugal’s climate finally escapes the Atlantic influence, and the scenery changes to large,
gently undulating plains that experience baking hot summers and cold winters more typical of continental
weather systems. Think of it as Portugal’s ‘new world’, with the potential to make extrovert, ripe wines with a
taste of the sun about them. This is the least populated of Portugal’s regions, and instead of the smallholdings
that typify the agricultural landscape elsewhere, the Alentejo has many large estates. Referred to as the ‘bread
basket’ of Portugal, wheat is the most important crop here, with the poorer soils being reserved for olive trees,
cork oaks and vineyards.
Some white wines are made in the Alentejo, but it’s the reds that are forging the region’s reputation. Demand
for Alentejo wines, with their ripe fruit and full-bodied character, has been such that vineyard land here is
among the most expensive in the whole country. Because many of the estates are fairly large and the climate is
so reliable, economies of scale mean that Alentejo wines can combine quality with affordability, which is more of
a challenge in Portugal’s more northerly regions.
Adega da Cartuxa, Pera-Manca, 2007, DOC
Antonio Maria 2006
Ciconia Touriga Nacional Syrah
Dona Maria 2006
Dona Maria Reserva 2005
Grape Varieties: Antão Vaz, Arinto. Massively heavy bottle,
surprisingly refined, subdued nose, with nuts and herbs over
cool, but focused melon and citrus fruit. The palate is searingly
dry, with a very cool, tempe, concentrated minerality that has
huge, shimmering length.
Green pepper up front, lots of sour cherry. A very creamy
texture, chocolate and leather and then a dusting of cocoa and
mint. Very nice.
The wine posses a complexity of aromas that suggest berries,
with some toasted notes as a result of a short period in oak,
that in combination with good structure of bark allows it the
presentation of a very rounded and balanced wine in the
mouth.
Intense violet color with a bountiful palate of rich plums,
violets,a hint of cherry and some sweet tannins. the finish is
long and complex. perfect for steaks or aged cheeses
Quite closed, dark tobacco, lots of coffee and coconut husk.
Leather, some liquorice on the finish. It just lacks a little in
fruit.
Esporao Private Selection 2009 Smoke and herbal notes, with a charry and grass Semillon hit –
but this is very good. Carries and very fresh but with real
unfruity detail and tug. Turns out to be 90% Semillon with
some Marsanne and Roussanne.
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8

Fita Preta Palpite 2008
Real marzipan and honey nose and then slight furry and full
palate. Very well made, so fresh! Greengage end and great
mineral filip.
Fundação Engénio de Almeida Pera Manca 2007 Good mid-weight and light on the feet. Rather reserved midpalate
and good savoury meaty end and fresh kind tannin.
Henrique Uva Vinhas da Ira 2006
Herdade da Figueirinha Alentejo Reserva Vinho
2008
Young, oaked nose but not overdone. Slightly plodding palate
with dusty velvet texture that seems to drag the progression
back. Bright enough but two a penny in premium world.
Light and crisp with a touch of acidity makes this wine the
perfect warm weather refresher. inexpensive and simple.
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Marias da
Malhadinha 2007
Herdade dos Grous '23 Barricas' 2008
Herdade dos Grous Reserva 2010
Soft, molasses and burnt mulberry roast fruits. Appealing but
then not much development in the mid-palate and very grippy
on the end.
Grape Varieties: Syrah, Touriga Nacional. Big, deep, charry and
smoky nose with a lift of violet and cherry, to a meatier, more
gamy note. Lovely dry extract - mouth filling, perhaps just a
touch inky at present but glorious fruit beneath.
Light toffee and white chocolate; peachy too. Note of glue and
mildly oxidative but expansive leesiness . Good but familiar style
of concentration and cold fermentation. Lush fruit nicely tempe.
J. Portugal Ramos, Vila Santa 2008 Grape Varieties: Antão Vaz, Arinto & Verdelho. Lots of creamy,
vanillin oak here, a certain almond and oatmeal richness. Lovely
palate: a dry, pithy lemon fruit fills the mouth, with lots of
weight and texture and lovely punch.
Marias da Malhadinha 2004
Mouchao 2002
Preta 2005
Wow! Good aroma, lots of cherry and nice clean bramble
aromas. The palate has a lot of tobacco, masses of dark spice,
aniseed. Good but needs some more time.
Perfumy, nice fruit, a lot of cherry and sweet strawberries.
Palate has chewy tannin some noticeable alcohol, with a gutsy,
dry finish.
Blackcurrants, some sweeter fruit too, very leathery with nice
tannin. A soft palate, good balance and a chocolate mint.
Silveira e Outro Solar dos Lobos Grande Escolha
2008
Good tarry and meaty array of fruit and then grip to stop you
breathing. So dry on the end.
Terrenus Reserva 2007
Lovely cherry and plum light fruit and then throat tightening grip
on end. All very fresh but not remarkable.
Terrenus, Tinto 2007
Grape Varieties: Aragonês, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouchet.
Scented, savoury, aromatic lift with a really lean, keen edge to
the fruit. Very linear and sinewy stuff.
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9

