Quinta do Vallado-video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEMUDQOJ008&feature=related

Quinta do Vallado-photos

http://www.facebook.com/quintadovallado?sk=wall#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.176845582339288.43188.154795377877642

Vini Portugal 2011-Part 1

  A belated snapshot of the 7th Annual Vini Portugal Grand Tasting- April 4 2011 @ Lincoln Center NYC. 

Because it was so much fun and so informative to taste the wines of Luis Pato with the Duck himself-I'll save him for Part 2! 

The trend towards single variety wines is alive and well.  There were many fine Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz bottlings.   And one of these, was my #2 wine of the tasting-the Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional 2008.  With a 95 point rating from the Wine Spectator(the 2007 received a 94) the 2008 vintage is giving no ground to 2007, and is clearing the bases with this and other out of the park wines.  Here's Kim Marcus note in The Wine Spectator, "boasting medium-grained tannins that support the dense plum and berry flavors, which feature plenty of ferrous, minerally notes. Mocha and spice linger on the long finish. Very well-crafted, finely balanced and pure-tasting. Needs time in the cellar. Best from 2012 through 2020. 2,188 cases made. –KM"   I actually found the wine incredibly approachable for its youth and size.  Unlike previous vintages, the floral/dried red fruit/tobacco aromatics were not buried in new oak.  This was true for the Reserva as well, and a quick visit to the wineries production notes makes it clear this is quite intentional. "After malolactic fermentation took place (in the original stainless steel tanks), the wine was racked to 225 litre French Oak barriques, where it stayed for 16 months.  Fifty percent of these were new, and the remaining were used one- and two-year old barriques so that the Touriga Nacional aromas were not overcome by oak."   In the Douro, many producers seem to have taken the criticism of over-oaking to heart-and are crafting fresh, aromatic wines that don't sacrifice varietal character to make massive dark smoke and vanilla monsters.  I frequently recommend (and personally prefer) the 2'd and 3'd wines over the top Douro bottlings-precisely because they have typically had more fragrance, charm, typicity and accessibility.  If this trend in the top wines continues, we may have to start springing for the Big boys!

The Vallado Reserve Field Blend 2008(94 pts Wine Spectator) is a great example of another notable trend, the old vine field blend is being suddenly and loudly proclaimed.   From the production notes, "More than 20 grape varieties (a field blend) including Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and Touriga Franca and others, with 65% from vineyards older than 80 years."  This is not so much a new practice as a new focus and approach to marketing-sort of like when Mama Rose finally throws Louise out on stage to become Gypsy Rose Lee.  These tangled old bush vines have been laboring in the background all along, and are finally getting the push they needed to claim the spotlight.   All of these developments find the Douro steaming down the track towards carving a modern identity that preserves their unique heritage in terms of both grape varieties and terroir.

Beira Interior

Stepping in to fill the white wine vacuum created by the missing Vinho Verde producers(who held there own seminar and tasting last month) were the surprisingly wonderful whites of the little known Beira Interior.  This old region to the east of the Dao is known mostly for cooperative bottlings of the local Siria grape (Roupeiro).  Two fantastic bottlings by the Quinta dos Currais, a 100% Siria and a blend of Siria, Arinto and Fonte Cal were equally intriguing and a first rate introduction to the region.  Singled out by both Jamie Goode and Sarah Ahmed for selection in the annual 50 great wines of Portugal tasting held in England, Qta Currais is a 130 hectare property owned by third generation winemakers.    The Siria was perfumed-light bodied but relatively ripe and spicy.  The blend was an entirely different animal, with real weight and depth, and lots of green melon and ripe pear fruit. The wine sees no oak but has a smokey/flinty character which the winery asserts is due to the Fonte Cal grape variety-no aka so far... and no US importer.

