5th Annual Grand Tasting of Portuguese Wines
One Leidesdorff Building, San Francisco, California
Tasted Wednesday, April 6, 2011 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 3,318 views
Introduction
This was my second time attending this event, and I was surprised that very few of the producers who attended the prior year were on hand this year. Instead, a whole new array of producers were represented, a number of whom are looking for distributors. There were also relatively few port producers represented this year as compared to last, possibly because there were very few '08 vintage ports to show this year, as compared to the large number of '07 vintage ports present in 2010.
In general, as was the case last year with a different set of producers, I found a great number of terrific values in dry wines from Portugal, with retail prices as low as $5 to $10 for some fairly well made and adequate drinkers. I also found a significantly higher number of wines meriting 90 or more points than I did last year. This year, of the 53 producers whose wines I tried, 22 of them produced at least one wine that I rated 90 points or higher. I think this was partly because I'm more knowledgeable at this point about Portuguese wines and producers, especially after my visit there last year with Roy Hersh, so my methodology for selecting producers whose wines to taste improved this year. But I think the higher quality level amongst wines I tasted this year is also attributable to the continuing rise in quality level of dry Portuguese wines made with an eye toward the export market.
A treat at this event for me was some of the Portuguese winemaking personalities in attendance. I got to meet Cristiano van Zeller, pictured below. He's the former manager and co-owner of Quinta do Noval, through 1993, and current owner, with his wife, of Quinta do Vale Dona Maria and Lemos & Van Zeller. I also met two other major characters that I hadn't heard of before: Luis Pato (pictured below) who makes some excellent sparkling wine, as well as dry reds; and Carlos Campolargo of Campolargo, who is making some very interesting whites and reds, including an unexpected 100% Petit Verdot bottling, called Diga?. This tasting also introduced me to the terrific wines of Herdade de Malhadinha Nova, pictured at the top of this post, and below with the tasting notes. For me, theirs were, along with the Ferreira/Casa Ferreirinha wines that I was already familiar with, the best lineup of wines in this tasting.
There are an intimidating number of wines to taste at this event, and there's always the palate fatigue factor of going from vinho verdes to big reds to ports and back again. Nonetheless, I managed to taste a total of 162 wines this year. The best vinho verde for me was Quinta da Lixa's Espadeiro, which I rated 90+ points. Quinta da Lixa makes other very good vinho verdes, but I was drawn to this relatively unusual rosé version. The best dry white was the 2009 Quinta de Sant'Ana, made from Fernão Pires, which I rated 91+ points. The best sparkling wine for me was Luis Pato's Baga Espumante Quinta do Moinho, which I rated 91 points. The best rosé for me was Casca's intense and tasty Fernão Pires Monte Cascas, which I gave 91 points. The best of the dry reds and Ports at this event, which I rated 92 points or higher, are as follows:
Best Dry Reds
2007 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Quinta da Leda - 92+ points
2008 J. & F. Lurton Douro Quinta do Malhô - 93 points
2007 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Alentejo Marias da Malhadinha - 93 points
2008 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Alentejo - 92 points
2008 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Alentejo Pequeno João - 93 points
2008 Quinta Beira Douro - 92+ points
Best Ports
N.V. Ferreira Porto Tawny 10 Year Quinta do Porto - 92 points
N.V. Ferreira Porto Duque de Bragança 20 Year Old Tawny - 93 points
2007 Ferreira Porto Vintage - 93+ points
2009 Quinta do Vale Dona Maria Porto Vintage - cask sample rated 92-94 points
N.V. Vallegre Porto over 40 years Old Port Vista Alegre - 93 points
For my detailed tasting notes, as well as a few additional comments on some particular producers, see below:
Flight 1 - Adega Da Covilha (3 Notes)
Flight 2 - Aveleda (3 Notes)
Flight 3 - Azamor (1 Note)
Flight 4 - Bacalhôa (11 Notes)
There were some good wines in this lineup from Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal, SA. In 2008 they became a major shareholder in Aliança, which produces sparkling and table wines, and acquired Quinta do Carmo from the Group Lafitte Rothschild. They own about 1000 hectares of vineyards.
Flight 5 - Campolargo (12 Notes)
Carlos Campolargo, pictured above, and his brother Jorge, are the third generation to run this company, based in Bairrada, which produces 300,000 bottles annually. Carlos is responsible for winemaking and sales, while Jorge manages the vineyards. They have a penchant for clever names, like Contra a Corrente (meaning "against the current"), Entre II Santos and Diga? ("say?" or "say what?"). I was impressed by this lineup over all, particularly the Contra a Corrente, a blend of Tinto Cão and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 100% Petit Verdot Diga?