ALGARVE
The Algarve needs little introduction, it is the southernmost region of Portugal and it's one of Europe's favourite
holiday destinations well known for glorious year round sunshine and excellent sandy beaches. Summer in the
Algarve is dry and clear, with the warm sunshine extending long into autumn. Winters are moderately cold and
are the rainiest time of year. Overall the weather is pleasantly mild.
Wine production had taken a back seat to tourism for decades as the Algarve catered for the droves of holiday
makers who flock to this beautiful region every year. But now as Sir Cliff Richard would attest, who has his own
vineyard here, wine making in the Algarve is stepping out of the shadows.
The Algarve is the only demarcated District in Portugal that does not produce a variety of white wines along with
its red wine. The red wines tend to be full-bodied, a fruity rich flavour, low acidity, and containing a high alcohol
level. Of late there has been a renewal of interest and several smaller private vineyards have been created and
Barranco Longo Rosé 2010 Colour: Deep pink. Grape variety: Aragonez, Touriga Nacional A
smooth taste, reminiscent of strawberries and cream.
Barranco Longo Oaked Rosé 2008
Barranco Grande Escolha 2010
Barranco Longo Reserva 2008
Lively pink tone. Red fruit aroma with spicy oak. Rich, complex,
creamy palate, ripe fruit and toasty oak.
Citrus and mineral in a captivating aroma of medium intensity. Citrus in
the mouth continues, with notes that give fresh lemonade. Good
persistence
Grape variety: Aragonez, Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark ruby colour, which
complements the well-balanced taste of spice and berries.
Monte da Casteleja, Maria Selection 2007
Marquês dos Vales Selecta
Grape Varieties: Alfrocheiro, Bastardo & Alicante Bouschet. Big,
jammy, raspberry and raisin fruitiness with a dense, smoky fruitiness
on the palate.
Ruby with a hint of Bordeaux. Red and wild berry fruits, some floral
notes lent by the surrounding rock-roses. Very well rounded wine in
its major organic components (acidity, alcohol content and tannins).
Persistent finish, long and charming, where soft and slightly sweet
tannins are predominant. It goes well with a good assortment of
sausages and hams, patés, red or white meat and varied game, or a
good board of national or international cheeses.
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Marquês dos Vales Grace Vineyard
Intense ruby with scarlet nuances.
Intense aroma of black and red fruits; good vanilla. Full bodied wine,
soft and elegant. Rounded and sweet tannins. Noble acidity. Light
nuances of toasted caramel. The well-integrated tannins ensure a
long and aromatic finish. Ideal with sausages and ham, red meats, or
a good selection of cheeses.
Marquês dos Vales Grace Touriga Nacional Ruby with violet borders. Generous aromas of black and red fruits,
plum and cassis, very seductive, striking hints of vanilla. Full bodied
wine. Very well rounded with ripe tannins, fine acidity and persistent
alcohol content. Elegant and persistent, delicate and full of
complexity in its long finish.
Marquês dos Vales Primeira Selecção
Straw / citrus coloured. Aromas of mature white fruits and some
floral. Flavours of mature white fruits. Fresh, young and light. It
finishes with elegance in the mouth.
It goes very well with exquisitely cooked fish and seafood, simply
prepared red and white meats, soft cheeses. Very good as an aperitif
wine coupled with a good assortment of canapé.
Marquês dos Vales Grace Vineyard Branco Citrus coloured with greenish highlights. Aromas of ripe fruits such as
plum, loquat, apricot and floral citrus. With remarkable freshness this
is a wine of great class. Long and seductive finish.
It goes very well with light red and white meats, extensively prepared
fish and seafood where herbs are predominant (rosemary, mint,
pennyroyal, coriander), soft cheeses, paté and salads.
Marquês dos Vales Grace Viognier
Emerald coloured. Full of complexity with tropical fruits and some
rock rose floral. With excellent freshness it is charming and very
harmonious. Persistent and very beautiful.
It goes very well with light red and white meats, complex fish and
seafood dishes, soft cheeses, paté and salads. The best drinking
temperature is between 6 and 8ºC.
Marquês dos Vales Primeira Selecção Rose Pink coloured. Fruity aroma with subtle notes of red berry fruits and a
sense of fresh raspberry
Fresh and fruity. It's refreshing acidity provides a soft and fruity
finish. It goes very well with well prepared fish and seafood dishes, a
mixed barbecue of white and red meats, very good coupled with an
assortment of canapé. The best drinking temperature is between 6
and 8ºC.
Quinta do Francês 2008
Burnt note and tarry with inky blackness but good light fleshed palate
with interest from spice and interest. Then seems to stop and tannic
hit is planky.
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BAIRRADA
Portugal is one of the world’s largest wine producers and wine exporters and both the Portuguese white and
red wines are famous worldwide for their distinct taste and flavor. The Bairrada wine, also known as Vinho da
Bairrada derives its name from the term ‘barros’ meaning clay. Therefore it is evident that the region producing
the Bairrada wines are made up of clayey soil. This region comprises of an ancient vineyard which had been
existent since mythical times but it was only in 1979 that it came to be recognized as part of the demarcated
wine regions or the Regiao Demarcada da Bairrada. In this region made up of clayey soils, the grapes are facilitated
to attain full growth and aging as the vines are grown facing the sun. While both red and white castas
contribute to the production of the Bairrada wines, it is the Baga casta which is prevalently used in the wines.
This region is further well known for the quality of shining white wine it produces. Apart from this variety, the
region produces white wines, red wines and table wines. It is a popular custom in Portugal to drink the Vinho
da Bairrada in the accompaniment of a roasted piglet in restaurants.
Dao Sul, Encontro 1 2007, DOC
Primavera Barraida Reserva 2005
Quinta da Dôna, 2004, DOC
Quinta das Bageiras Garrafeira 2001
Quinta das Bageiras Garrafeira 2005
Grape Varieties: 50% Baga, 50% Touriga Nacional. Creamy, dense,
lots of meaty richness. Very fleshy on the palate: lots of dry extract
here, lots of fragrant oak too, in a huge, ripe and full-on style.
A dry wine with aromas of cherries, blackberries, cassis and a strong
yet flavorful mouth feel which gives off a lasting and memorable
lingering finish.
Grape Varieties: Baga. Huge, creamy blackcurrant and coffee nose.
Very international in style, but lovely depth and polish. Palate has
super sweet, super concentrated fruit, big powerhouse tannins and
beautiful sweetness. huge and arguably not showing a huge sense of
place, but just delicious.
Very big traditional wine with musty nose and backward texture (in
mag). VA on nose, Tough.
Cherry, chocolate and lots of stalky berries. The palate is quite
tannic, very dry and tight. You have to search for the fruit a bit, and
you find currants dominated with booze and spice. Too young, but
will be great
Quinta das Bágeiras, Garrafeira 2007, DOC Grape Varieties: Maria Gomes & Bical. Nicely herby and nutty, with
distinctive bite on the palate: very dry, very grapefruity and pithy
with a wonderful freshness and authority.
Vadio 2009
Vadio Tinto 2006
A blend of Cercial (80%) and Arinto d’Anadia. Supple and lemony
with attractive pure fruit. Crisp and light textu. Really appealing. 8
Made in an open fermenter with foot treading, and then aged in old
barrels from Esporão. Supple, fresh and cherryish with good acidity
and some minerality. Really authentic and precise with no rough
edges and beautiful fruit expression. Evolving really nicely.
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BEIRAS
Stretching from the Spanish frontier to the sea, the Beiras region of central Portugal provides a natural link
between the cool, green meadows of the north and the hot, dry pastures of the south. Coimbra, the provincial
capital, is the birthplace of six kings and the seat of Portugal's first university, reputedly the second old est in the
world. Its old cathedral is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Further inland, the
peak of the Serra da Estrela (Star Mountain) is the highest point on mainland Portugal. The terrain in the Beiras
is diverse as is the climate and its flavours.
The vines in the Bairrada region are grown generally on flat land and region that is a major red wine producer in
Portugal and is located on the coastal plain lying slightly inland from the sea to the town of Aveiro, and then
south down to the town of Coimbra. The red wine produced here is noted for its smoothness and suavity, deep
in colour and full-bodied, acquiring a brownish hue as it ages. The white wines are fairly robust, fruity with a hint
of lemon. The rosé ranges in colour and are fresh and fruity. Sparkling wines are produced in white and rosé and
range from “Brut” to “Medium Dry”.
For traditionalists the grape of choice in the Bairrada region is Baga, a grape variety notoriously difficult to ripen,
which needs lots of aging to round off, usually in the local wood type barrels rather than American or French
oak, but the hard work is worth it by far, and come recommended, the older the better.
Filipa Pato Nossa 2009
Lokal Silex 2006
Luís Pato BTT 2009
Quinta de Foz de Arouce 2005
Quinta de Foz de Arouce 2005
Quinta de Foz de Arouce Tinto 1992
Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de
Sta Maria 2003
Real concentration here on nose; amber and balsamic notes with
butter and melony fruit and good streak of acidity running through.
Quite voluminous but not fat.
Rich and funky, lots of lovely sweet fruit, like warm compote. A
chunky wine, lots of big flavours but very clean. I like this a lot.
Slightly leafy nose but quite subtle. The extraction is really well
done, no fierce tannin but there’s a watery hole in the middle that
makes one wonder where the terroir went.
Mainly Cerceal. Lovely fresh, intense concentrated white wine with
a limey, almost spicy edge and a hint of matchstick uction. Taut with
real intensity and potential, this is fresh and has lovely acidity.
Closed nose, a lot of dark, tannic chocolate and lots of spice. Just
too full on
Just Baga used here. This is a beautiful wine showing perfumed
floral aromatics with sweet cherry and plum fruit, as well as a hint of
earth. The palate is smooth and elegant, evolving beautifully with
spicy, earthy structure marrying well with the focused fruit. Finishes
long and spicy.
This was the first vintage of this new bottling, which separated out
the old vine fruit from the young vines. Quite smooth and pure with
almost lush berry and cherry fruit, as well as a slight acidic lift. The
palate has lovely firm yet silky tannins with nice acidity and a long
spicy finish. Quite serious. Beginning to open out and really elegant.
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Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de
Sta Maria 2005
Lovely sweet, tight, spicy nose with subtle earthy notes. The palate
is pure and focused with tight structure, and more earthiness. Firm
tannins and good acid. Needs time.
Quinta do Cardo, Seleccao do Enologo 2004 A dark, rich wine, lots of moist cigar and leather. Needs more fruit.
Quinta do Cardo, Síria 2008, DOC
Quinta do Ribeirinho Pe Franco 2005
Quinta dos Currais, Colheita Seleccionada,
2007, DOC
Grape Varieties: Síria. Very pithy and limey, with a dry lemon fruit,
though the palate is vibrant and bursts through with a very zesty,
bright, more tropical, ruby grapefruit zing.
Very nice, soft, juicy fruit. All raspberries and menthol. The palate is
lovely, a bit of spice and heat, but not at all dominating. A good,
clean, lighter finish.
Grape Varieties: Síria, Fonte Cal, Arinto. Gentle toast here, a lovely
buttery richness. Smooth, full and mouth-fillingly waxy texture. Full
and luscious, with a long, shimmering finish.
Quinta dos Termos Selecção 2007
Another wine with rather furry extraction and slightly smothe fruit
making you wonder about the fermentation temperature and how
much press wine. Seems like a reasonable supermarket wine.
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14

