Tag Archives: portugal

Quinta Das Carvalhas Tinto 2017, Douro, Portugal

18 Thursday Aug 2022

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A blend of 60% Touriga Nacional with the balance between Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) from the Douro, it is medium to deep purple colored.  The nose has a bit of heat initially but then I get aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, saddle leather, vanilla, a touch of raisin and star anise. The palate is dry with medium (+) tannins and medium acidity.  Think black tea meets charcoal with a melange of very sun-ripened black fruits.  It’s a full bodied wine that sports a hefty 14.5% ABV (which I noticed on the nose) and carries through to a medium length finish.  For $16 this is a delicious wine that will cellar well till 2028 and drink nicely now if you like a touch of dryness.  91 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Fonseca Reserve Porto Bin 27 NV, Portugal

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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Deep ruby color.  The nose has a unique greeness to it on first whiff.  With a bit of air I am able to coax dried blueberry, cola, mint(?) and sultanas.  It’s not what I was expecting tbh.  The palate is semi-sweet, warm (from the 20%ABV) and inviting.  The wine is tannic and has gobs of acidity.  Full bodied for sure it has more classical Port flavors than what I got on the nose.  Dried black and blue berries, nuts, cola, prunes, sultanas and a richness of stewed black fruit.  It leaves a tannic impression on my gums well after the medium length finish fades.  What started out as a questionable Port wine turned into a delicious effort that gets 90 points from me.  These are meant to be drunk on release, so don’t waste any time!  Widely available for $16 it’s worth stashing a bottle or two for a late night treat with some warm chocolate gateaux.  5 stars.  Salut….

Quinta do Crasto Superior 2016, Douro, Portugal

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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I am a fan of Portuguese reds- I find them to offer high value for the money.  This Superior from the Douro is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 20%  Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and 5% Sousao.  It is deep ruby with medium intensity aromas of stewed plums (prunes), green pepper, white pepper, dried blackberry, dried sage and a nuttiness.  I felt the wine is still developing.  On the palate it is dry with medium (+) tannins, medium acidity, medium alcohol and medium body.  The medium intensity flavors of prunes, dried sage and blackberry coupled with the nutty component led to a short finish.  I was underwhelmed by this ‘acceptable’ wine that should be drunk now, with no further aging.  It runs $24 locally and gets a mere 86 points from me making it a 2 star effort.

PS. tasting from a second bottle revealed the possibility that this wine was corked and the scores and reviews were deflated from the performance expected of this wine that scored highly with the pros.

Salut….

Kirkland Signature 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

31 Thursday Mar 2022

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I love Port.  Tawny is not my top style so I am trying to broaden my palate, even if it means buying Costco’s brand (they have some excellent stuff BTW).  This one is medium garnet in color.  The nose is quite pronounced, perhaps due to the big 20% ABV evaporating off those wafts?  Nuts, caramel, singed orange, prune, raisins and a dried herb note.  The palate is off-dry, with medium acidity, medium tannins and high alcohol which is noticeable.  Medium (+) body and pronounced flavors of dried fruit, oxidative notes of caramel, dried herbs and that lovely orange component.  The finish is quite lengthy, tannic, high in residual alcohol and really yummy.  For under $20 it’s a decent drop that gets 88 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

W & J Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port NV, PortoPortugal

25 Friday Mar 2022

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I opened this wine yesterday to use a few dollops in my Short Rib sauce.  I ended the evening sipping this nectar and making very basic notes.  For $24, this is a delicious Port that I will be buying again.

Opaque- period. Off-dry with cooked blackberry, sweet prunes, stewed blueberry, rich tannins, high alcohol that is well hidden, medium acidity, long finish, full bodied, very dry finish.  Delicious. 92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Quinta da Foz Reserva 2017, Douro, Portugal