Flight 6 - CARMIM (2 Notes)
Flight 7 - Casa Antiga (1 Note)
Flight 8 - Casa de Santar (2 Notes)
Flight 9 - Casca (2 Notes)
Flight 10 - Caves Bonifácio (2 Notes)
Flight 11 - Caves São João (1 Note)
Flight 12 - Caza da Lua (1 Note)
Flight 13 - Cortes de Cima (3 Notes)
Flight 14 - Costa do Pombal (1 Note)
Flight 15 - Esporão (3 Notes)
Flight 16 - Ferreirinha (Sogrape) (7 Notes)
Sogrape Vinhos was started in 1942 by Fernando Van Zeller Guedes. Their brands include Ferreira, Offley and Sandeman Ports; Casa Ferreirinha dry wines; and Mateus, which has been a huge moneymaker for the company for many years. The company is now run by the family's third generation, and owns 1200 hectares of vineyards in the major winemaking regions of Portugal, as well as vineyards in Argentina, Chile and New Zealand.
Flight 17 - FitaPreta (3 Notes)
Flight 18 - Foz de Arouce (1 Note)
Flight 19 - Herdade Do Rocim (3 Notes)
Flight 20 - Herdade Paço do Conde (1 Note)
Flight 21 - João Portugal Ramos (5 Notes)
João Portugal Ramos is a longtime consulting oenologist who started planting vines for this project in Alentejo in 1990. Between his own vineyards and those on longterm contract, he sources from 300 hectares for his wines. He started the Duorum project more recently with his childhood friend and fellow consulting oenologist José Maria Soares Franco.
Flight 22 - Lemos & Van Zeller (7 Notes)
Flight 23 - Lixa (8 Notes)
Flight 24 - Luis Duarte (2 Notes)
Luis Duarte Vinhos was established in 2007 by a very successful Portuguese winemaker who has twice been named "winemaker of the year" by the Portuguese wine magazine Revista de Vinhos. He's making wines under this label from Vinho Verde, the Alentejo and the Douro.
Flight 25 - Luis Pato (5 Notes)
Luis Pato, pictured above, is an innovator, who has been producing wine in the Bairrada region since 1980. He planted traditional red grape varieties, like Baga, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cao, and indigenous white varietals, including Maria Gomes and Bical. One of his latest creations is a very good white sparkling wine made from Baga.
Flight 26 - Lurton (5 Notes)
François Lurton is from Bordeaux's Lurton wine family. His own business, that he launched in 1988, purchased vineyards in Argentina, Chile, France, Spain and Portugal. In Portugal, he owns both the Quinta Beira on the banks of the Douro and Quinta Malho in the Torto.
Flight 27 - Malhadinha Nova (5 Notes)
This Alentejo producer is run by Rita and João Soares. Rui Lopes is the winemaker, with help from consulting winemaker Luis Duarte. The Soares family owns 18 hectares of vines, two of which are planted to white varieties. I was most impressed by these wines.
Flight 28 - Monte da Cal (1 Note)
Flight 29 - Negreiro (1 Note)
Flight 30 - Paço das Côrtes (2 Notes)
Flight 31 - Palestra (1 Note)
Flight 32 - Poças (2 Notes)
Flight 33 - Quinta da Cuveta (1 Note)
Flight 35 - Quinta de Linhares (1 Note)
Flight 36 - Quinta de San José (1 Note)
Flight 37 - Quinta de Sant'Ana (3 Notes)
Flight 38 - Quinta do Encontro (1 Note)
Flight 39 - Quinta do Pôpa (4 Notes)
This is a very solid producer that is seeking an importer. This is a Douro based producer that was founded by Zeca do Pôpa and named to honor his father.
Flight 40 - Quinta do Quetzal (2 Notes)
Flight 41 - Reguengos de Monsaraz (1 Note)
Flight 42 - S. Leonardo (2 Notes)
Flight 43 - SAEG (2 Notes)
Flight 44 - Salgueiral (2 Notes)
Flight 45 - Santos Lima (3 Notes)
Flight 46 - São Miguel (3 Notes)
Flight 47 - Soberanas (3 Notes)
Flight 48 - Solar de Pinheiro (1 Note)
Flight 49 - Terras d'Alter (3 Notes)
Flight 50 - Valle Pradinhos (5 Notes)
Flight 51 - Vallegre (9 Notes)
Vallegre Vinhos do Porto, S.A., is owned by the Cunha Barros family. They purchased Quinta da Vista Alegre in 1965, and they now own three quintas, comprising a total of 100 hectares of vineyards. Portions of Quinta da Vista Alegre are over 75 years old. They sold to other shippers until 1988, when they started bottling and sell wines under their own name. Most of these were good, but the 40 year old tawny was outstanding. They are seeking an importer.
2008 Adega da Covilhã Monte Serrano Reserva 90 Points
Portugal, Beiras, Beira Interior
Opaque red violet color; deep, ripe berry nose; plush, berry, wild berry palate; medium-plus finish (blend of Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo)
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2009 Adega da Covilhã Monte Serrano Reserva 87 Points
Portugal, Beiras, Beira Interior
Tart peach nose; tart peach, oak palate; medium finish (blend of Siria, Arinto and Fonte Cal)
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2006 Adega da Covilhã Vinho Regional Beiras Colheita Sócio Garrafeira 90 Points
Portugal, Beiras, Vinho Regional Beiras
Berry, red berry nose; tart red berry, tart plum palate; medium finish (blend of Jaen, Trincadeira, Aragones and Touriga Nacional)
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