COLARES
The history of Portugal records the inclusion of the country as a part of the territory of the Roman Empire
around 138 BC. It was since those ancient times that there developed a bonding between wine cultivation and
Portugal which continues over the years, long after the country has been released from the clutches of the then
formidable Romans to become an independent state and a member of the European Union. Portugal boasts of
producing innumerable varieties of wines and of them some are superior variety like the Port wine and the
others inferior in comparison. However, wine cultivation and preservation of vineyards is considered as an
activity of immense importance in Portugal and not only does it foster economic growth but also allows
employment opportunities.
The Colares wines are made of the white and red castas or grape varieties. These kinds of wines are produced
in maximum proportions in the outskirts of Lisbon, the largest city of Portugal, in the area between the foothills
of Roca Cape and Sintra. There are several factors which have contributed to the Colares wine being one of the
most expensive of the various wine varieties that are produced in Portugal. The foremost reason is related to
the place of production. Lisbon is the major city of Portugal and has an overwhelming urban populace.
Therefore much of the areas surrounding the city are occupied by human settlements and therefore, there is
very little space that remains available for creating vineyards and producing wine. Thus what happens is that
production is always low compared to the demand thus resulting in soaring prices for the Colares wine. This
wine has a sort of fruity and nutty taste and the favorable temperature for the consumption of white wines is
12 degrees Celsius while it is measured at 18 degrees Celsius for the red wines.
Adega Regional de Colares Arenae
Colares Malvasia 2006
Quinta das Vinhas de Areia,
Fundaçâo Oriente Ramisco 2005, DOC
In 50cls; herbal and mineral nose. Slightly flat but grassy and
phenolic dry palate with interest. Touch iodic and saline.
Grape Varieties: Ramisco (100%). Lovely earthy minerality about
this, with a deep vinous fruitiness and lovely gamy touches.
There's fantastic fruit concentration here in a delicious, sappy and
well balanced wine.
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DÃO
The origin of the art of wine cultivation and wine drinking can be traced to back to the ancient times, centuries
before the birth of Jesus Christ when in order to appease the formidable deities, human beings organized ceremonies
celebrating the glory of the gods were wine drinking was a significant means of celebrating joy and happiness.
Since then nothing much ahs changed to date. Nowadays, almost all celebrations are incomplete without
wines and other alcoholic drinks. Portugal has had a long association with wines and the custom of wine cultivation
and production.
The Dao wine also known in Portugal as Vinho do Dao are popular variety of wines produced from both the red
and white castas i.e. grape varieties. The Dao wines are obtained from the northern part of central Portugal in the
Mondego and Dao river areas. These are mountainous regions having temperate climatic characteristics and these
climatic factors have a positive effect on Dao wine cultivation as it protects the grapes or castas from the continental
and maritime climatic influences. The Dao wine has been conserved and protected since the closing years
of the 14th century. But it was only in the late 1908 that the region producing Dao wine was brought under the
list of the Demarcated Wine Regions. The distinct flavor of the Dao wines is added to it by the red and white castas.
Some of the kinds of white castas used include Cerceal Branco, Bical, Encruzado and some of the red casta
varieties used include Rufete, Jaen, Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro etc. In fact, one of the castas used in its production
like the Touriga Nacional are available only in Portugal and in no other part of the world. This is probably
one of the reasons why according to many vintners, the Dao wines are the best Portuguese table wines, with the
foremost among them being the ‘Alianca’ and the ‘Grao Vasco’.
Cabriz Escolha 2004
Casa de Mouraz 2009
Filipa Pato, Lokal Silex 2008, DOC
Flor das Maias 2005
Fontes da Cunha Munda Touriga Nacional
2008
Julia Kemper Reserva 2009
Sweet chocolate and lots of dried fruit steeped in booze! A bit too tannic,
and very very big.
Mildly neutral nose but grows in mouth; real mineral crunch and interest.
Lasts.
Grape Varieties: 85% Touriga Nacional. Beautifully aromatic and
scented, juicy, bright berries and cherries, with a beautifully firm core
of fruit. A liquorice edge of cherry skin and plum, silky but precise with
huge length.
An initial sweetness, quite like espresso with bundles of brown sugar
in, then hints of mocha and a touch of caramelised onion. The palate
is nice, hints of leather, a bit too much alcohol and firm tannin. It
calms down however and with some food, the alcohol will be masked.
Nice.
Haunting violet and grilled meat nose. Great light poise to the palate
and in the context of Portugal, quite finely extracted tannins, even
though they are dense. Goes on with meat and interest and mediumlong
finish.
Bright fresh elderflower and mild uctive nose. Weight but keeps poise.
Malvasia Fina and Encruzado
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Pape 2005
Primavera Dao Vinho Tinto Reserva 2006
Quinta da Falorca Lagar Reserva 2004
Quinta da Falorca, T-Nac 2007, DOC
A blend of Touriga Nacional and Baga, this is a nice, earthy wine
with vegetal aromas. Bramble stalk comes along before a palate of
stony, cherry stone and wild raspberry. Very clean with a lovely
finish.
A dry table wine that goes well with meats.
Perhaps too much VA on the nose to be that good. Lean palate with
hole to match and yet quite light grip. Elements of prettiness but not
in the quality race it seems.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional. Big, smoky herbal hit. Lots of
tobacco but quite lifted, cherryish fruit. The palate is dry and has
plenty of tannin, coating the palate over that smooth but bright fruit.
Quinta da Pellada, Tinto Reserva 2006, DOC Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz. Meaty and spicy, with
fantastically gamy edges of perfume. Love the orange and lemon
zestiness to the acidity here, in a wonderfully fresh style.
Quinta da Vegia Reserva 2005
Quinta de Cabriz, Colheita Seleccionada
2007, DOC
Quinta de Saes, Reserva 2008, DOC
Quinta de San José, Colheita 2007, DOC
Quinta do Corujão Reserva 2007
Quinta do Perdigao Touriga Nacional 2005
A sweet aroma with blueberries and cherry. Good clean fruit with
cocoa and Bolivar cigars. There is too much alcohol though on the
palate with a bitter finish.
Grape Varieties: Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional & Tinta Roriz.
Beautifully earthy and liquoricy, a touch of gamy quality, lots of
perfume here. Fresh and appetising palate, quite fragrant too.
Grape Varieties: Encruzado, Cercial, Malvasia, Gouveio. Lovely nose,
fairly understated with orchard fruits and a sense of oatmeally
richness, some mineral notes too. The palate has delicious tang and
vibrancy, the lemony, pithy acidity making this very food friendly.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca.
Beautifully gravelly as well as being fresh and fruity, with masses of
cherry, berries and beautifully judged background oak. .
Airy appeal to the fruit here and a good plummy crunch with light
raspberry notes coming through. Rather tough on the end in very
Portuguese style. Good but not that special.
Herby meat aromas, lots of black cherry and blackcurrant. Smoky
barbecued pork sausage on the palate, mixed with chocolate and a
hint of balsamic.
Quinta dos Carvalhais Colheita Seleccionada Apple, plum and smoke, oaked nose but not oppressive. Then
2006
berry dry and citrus pith texture and flavour – compelling and grown
up. Good
Quinta Dos Grilos 2008
Quinta dos Roques, Garrafeira 2003, DOC
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This wine with a limited production is only produced in years of
great quality and it was aged for six months in French oak barrels.
The grapes of great quality, allowed to produce this wine that you
can consume immediately or you can hold it in your seller for six
years.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional (65%), Alfrocheiro (15%), Tinto
Cão (10%). Big, very meaty nose, with lots of oak, lots of deep fruit
and a slightly uctive edge. The palate has real depth and
concentration. There's masses of fruit and delicious weight to this,
the tannins meaty and dense and the whole picture powerful though
balanced.
17