12 Saturday Mar 2022

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I really enjoy Portuguese wines, from the sweet dessert Ports to the crisp white Alvarinos to the beautifully meshed red blends of the Douro.  Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) make up this wine that is a deep ruby in the glass.  The nose is awesome- black plum, blackberry, currants, charred wood, black cherry, licorice, vanilla and coconut.  The palate is delicious, tart with juicy acidity and dry.  The tannins are quite evident but they caress rather than attack the gums.  The astringency hits a bit later on the mid palate.  Pronounced flavors of black fruit, oak and licorice swirl across the palate and end up in a long finish that is quite tannic at this stage and definitely amazing.  Full bodied, this is a wine meant for the long haul and will pair nicely with my Beef Kebabs- spiced with a dry rub and served with salad.  93 points for this $30 wine makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Cockburn’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2015, Portugal

08 Tuesday Mar 2022

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A deep shade of purple in the glass this opaque Port has got a pretty intense nose.  Aromas of cooked plum, stewed blackberry, raisins, mixed nuts and a fresh grape note- interesting.  The palate is lush with stewed black fruit, currant extract, a nutty component and that zingy fresh grape note I got on the nose.  The wine packs some heat- I can. feel the burn just ever so much.  Very smooth and integrated tannins balance out the medium (-) acidity.  The wine is obviously considered full-bodied- it simply coats the mouth with dark fruit lashings with a dryness from the structural tannins.  The finish is quite long and puckering.  Delicious stuff to sip with some stinky cheese or a chocolate dessert.  Reasonably priced at $20, this 91 point fortified wine needs to be in every bar.  It gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Casa Ferreirinha Esteva Tinto 2016, Douro, Portugal

08 Tuesday Mar 2022

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Medium opacity, this blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca is a stunning ruby color in the glass with singular, yet thick legs.  On the nose it is of medium intensity with aromas like black raspberry, red plum, violet, cinnamon, coconut and dried herbs.  The palate is dry with mouth coating tannins that are medium strength to go along with the medium (-) acidity.  Flavors of red and black fruit combined with a dusty earthiness, floral notes, and some oak influence make for an interesting taste.  The wine is medium bodied with the tannins fading rapidly on the back end.  The finish is short but tasty.  There is a black tea component right at the end that I like.  Overall- this 88 pointer gets 4 stars for is $10 price point and ability to pour easily on a weekday with burgers or other non-exotic fare.  I like it.  Salut….

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho 2020, Vinho Verde, Portugal

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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We kicked off the 25th Virtual Wine Tasting event with this Alvarinho.  The winemaker has allowed some skin contact during fermentation so I was hoping for a rounder, fuller bodied wine.  We tasted it at room temperature and then chilled.  Here is what the group thought of this wine.

Pale straw colored with citrus, pineapple, yellow apple and saline on the nose.  Someone caught a whiff of petrol and we decided that the smell of Vaseline was an appropriate moniker.  Medium acidity and light bodied this wine has medium intensity flavors of honey, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, yellow apple and I sensed brioche.  I gave this version 11 marks on the VWTC score sheet.

The chilled version was crisper and had more prominent aromas and flavors.  Saline, honeysuckle and brioche with far less apple/citrus notes on the nose.  The palate had melon, grapefruit, pineapple and we felt the acidity was more prominent.  The wine had more body and scored 13 marks with me.  Overall this $20 gets 89 points from me, which is a far cry from the monster scores the pros gave.  I will re-taste tonight and report back if there is any significant change to my assessment of this 3 star effort.  Drink now with seafood or a chicken salad.  Salut….

Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port NV, Portugal

11 Friday Feb 2022

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The third Port in a trio I recently purchased this one is a Special Reserve.  It’s way more opaque than the Ruby I tasted previously.  The nose has nuts, lots of them, plus rich blueberry compote, blackberry jam, prunes, stewed cherry and raspberry.  A virtual melange of red, black and blue fruit.  The nuts are fascinating- walnuts, pecan and filberts.  The palate is mouth-coating with delicious, rich fruit and lithe tannins.  Medium (-) acidity allows this wine’s fruit to shine whilst the tannins sneak out to the finish.  Stewed blackberry, blueberry and cherry are the primary fruit flavors.  Walnut and pecan with a faint trace of smoke round it out.  The tannins are very fine-grained and stick around for a while.  This is delicious stuff, no doubt.  I got it for $16, and it gets 91 points from me upending the Fine Ruby as my new go-to Port to stock up on.  5 stars for sure.  Salut…..