Another standout white came from leading Alentejo producer Cortes de Cima.  Their lovely Chamine white blend 2010 is an interesting combo of Antao Vaz, Viognier, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc-  complex without seeming contrived and incredibly zingy and fresh.  The Chamine red is a treat as well-with a light and refined/ elegant feel that is the envy of many a fat and clumsy Aragonez/Castelao blend.  Chamine just makes it look easy.   The whole line is so solid, it is no wonder that this winery commands the position it does in the market.

For value, I was bowled over all over again by the top to bottom quality of the Carmim Winery.  At dizzying production levels(5 million cases in the case of the Carmim Terras del Rei) this Alentejo cooperative in Monsarraz pulls off an incredible range of styles and flavors-from the exuberantly fruity(if a tad simple) field blend Terras del Rei-to the earthier/juicier Reguengos, to the sleek Monsarraz with more black fruit and muscle.  They even have some thoroughly believable reserves, and although in the premium price range-they still outdistance the competition in the quality/value department.

Some interesting bubblies are being made in the Bairrada region, mostly from Bical.  Although my favorites were a couple of Blanc de Noir traditional method wines from the infamously tricky Baga variety.  One of these was the Caves de Solar de Sao Domingos Baga Bruto 2006.  Sao Domingos is an operation founded in 1937 and models itself on the French Champagne houses, producing a full range of styles.  At increasing levels of sweetness, the traditional Bical/Maria Gomes  blends (Bairrada Brut, Meio-Seco, and a Dolce) had  fine mousse and plenty of yeasty notes, although the Meio-Seco was plagued by an unfortunate tired/musty note.  The Baga bottlings on the other hand, were clean, complex and vibrant.  And for fans of Sparkling Shiraz, there is a sparkling Baga/Touriga Nacional "Bruto Tinto"-full bodied, dry and full of spicy red fruit and bubbles.  I never know quite what to make of these things, but I expect (and the Aussies affirm) if presented a glass at a Barbecue on a 90 degree day-it would be just the ticket!  The king of Bairrada bubbly is of course Luis Pato...so for my favorite Blanc de Noir as well as my wine of the tasting, you'll have to come back for part 2!

Foot Treading

http://notesfromesporao.com/

Great Interview with David Baverstock of Esporao

Kim Marcus, covering the Portuguese beat for the Wine Spectator, talks to winemaker David Baverstock about the style and future of Portuguese wines in the Douro and the Alentejo.  Part 2 goes a little more in depth on the Alentejo and some of the Native grape varieties and Esporao's efforts to identify and preserve these for future generations.  Good stuff!
http://www.winespectator.com/video

"7 Decades of Porto Barros"

Douro Valley

Any tasting that begins with a "very old dry white port" from circa 1934 is likely to be extraordinary.  This very special tasting was held at Arrowine in Arlington on February 9, 2011.  An incredible event co-sponsored by Arrowine, Sogevinus and Dionysos Imports, hosted by the youthful and dynamic Sandra Marques, North American Export Manager for Sogevinus Fine Wines and a member of the Port Wine Confraria.  The tasting highlighted the spectacular range of Colheitas-the hallmark of Portuguese Port wine houses-produced by Porto Barros.  This traditional Portuguese house, founded in 1913, is a relative youngster by Port wine standards, and is now part of a family of Portuguese wine houses (among them Kopke and Calem) owned by the Spanish banking conglomerate Sogevinus.


Even if you are familiar with Port wine, you may not be so familiar with Colheita Ports.  We are not talking about Ruby or Vintage- English words for the styles of Port wine so fervently consumed, traded and popularized in the World Market.   We are talking Colheita (Kohl-YAY-tah)-a distinctly Portuguese name for a distinctly Portuguese style of Port.

Colheita-a distinctly Portuguese name for a distinctly Portuguese style of Port.