Sul Cabriz Reserva 2008
Vinha do Contador 2005
Vinha Paz, Reserva 2005, DOC
Open appealing plum and ink nose; mercifully translucent wine with
well supported lithe structure and moves well. A lightness. But
does not gather pace or concentrate much. One tends to lose
interest. Tannins good.
Lots of menthol, lots of cherry – I would say cherry tunes but that
does it a disservice. A bundle of fruit and pipe tobacco, very tannic
but it is delive well. Needs time to settle down.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro. Very
smooth, creamy, beautifully composed black fruit. Lots of creamy
black fruit and cassis intensity. Fabulous freshness here again, very
fleshy and rich, but creamy and powerful, again with great intensity,
but feels naturally so.
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DOURO
The scenery of the Douro region is spectacular. As far as the eye can see, the mountainous terrain is covered
with countour-line-like terraces. The scale is impressive, too. There’s just so much of it. I don’t think I’m
exaggerating too much when I say that the Douro is one of the wonders of the world.
Then there’s the soil. The ‘terroir’, is just about perfect for growing quality wine grapes. It’s schist, with a bit of
granite here and there. It doesn’t look promising for growing anything, but vines flourish in these conditions.
The poor soil encourages them to sink their roots deep, where they find a steady but stingy water supply and
divert their energies to grape production.
In a relatively short period of time the Douro has established itself as Portugal’s premium wine region. It’s hard
to overstate the scale and pace of change that is currently taking place in this most spectacular of wine regions.
Table wine has always been made here but were secondary to the requirements of Port producers. In recent
years a critical mass of like-minded winemakers has emerged, passionate about making the very best wines that
these remarkable terroirs are capable of.
Alves de Sousa Reserva Pessoal 2005
Alves de Sousa, Abandonado 2005, DOC
CARM 2010
CARM Grande Reserva 2007
Carm Quinta Do Coa 2008
CARM Reserva 2009
CARM Reserva Tinto 2008
CARM Rosé 2010
Yellow; nose is all greengage, complex honey and rock and herbal
notes, very focused and slight bitter edge pulling you in. Palate is
very tempe with wood contact oxidative and lees notes and roast
apricot. A very full but rapie, dried citrus peel and tidy end. Refined
and elegant. Old vines blend.
Grape Varieties: Douro grapes. Very cedary, high quality. Powerful
with lots of mint, liquorice and black plum bite. Nicely tempe palate,
with a racy edge to the tannins and lovely spice and grip.
Nicely bright and fruity with crisp, lemony fruit and nice acidity.
Some hints of peachy richness. A nice pure style.
Dense, rich, ripe and spicy with some tarry notes. Some oak but very
rich and still well defined. Direct and fruity with good potential.
A plush , with a pretty array of raspberry and plum flavors that are
supple and supported by medium-grained tannins. Notes of milk
chocolate and cream fill the plush finish. Drink now through 2014.
Oak adds a hint of vanilla and some spice to the lovely pure citrus
fruit. Great precision with nice acidity.
Ripe, juicy, spicy and tarry with focused berry fruits and some
meaty, spicy definition.
Nice bright pink colour. Lovely tight, fresh cherry and berry fruit.
Fruity style.
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19

CARM Tinto 2008
CARM Touriga Nacional 2009
Sweet ripe berry and cherry fruit here. Rich fruity style with some
spicy notes.
Vivid, bright and cherry/berry fruited with primary fruit to the fore.
Vibrant in colour, this has a really youthful character. Some tannin.
Unusual, with amazing cherryish fruit. Apparently, this wine changes
dramatically in the bottle: it’s hard to pin down. No added sulphur
dioxide.
Casa Fereirinha Barca Velha 2000
Castello d'Alba 2009
Rich, sweet aroma, lots of coffee, chocolate and cherry. There is mint,
lots of coffee with mature tannin. A very tasty raspberry flavour with
some stalk elements too.
A medium-bodied and peppery , with berry flavors. The supple finish
features notes of vanilla, with hints of smoke. Tinta Barroca, Tinta
Roriz, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional.
Castello d'Alba 2009
Caves Vale Do Roso 2009
Churchill Estates 2006
Churchill Estates 2007
Vibrant acidity and rich, glazed citrus flavors give this Portuguese
white plenty of verve. Cream and mineral fill the rich finish. Códega
do Larinho, Rabigato and Vinosinho. Drink now.
Flavors of dry fruits, cherries, blackberries and cassis. Full bodied and
good extracture and a fresh finish with smooth tannins
Pure and quite sweet with a dark cherry nose. The palate has lovely
fresh bright dark fruit with some spicy richness. Nice savoury finish.
Lovely focus here.
Aromatic and quite floral with sweet dark cherry fruit on the nose.
There’s some lushness here. The palate is supple with elegant sweet
dark fruits. Lovely focus and breadth.
Churchill Estates 2007 14% alcohol. A blend of Touriga Nacional (40%), Touriga Franca (30%)
and Tinta Roriz (30%). This deep coloured wine shows beautifully
focused, fresh dark cherry and blackberry fruit with a lovely spiciness
underpinning the pure fruit. This is fresh and complex with a nice
balance between the fresh, ripe fruit and the savoury structure. Quite
a serious effort, and brilliant value for money.
Churchill Estates Grande Reserva 2007
Churchill Estates Grande Reserva 2007
Churchill Estates Reserva 2007
Churchill Estates Touriga Nacional 2007
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Dark, intense, aromatic nose is floral but masculine at the same time.
Meaty and dense. The palate is firmly structured with lovely dense
spicy, focused fruit and good acidity.
Fresh lemony, toasty nose. The palate is bright with a hint of mineral
uction as well as some nice oak use. Really nice barrel-aged style.
Lovely stuff.
Nicely dense, brooding, structured dark fruits here with some oak
imprint. Dense and mouthfilling with real potential.
Very deep colour. Really aromatic and floral nose with meaty, olivelike
savouriness. The palate is dense with a tarry, spicy, savoury,
meaty edge to the vivid fruit. Remarkable stuff.
20

Churchill Quinta da Gricha 2007
Churchill Quinta da Gricha 2007 Douro
Conceito 2006
Conceito Contraste 2007 Douro
Conceito Contraste Tinto 2008
Conceito Tinto 2007
Conceito Tinto 2008
Conceito Vinho 2008
Duas Quintas Reserva Colheita 2005
Brooding, dark and intense with lovely floral blackberry, tar and
sweet dark cherry nose. The palate has attractive mineral
undertones to the smooth but firmly structured blackberry and plum
fruit. Lovely concentration of fruit here with some savoury
complexity. It's a warm-climate wine, but there's really good
definition and this should age well over the next couple of decades.
Weird as hell. With a label that looked like a person taken over by an
alien in Doctor Who, the Bastardo grape doesn’t have much colour.
It looked like a light rose, but what you got was full on herbaceous
raspberries and a hint of orange. The palate was the same, a bit of
cherry bubblegum and orange touches again, with hot, spicy
flavours. It gets a bit sickly after a few mouthfuls. Commercially, label
excepted, it is dead in the water. As an experience it is great if not a
brilliant wine!
Ripe sweet cherry and blackberry nose is aromatic and pure. The
palate is sweet and ripe with nice purity of fruit. Very stylish and ripe
with nice sweet dense fruit. A ripe, fruit driven style.
13.5% alcohol. Deep, vivid colour. Primary and fresh with lovely
bright berry fruits and notes of cherry and plum. There’s nice acidity
here, as well as fine-grained tannic structure, lovely purity and
freshness. Will be interesting to see how this evolves.
13.5% alcohol. Attractive sweet black cherry and blackberry nose,
with fresh mineral and tar notes. Quite complex. The palate has nice
balance between the sweet fruit and some gravelly, mineral
savouriness, with grippy tannins. Fresh, taut and delicious.
14% alcohol. Lovely vibrant, fresh dark cherry and raspberry nose
with some floral overtones and notes of pepper and spice. The
palate is fresh and cherryish with some tight plummy fruit and lovely
acidity. The tannins are quite firm and there’s some spicy structure,
too, as well as well integrated oak. Very youthful, this is a fresh,
Burgundian style of Douro wine with lovely purity and focus, and it
should age beautifully.
14% alcohol. A lovely expression of the Douro: sweetly fruited nose
with a hint of new oak and fresh dark cherry and spice notes. The
palate has ripe cherry and berry fruits, but also lovely fresh acidity
and elegant structure. Finely wrought already, but with potential for
evolution.
13% alcohol. Just a beautiful white wine, reminiscent of top quality
white Bordeaux. Lovely fresh aromatic nose of grapefruit and lemon
with hints of herbs and vanilla. The palate is fresh and bright with
notes of herb and grapefruit, nice presence and some lemony
acidity. Lovely complexity here.
Coffee spilled on a suede jacket! Nice and full on, but the palate is a
bit weak and needs more fruit to balance that dominant coffee
flavour.
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21

Grainha 2008
Grainha Tinto 2007
Grainha Tinto 2008
Lavradores de Feitoria Meruge 2008
Lemos & Van Zeller, 'Curriculum Vitae'
2007, DOC
Niepoort Batuta 2008
Niepoort Robustus 2004
Niepoort, oma 2007, DOC
Niepoort, oma Reserva 2008, DOC
Passa Reserva 2007, DOC
Pintas 2005
Poeira 2008
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A blend of Viosinho, Gouveio and oak-fermented Rabigato. Nutty, bold
and quite intense with some minerality. Taut with melony fruit and
nuttiness, finishing fresh, with potential for further development.
Fresh and focused with sweet, pure dark cherry and berry fruits on the
nose. The palate is fresh with nice bright cherry and plum fruit and a bit
of spicy structure. Nicely integrated oak. It needs some time to open
out fully.
Lovely sweet focused dark cherry/berry fruit nose. Vibrant fruit on the
palate with some spiciness. A delicious fruit-driven style.
Lovely mid-weight, not forcing itself. Char in the background but a
brooding dry chicory and leaf note along with all the gorgeous but not
simple fruit. Good and long. Old vine field blend.
More than 25 different varieties. Massive alcohol (15.5%), and a
massive nose with a little raisined note to dense black fruit and a touch
of chocolate. The palate is dry and coats the palate in a thick, rich film
of tannin and savoury fruit. Given the huge concentration and weight,
surprisingly easy to drink.
Mid-colour; full finessed plum and cherry fruit and then a caressing
palate with power and drive; kinetic but none of the rasping tannins
you might anticipate. Extraction is skilled. And good violet and
succulent end. Moreish. Not fine but quite a wow factor. Mostly Tinta
Amerela.
Big mint aromas and mocha. Then juicy fruit and nice veggies with
coffee come leap up your nose. The palate is very well balanced, good,
long graceful evolution of flavours, coffee again and a long lasting
bramble flavour with blackcurrant. Good.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão
& others. Lovely nose here, smoky, tobacco and earthy notes with a
nicely wild, game and herbal edge. Beautifully bright fruit, dry and
powerful, with lots of richness and ripeness, but that great sense of
place and the balance perfect.
£29.00 Grape Varieties: Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho,
Arinto and others. Raeburn Fine Wines. A fairly subdued, gently oaked
nose with nutty and herbal overtones and solid, cool orchard fruits.
The palate has a very racy dryness, in a much more Chablis style this,
and just lovely.
Mixed vineyard plantings. Big, bold, bloody and dense, with fine, deep
fruit and a classy tobacco and cedar background. Fine palate, flooded
with dense black fruit and the tannins refined, melding into a spicy
oak.
Minty, herby with lots of rich, sweet fruit. The palate is clean, lots of
brambles and chocolate with herbs mixed in. Firm tannin, lots of mint
mocha on the finish. Very nice.
Pretty aetherial spice and cassis nose, with savoury blood and roasted
note; palate shows rose-petal finesse alongside currant and leather
and fantail of spice and then quite a tough chewy finish which can only
evolve pretty well as the tannin is ripe.
22

Poeira 2005
Pomares 2009
Pomares Tinto 2008
Prats & Symington Chryseia 2008
Quinta da Gaivosa Vinha de Lordelo 2005
Quinta da Pacheca 2010
Quinta da Pacheca Grande Reserva Touriga
Nacional 2009
Quinta da Pacheca Tinto 2009
Quinta da Pacheca Vinha da Rita 2009
Quinta da Romaneira 2005
Lavender and lots of herbs mixing with a cherry sweetness. Hints of
chocolate and leather, nice balance and with coffee on the finish. Very
nice.
A blend of Viosinho, Gouveio and Rabigato. Bright and fruity with real
precision. A fresh, citrusy, mineral white with grapefruit notes and
good acidity. Fantastic freshness and personality.
Lovely focused dark fruits nose of cherries, berries and plums. The
palate is bright, fresh and precise with lovely presence and some nice
grippy structure. Good acidity, with a hint of meatiness on the finish.
Disappointing bottle? Rather VA and lean nose. Then palate packed
with crunchy fruit, cherries and plum and fine tannins. Not
oppressive; I think I’ve seen it better.
Good light fruit, raspberries and brambles. The palate is balanced,
clean with loads of chocolate and toffee sweetness. A good long
leathery finish. Nice.
Malvasia, Gouveio and Cerceal. Bright, fruity and taut with nice
crispness and good fruit presence.
Lovely floral, violet, meaty aromatics are varietally true. Dense but
supple berry and black cherry fruit, with notes of olives and herbs. A
lovely wine with a fresh finish.
Nice bright, fresh, cherryish nose. Supple with grippy structure. An
attractive wine with nice berry fruits on the palate. Well made.
Only made in special years, from a 3.5 hectare, 60 year old vineyard.
Rich and spicy with lovely dark fruits, some mineral notes and good
structure. Notes of olives, tar and herbs with well integrated oak.
Structu and fine.
Outstandingly gentle with nice, raspberry and light brambles. There is
a good balance of it’s constituent parts, very elegant with cherry
stones on the finish.
Quinta da Romaneira Reserva 2008 Taste the schist. So tight and tarry but actually not at all overextracted.
Dense tannin but with a velvet gown. This is roast plums
on a boulder in the high Douro, exploding with the heat of the rock.
So athletic and poised. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Cão
Quinta de la Rosa Vale do Inferno 2005
Quinta de Macedos, Pinga do Torto 2005,
DOC
Quinta de S. Jose 2005
A rich, stewed dark aroma. Lots of damson jam. The palate is heavy,
tannic, dark with lots of coffee and chocolate. Not bad at all!
Grape Varieties: 50% mixed old vines & 50% Touriga Nacional and
Touriga Franca. Beautifully fragrant and cherry-scented, with lots of
leafy freshness as well as very good fruit. Sweet, savoury, and fleshy.
Funky. Lots of dark, stewed and raisin fruit. A lot of dark liquorice and
chocolate with cocoa powder on the finish. Nice but it lacks something
on the end.
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23