The Portuguese like their tawnies-or so I am told by Sandra who is a native of Oporto.  So it is no surprise that a style of tawny Port should be favored.  Colheita translates to harvest, and is a tawny Port that is representative of a single harvest and so bears a vintage date.  The duly revered 10, 20, and 40 year old tawny Ports which you are more likely to see gracing the shelves of wine shops and the pages of wine lists,  are more akin to a fine Champagne house's NV Brut.  They represent a house style-and each house has a team of Master blenders who are responsible for maintaining the quality and hallmark style of the brand-something you can hang your hat on.  They are also from multiple vintages-and so the 10-20-40 year designation represents an average age of the wine.   The Colheita tawny, on the other hand,  as a single harvest, reflects all of the caprice, condition (and risk) of climate variation-no two Colheitas are alike.  The Colheita must remain in wooden casks for a minimum of 7 years, only to be bottled when the market demands.  Porto Barros has Colheitas dating back to 1937.

"  when we drink Port, we are tasting history" 

-Fernando Oliveira, Master Blender for Sogevinus.

  The most remarkable aspect to me is this bit -"The Colheita remains in wooden casks for a minimum of 7 years (ok)-only to be bottled when the market demands"  Wait, what?  Back up, "only to be bottled when the market demands"  Let's think about that for a minute.   It is a common tradition to buy a bottle of vintage Port on a child's birth year.  We recognize the historical significance of this extraordinary and long lived bottle of wine.  Vintage Port, considered the highest tier of Port, declared only in the best years and among the most age worthy of wine investments, is the pride of every Port house and many a cellar.  The finest grapes, from the finest years, aged for a required two years in large barrels, and then bottled unfined and unfiltered.  Bottled, swaddled and sent out into the world a baby (a bruiser of a baby-I'll grant you) but a baby none the less-dependent upon the lucky procurer for its future development.

Bottled only when the market demands...

Colheitas on the other hand-are reared in the Port lodges that produced them.  Sometimes, as Sandra points out, even from inauspicious beginnings, a finely layered and complex wine can be produced.  Such is the case in 1979.  Considered a poor year and not a declared vintage-this "ugly duckling" has been transformed into a beautiful swan of a Colheita-and in 2009 the winery commemorated the harvest with a 30 year anniversary bottling.  In the perfect climate of Vila Nova de Gaia with its humidity thanks to the close proximity of the sea-these wines are looked after and gently coaxed into maturity by the Port wine Masters.  As they age, each bottling projects a unique snapshot of its birth and evolution-to sing a particular song marking a particular time.  We could only hope for so much for our children.  



Barros Very Old Dry White Port (1934 Solera)
Almost an essence-the finish and persistence on this wine is unbelievable.  Truly the summation of 70 years in cask-roasted nuts, caramel, toffee-on a light, airy and bone dry frame...this just goes on and on.

1995 Barros Colheita Port
Amber with orange highlights, aromas of hazelnuts and toffee mingle with creme brulee, the palate is fiery and still hinting at red fruits-pomegranate and orange zest.

1988 Barros Colheita Port
Deeper in color than the 1995-with a rosier hue-the 1988 has an expressive nose and a full, generous body.  Showing more sweetness and a touch of fire-full round and spicy-cinnamon scented nuts.

1978 Barros Colheita Port
 With a pronounced iodine note on the nose, a robust, spicy palate swims with caramel and hazelnuts on the long spicy finish.

1963 Barros Colheita Port
 Roasted pralines and coffee on the nose.  The palate is to die for with silky brandied coconut and orange caramel.  Pecan pie with freshly grated baking spices.

1957 Barros Colheita Port 
 Caramel aromas translate into a rich buttery caramel on the palate-tinged with candied orange and toasty vanilla notes.  Surprisingly fresh acids balance the richness of the flavors.

1937 Barros Colheita Port 
A deep amber hue, the sensational 1937 Colheita leaps out of the glass with aromas of sweet tobacco, pipe smoke, honey, golden raisins and chocolate gingerbread.  The orange zest tinged palate is a revelation of rich, vibrant flavors of fruitcake, hazelnuts and golden raisins.  The finish is incredibly long.  

http://www.arrowine.com/ 
http://www.porto-barros.pt/client/skins/english/site.htm 

""""