Quinta do Coa, 2007, DOC Superior
Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa 2006
Quinta do Crasto, Vinha da Ponte, 2007,
DOC
Quinta do Infantado Reserva 2008
Quinta do Noval 2005
Quinta do Noval 2008
Quinta do Vale D. Maria 2006
Quinta do Vale Dona Maria, 2004, DOC
Quinta Do Vale Meao Meandro 2008
Quinta do Vale Meao 2005
Quinta do Vale Meão 2008
Quinta do Vallado Adelaide 2008
Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional 2006
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca.
Gorgeously deep blackcurrant and black cherry fruit here, with a
smoky edge and some Sandalwood notes. Lovely palate too. This is
modern, plush and deliciously deep, but retains a sense of the sunbaked
Douro too. Fine finish.
Polished and perfumed, rosemary and a meaty aroma. The palate has
sweet elements, lots of tannin and nice earthy elements. Then the
sweetness comes back in with an abundance.
More than 30 different old vine varieties. Lots of creamy vanillin here,
as well as a beautifully rounded, fleshy black plum fruit. The palate has
a real sense of concentrated firmness at its core and delightful
balance.
Lovely lifted bright and butcher shop nose. Great sense of weight but
athletic and well-set. Tannins quite gentle and successful. Good
premium plus.
Rich, round with dark berries. The palate has a wallop of alcohol, loads
of tannin, leather and spices. Then the booze kicks in with fresh mint
and leather. Dark and brooding.
Very mineral but short of perfume. Warm ferment? And glue note
with very angular frame. Subtle with cherries and kirsch but tannic
end suggests it won’t grow.
From an old vineyard, with old vines that have probably been breeding
amongst themselves for umpteen decades, this is a rich, sweet wine
with nice chocolate and berry flavours. There is a lot of heat on the
palate, some firm tannin, but then the finish lets it down by being a bit
weak.
More than 25 different varieties. Gamy and ripe, with a delightful edge
to the fruit, there's a bitter cherry and chicory bite to this making it
very food-friendly and delicious. .
This concentrated shows restrained power to its flavors of roasted
plum, dark cherry and blackberry. Broad and rich on the finish, with
plenty of savory spice and chocolate notes. Touriga Franca, Touriga
Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Sousão, Tinta Amarela and Tinta Cão.
Good, earthy fruit, a lot of cherry and plums. Nice long palate, with
firm tannin and outstanding balance, weight and fruit.
Very neat and complete on the start; good aromatics and opens on
entry. Violet and dark crunch. But then a very tough extracted end.
Compact but spoilt by pushing too far.
Bright rasberry fruit on nose; leafy tug tempers primariness.
Concentration but furry touch of over-extraction holds it up. Bright
fruit and intense then sandiness and rather dry medium long end.
A rich, cherry fest. Lots of fairly sweet chocolate too. The palate is
nice, clean with lovely dark, leathery flavours. A bit of spice and
pepper but too leathery on the finish.
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24

Quinta Nova Colheita Tinto 2008
Quinta Nova Grande Reserva 2007
Quinta Nova Reserva 2007
Quinta Nova Touriga Nacional 2007
Sul Quinta de Tecedeiras Reserva 2008
Wine & Soul Pintas 2008
An unoaked cuvée. Spicy and chocolatey with a slightly balsamic edge
to the ripe blackberry and berry fruits. The palate is ripe, dense and
sweetly fruited with some spiciness and chocolatey richness. Very
attractive.
15% alcohol. This has old vines and more Touriga Nacional. Very
refined and perfumed with spice, dark chocolate and lots of blackberry
and dark cherry fruit, as well as a hint of meatiness. The palate is
beautifully complex and spicy, showing expressive, rich fruit and well
integrated oak. Powerful, ripe and rich, yet still in balance.
A selection with lots of Tinta Amarela and almost no Touriga Nacional.
Highly aromatic nose with lovely complex spiciness and some warmth,
dominated by sweet blackberry and cherry fruit. The palate is fresh
and focused with nice acidity supporting the bright, fresh berry fruit.
Firm but nicely judged tannins provide structure.
15% alcohol. Very aromatic, perfumed nose: floral with some
blackberry and dark cherry fruit. The palate is beautifully expressive
with lovely fresh dark fruits. Very expressive with some grippy tannin
on the finish. Ripe and lush but not at all jammy.
Soapy, slightly tarry nose; bright fruit but similar to many Douro wines
in its black fruit and stony profile. Lacks something but clearly
premium
A little hot but lovely cherry and berry fruit with a hit of cassis behind.
Big aromatic nose draws you in. Very dense fruit but miraculously
tame (ish) tannins – this is Portugal after all. Not sure if this is for the
long term. Classy vanillin oak – cream and Mivi bar. Tar and cassis on
the end. Longish. Old vine field blend.
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25

DURIENSE
Duriense is a Portuguese wine region covering the same area as the Douro DOC and the Port wine region. In difference
from Douro DOC, Duriense VR is a designation at the lower Vinho Regional (VR) level, which corresponds to
table wines with a geographical indication under European Union wine regulations, similar to a French vin de pays
region. Thus, it is the simpler or less typical wines of the Douro region that are sold using a Duriense VR label.
Before the creation of a separate Duriense VR, the Douro vineyards were part of the former Trás-os-Montes VR,
which is now called Transmontano VR and no longer includes the Douro vineyards
Churchill Quinta da Gricha 2005
Apparently 100 years ago Bastardo and Alvarilhão were the most widely
planted grapes in the Douro. They don’t have a lot of colour, and this is
why Sousão, a teinturier ( fleshed) variety, was introduced from Vinho
Verde. This is a remarkable wine. It’s a varietal Bastardo made in lagar,
with stems, and no sulfur dioxide addition. Very pale in colour, it looks
like a rosé. It has a beautiful, fresh, aromatic nose with a nice herby
green edge to the bright cherry fruit. The palate is remarkable: even
though this is a pale wine, it is intense, with a rounded texture and
lovely spiciness. Fresh, super-elegant and persistent, this is a beautiful
wine. It’s labelled Vinho Regional because the IVDP refused the Douro
appellation numerous times because this is ‘atypical’.
Conceito Bastardo 2009
Poeira, Pó de Poeira 2008
Quinta do Noval, Cedro 2007
Quinta do Noval, Labrador 2007
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13% alcohol. An early maturing variety with weak colour that was
popular in the 18th century, but has now steadily abandoned. Pale
cherry colour. Wonderful sweet aromatics: warm herbs, cherry fruit. So
pure and elegant with a leafy edge. The palate is smooth, warm and
sweetly fruited. Light and superbly elegant with lovely cherry and herb
notes, and subtle tannins. Lovely wine.
Grape Varieties: Alvarinho & Gouveio. Pungent, vivacious nose with lots
of green fig and bean notes and a smoky oak background. Vibrant
palate too, with lots of juicy fruit and an orangy zest, as well as pinsharp
lemon acidity. Delicious and invigorating.
Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Syrah.
Beautifully Sandalwood spicy, tobacco laden aroma, with an intense
mulberry and cherry fruit. On the palate this fills the mouth: sweet and
giving, with a juicy mid-palate, but the tight, liquoricy tannins are
intense and that spice and cedar pushes through. .
Grape Varieties: Syrah. A 100% Syrah wine, that is svelte and velvety
deep, with lots of schisty, cedary and peppery character and a deal of
minerality, as well as a pastry case or baked plum pie aroma. On the
palate the purity of that dark, blueberry and damson plum fruit comes
through, with chocolaty tannins and plenty of warming, coffeeish oak.
Again, this wine retains very good, cherry-skin freshness.
26

LISBOA
Lisboa has a long history in national viticulture. This region’s vine area is made up of traditional grape varieties
and the most famous international ones. Lisboa’s diversity of relief and microclimates enables the region to
produce a great variety of wines.
Formerly known as Estremadura, Lisboa wine region is located north west of Lisbon, occupying an area of about
40 km. The climate is mild due to Atlantic influence. Summers are fresh and winters soft, though colder in areas
farther from the sea.
Although the region has good potential for the production of quality wines, about fifteen years ago it was
essentially known for producing large quantities of low quality wine. Since then, the vines and wineries have been
restructured. One of the restructuring steps involved planting new grape varieties, chosen according to quality,
not quantity. Today, Lisboa’s wines are known for their good quality/price ratio
The region focused on the growing of the noblest Portuguese and foreign grape varieties. In 1993, a new type of
wine was created: the Vinho Regional Lisboa (free translation: Lisboa Regional Wine). This new type of wine
encouraged producers to study the potential of the different grape varieties and, currently, most wines produced
in Lisboa wine region are regional (the law for DOC wines is very restrictive on the use of grape varieties).
Berco Do Infante Vinho 2009
Casa Santos Lab 2009
Good body and structure in this great find from Portugal. Plenty of up
front fruit with a hint of spice on the finish.
Casa Santos Lab 2008 is tasty, pleasant and focused wine. Aged in
new oak for four months, this is a serious wine for the price.
Cerejeiras 2008
Cortello Vinho
Pronounced "Serajeras", this bottle will show you exactly why Portuguese
wines are on the rise. Right from the start there is a deep bouquet
of ripe, well combined fruit and some hints of vanilla. On the palate,
notes of cherry jam, vanilla and spice with a persistent and
lengthy finish. A great wine for the upcoming months that is food
friendly and affordable.
Ripe fruit aromas are supported by a fresh acidity nicely combined
with smooth tannins.
Quinta de Chocapalha, Arinto 2008 Branco Lovely mealy and lemony richness, with a touch of toast. The palate
has real textural breadth and richness too, with that fat, lemony fruit
and lovely acidity. Juicy and mouth-watering.
Quinta de San’Ana Reserva 2005
Quinta do Rocio 2006
A lot of rich coffee, tobacco, sweet fruit and loads of spice. A sweet
modern wine. A bit of a hussy!
A lot of veggies, a bit of wild raspberries. Good, leathery flavour, well
balanced and well made.
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27

Quinta Sant’ana Riesling 2009
A lovely fluidity here, fresh but weighted with Chenin-like honey and
stone. Good. Discove Riesling – must be warm or very original site.
Excellent even. 17 £9.50
Telha D Ouro 2005
Right from the start there are aromas of black fruit and a hint of earth
and dried herbs. On the palate there are dark fruit notes as well as
some leather with subtle tannins
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28

MINHO VINHO VERDE
The beautiful green region of the Minho is located in the northwest of Portugal in an area between the rivers of
The Douro (to the South) and The River Minho on the Spanish border (to the North) and locked in by the mountains
(to the East). The region's climate is greatly influenced by mountains and Atlantic currents. The most significant
feature is the yearly rain levels showing an annual average of 1500 mm concentrated mainly in winter and
spring.
With good reason, many Portuguese consider the Minho to be the most beautiful part of their country. A rolling
province of lush river valleys, forested hillsides, trailing vines and long, sandy beaches, it is immensely pleasing on
the eye, while much is made of the Minho's traditional aspect, especially in the mountainous east, where you can
still see wooden-wheeled ox-carts creak down cobbled lanes. Here age-old customs are maintained at dozens of
huge country markets, festas and romarias.
Vinho Verde is an unique product, miss-understood by some but loved by many. With a blend of aromas and petillance
that makes it a delicious natural beverage. Medium in alcohol, Vinho Verde has great digestive properties
due to its freshness, slight fiz and special qualities. It is a highly regarded wine, especially when served chilled for
Summer drinking. The malo-lactic fermentation gives it a distinctive taste and personality. The reds are full-bodied
wines with an intense colour and a rosy or light red foam. The whites usually present a lemony or straw colour.
The strong distinctive character and originality of these wines are the result of soil and climate characteristics, social-economic
elements, grape varieties and the vinegrowing methods.
The vines, distinguished by their great vegetative expansion in severe conditions, occupy an area of almost 35
thousand hectares, corresponding to 15% of the national viticultural area.
Afros Vinhão 2009
Afross 2007
Alvarinho Anselmo Mendes 2007 Branco
Anselmo Mendes, Contacto 2008, DOC
Branco
Light body, inky and round, dark and tannic wrench on finish. Might
be fine with oily smoked fish but limited as wine per se. Strange it’s
here.
The Vinhao grape is a fleshed grape which shows in the wonderful
colour. Jamie Goode says “It’s an extreme taste… (and has) rough
edges, but so do many interesting people.” Couldn’t agree more as
the first aroma I got was warm hoover bag! Quite dusty with cherries
and a little bit of blackcurrant. The palate is rich, lots of juicy cherry
and raspberries. There is a hint of bubblegum (residual from the last
wine?!) with a nice spice on the finish.
A rich, dirty aroma. Nice aromas of cedar and dried tropical fruit, but
a touch of heat on the palate, followed up by mango skin and
pineapple. Nice but I’d stick with the Soalheiro.
Grape Varieties: Alvarinho. Beautiful peachy, smoky freshness with a
really flinty touch and lovely lemony freshness.
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29

Covela Escolha 2005
Gazela
Giro Sols 2007
Quinta da Aveleda Casal Garcia 750ML
Quinta do Ameal Escolhas 2007
Quinta do Ameal, Loureiro 2008, DOC
Quinta do Feital Alvarinho Dorado Superior
2008
Quinta do Louridal, Poema 2007
Quintas de Melgaço Castrus 2009
Reguengo de Melgaco 2006
Soalheiro Alvarinho 1995
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2000
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2002
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A Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend. Now biodynamic,
this wine has a bit of bubblegum on the nose, some cherry and
leather and a touch of pepper. It is a bit thin on the palate, which isn’t
a bad thing, with a stoney flavour and a long, dry, leathery finish. I
think this can improve, but not bad now, if it wasn’t for that
bubblegum element that put me off at the start.
The perfect light and fruity white wine. The bright acidity balances the
subtle fruitiness and medium sweetness. Nice bouquet of lemons and
apricots. Good as an aperitif or with light food.
Made from the Loureiro grape, and made by Quinta do Soalheiro and
Dirk Niepoort, this wine had a nice nose of lime, a touch of clay
springing out of somethere, but very lightly. There are hints of honey
and more citrus on this long, lingering finish.
Selected grape varieties are brought from the extensive vineyards of
the Vinho Verde Region to our winery, to produce a smooth and fresh
wine with a delicate aroma. It is the wine with the longest history at
Aveleda and is easily identified by its blue label, which represents one
of the magnificent embroideries of the Minho region.
Again a Loureiro and it reminded me of a Riesling, with lime and some
petrol. The palate was full, quite creamy with nice fruit, good balance
of peppery cedar.
A little waxy weight, a delightful lemon sherbet aromatic. This has
huge verve and freshness, and a beautifully focused finish.
Serious wine with bright crunch and touch but helpful complexing
oxidation. Hint of glue does not help but real straw and mineral
detail.
Grape Varieties: Alvarinho. Lovely big, leesy, grassy, bold and
assertive nose, with lots of minerality and that bold lemony fruit.
Gorgeous mouthful of fresh, tangy fruit.
Apricot nose, slight glue in mouth but real weight and presence;
slightly short but very vinous and intriguing.
Another Alvarinho, and you get a funky lime aroma, and I’m not
referring to a good, Cool and the gang type of funk. The palate is a bit
unbalanced, with slightly over ripe fruit. I got cardboard on the finish
too. Not my thing.
Yellow/gold colour. Amazing nose showing toasty, waxy, citrussy
notes. The palate is broad and fresh with a strongly herby character.
Toasty and broad with hints of butter and petrol. Fresh and assertive,
this is interesting stuff.
A warm year. Gold colour. Bold, aromatic, herby and rich with some
peach notes. Concentrated palate with concentrated, herby, spicy
notes and some tropical fruit, as well as high acidity. Bold and intense,
and still fresh at 8 years old.
Cool year. Yellow/gold colour. Lively, herby, citrusy nose with some
subtle toasty notes and delicate waxy herbiness. The palate is
rounded, a bit nutty and has some toasty notes, as well as bright pear
and citrus fruit.
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Soalheiro Alvarinho 2003
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2006
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2007
Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas Colheitas 2007
Soalheiro, Primeiras Vinhas 2008, DOC
Deep yellow/gold. Toasty, herby tropical fruit nose. The palate is bold
and intense with broad, rich, nutty fruit. Finished a bit shorter than
the 2002, but is tasty and intense.
Yellow colour. Lovely minerally, citrusy nose. The palate is lively and
bright with fresh herbiness and lovely precision and focus. Nice depth
of pure, minerally fruit here.
Very fresh, aromatic, bright and quite estery on the nose, showing
citrus and peach fruit as well as minerals. The palate is pure and
focused with nice citrussy precision and some pear and peach
richness. Lovely.
I have loved the wines from Soalheiro since my trip four years ago and
am a big fan of their basic Alvarinho. This, their top wine, is full on
honey, lime and a rich pear aroma. There is more pear on the palate
and some pencil shavings on the finish.
Grape Varieties: Alvarinho. Very ripe, rich, peachy nose: a fuller style,
but retaining that edge of salty minerality. The palate has huge
intensity and concentration. There's a wonderfully vibrant gooseberry
and grapefruit tang. 93/100.
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RIBATEJO
Tejo, until 2009 named Ribatejo, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Ribatejo Province. It
takes its name from the river Tejo (Tagus). The entire region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Tejo
VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the
designation Ribatejo DOC.[1][2] VR is similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC.
Located between the Lisboa and Alentejo VRs, the region is dominated by the influence of the Tagus river. The river
moderates the region's climate, making it more temperate than other areas of Portugal. Vineyards are planted on
the fertile alluvial plains along the river and can be prone to producing excessive yields.[3]
In 2009, the region was renamed from Ribatejo to Tejo, the same name as the river flowing through the region, as
part of a drive to increase the wine region's international reputation.[4][5] However, the DOC has kept its name
Ribatejo, which removed the previous problem of having the same name applied to wines at two different levels of
Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima Alfrocheiro
2006
Vale d'Algares, 'Selection' 2008
Bubblegum, some strawberries but nothing much else. The palate is ok,
but thin. Needs some structure, all up front fresh fruit, but then just
dribbles away to nothing.
Grape Varieties: Viognier (55%) and Alvarinho (45%). Prominent smoky
oak here is an overriding feature, with the lemony and orchard fruits
beneath. Lovely freshness and terrific bite, that fresh apple fruit slicing
through the finish.
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SETUBAL
The Setúbal Peninsula lies across the estuary of the River Tagus directly south of Lisbon, and linked to Lisbon by
two bridges.
Much of the area is flat and sandy, with the exception of the Serra da Arrábida, a short chain of mountains running
along the south coast of the peninsula, It is on these Serra da Arrábida slopes that the grapes are grown for
the famous sweet Moscatel de Setúbal wines.
The Vinho Regional was recently renamed Península de Setúbal.. There are two DOCs, Setúbal and Palmela.
Setúbal is sweet and fortified, made primarily from the Muscat of Alexandria grape. It can be labelled Moscatel de
Setúbal when Muscat makes up more than 85 per cent of the blend.
It’s a very sweet, fragrant wine, with candied orange flavours, floral and raisiny when young, developing nutty,
toffeed aromas with maturity. Moscatel Roxo (a pink grape) makes wines that are even more scented.
DOC Palmela is mainly red, and based on the late-ripening Castelão grape, which is more at home in the hot,
sandy soils of Palmela than anywhere else in Portugal.
José Maria da Fonseca Hexagon 2007
Adega de Pegoes Cinquentenario 2005
Herdade de Comporta Aragonez/Alicante
Bouschet 2005
Palacio da Bacalhoa 2005
S de Soberanas 2004
Tight wrenching style with ripe hot cedary fruit and bright acid and
touch intrusive Brett.
Lots of toffee and chocolate. A sweet aroma with nice spice and a
green leafy backbone. Lacks a little, well, oomph! Something to
make it stand out and say “I’m brilliant”.
Good fruit, damson and plum skin. A lot of nice sweet tobacco aromas,
a long palate with a good balance of fruit and secondary flavours
of leather and tobacco box.
All cherry and green pepper, but that is hardly surprising from a Cabernet,
Merlot, Petit Verdot blend. More veggies than a vegan dinner,
but just not balanced. Needs more oak!
Rich, nutty with lots of green pepper and black cherries and liquorice.
Some spice, black pepper and very dark. This is tasty.
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TRÁS-OS-MONTES
Trás-os-Montes is a Portuguese wine region located in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The entire wine
region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Transmontano VR, while some areas are also classified at
the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the designation Trás-os-Montes DOC.[1] VR is
similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC.
Located in the northeastern corner of Portugal, the Trás-os-Montes region has vineyards across a wide range of
altitudes that produces a vast spectrum of wine. The vineyards in the cooler high altitude produces wines that are
light bodied while the lower altitude region produces full bodied, highly alcoholic wines. One of the first wines to
gain international attention was the semi-sweet, semi-sparkling wine known as rosado.[2]
Douro DOC, which is famous as the Port wine region, is also located in Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro and could use
the former Trás-os-Montes VR designation.[2] However, with the creation of a separate Duriense VR, Douro vineyards
are now separate from both the Trás-os-Montes DOC and Transmontano VR.[1]
Valle Pradinhos Reserva 2005
Entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, this has nice, rich, raspberries with some
sage coming through. Lean fruit, a good dollop of spice with a leather
coated veggie backbone. I’m a big fan.
Valle Pradinhos 2009 Muscaty hit and good mineral note behind; dry. In fact Gewurzraminer,
Riesling and Malvasia! Well made
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