Portuguese Table wines

Last night my tasting group met to explore the table wines of Portugal. Although the crowd ended up being small, many brought extras, so we had a very nice sampling for the seven of us. Most were purchased locally here in Cleveland. Hat's off to Cedar-Green wines who has championed these wines for over a decade and apparently, still carries a good selection. The wines were consumed over the course of three hours. Breads, fruits and cheeses were served. The prices ranged from $15 all the way up to $75. Portugal is an area that provides really nice values but don't shy away from some of the high end wines as they seem to deliver as well. It does seem like even the lower end could use air or time in the cellar though.

A white starter:

• 2012 Herdade do Rocim Mariana Branco 89 Points

  Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano

  $16. A very nice white. I bet it was a bit better a couple of years ago but still reasonably fresh and vibrant. Light to medium gold in color. Slightly oily texture. Good acidity. Limes on the palate with nice minerality. Strong lime on the finish. This would work well with food and please most white wine drinkers. A blend of Antão Vaz, Arinto, Alvarinho, a couple of new varietals for me. Cool.

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The Reds:

• 2011 Herdade do Esporão Alentejo Private Selection 89 Points

  Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo

  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is tight at first. With air, it shows milk chocolate, black raspberries and dust. On the palate, it comes off as tart. Thick tannins. With a bit of air, it presents a chocolate black raspberry milk shake. Black cherries on the finish. By the end of the night, it is showing much better as it all starts to integrate. Clearly a fair amount of oak here, but I think a few more years cellaring and this should come together nicely if that is an issue now. Probably score a point or two higher.

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• 2014 Herdade do Esporão Quatro Castas 90 Points

  Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano

  An equal blend of Touriga Fanca, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries and coffee. On the palate, this is soft and accessible. A nice complexity. Not deep, but wide. Lots of black and red fruits. A bit of iodine on the finish. Less tannins than most wines.

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• 2013 Quinta do Crasto Douro Crasto 87 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Inky purple in color. The nose is tight or just not showing a lot. Dusty red cherries. On the palate, this is smooth, easy drinking. A bit of depth. More generic than most wines on the table. Not a bad thing for under $20, but not as interesting as many of these.

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• 2012 Poças Douro Vale de Cavalos 87 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Inky purple in color. The nose has plums and some oak. On the palate, black raspberries. Very tannic. Slightly bitter on the finish. For $15, this is a fine wine. Nothing special but certainly drinkable.

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• 2011 Prats and Symington Douro Prazo de Roriz 86 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries and leather. Sweet, jammy fruit on the palate. Slightly hot. It starts of good, but then finishes somewhat disjointed. The group seemed to like this better than I. Probably good with some BBQ.

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• 2011 Herdade do Esporão Syrah S 92 Points

  Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo

  Inky purple in color. The nose has dark cherries and leather. A good amount of american oak. I did not pick this out as Syrah, but I enjoyed this expression of it. On the palate, very tannic. Needs time. Chocolate and black raspberries and oak. Very deep as it slowly unwinds and integrates in the glass. Kept getting better all night long.

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• 2012 Churchill/Graham Douro Churchill's Estates 88 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Second time this group has included this wine and both times the group had it in last place. Again, I liked it a bit more than the group, but that does say something about consistency I guess. Inky purple in color. The nose has dusty cherries. Tannic. Black cherries on the palate. An interesting/odd finish with tart red apples.

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• 2007 Vinhos Sogrape Douro Callabriga Reserva 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberry and dust. More complex on the palate. Black cherries with slight layering. Tannic. I worry that the tannins outlast the fruit here. Still at 9 years old, it is drinking nicely. I assume is as good as it will get.

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• 2004 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional Douro 94 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  This was easily my WOTN, and the groups #1 as well. A real treat to drink this. At age 12, it still seems to have a long life ahead and may not yet be at peak. Inky purple in color. The nose has dark chocolate, red and black raspberries and a bit of herbal notes. On the palate, this has a great texture in spite of still moderate tannins. Lots of black raspberry and dark chocolate. Has a vintage port taste but completely dry. Long finish. Seemed to just keep getting better. I know its not inexpensive, but may be worth stashing a couple of bottles away.

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• 2012 Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  This was pop and pour and continued to just keep improving all night long. It needs time. That said, both my eventual #2 and the groups #2. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is very tight at first. Eventually some black cherries and cassis notes emerge. With air, there is also more oak showing as vanilla, dill and wet lumber. On the palate, very tannic. Spice and dark cherries. Very lush but thick texture due to the tannins. Plenty of fruit and good acidity. Nice finish. Hold for five years IMO.

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And to finish:

• 2012 Herdade do Esporão H.E. Late Harvest 88 Points

  Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo

  From a 375. Interesting wine and I can't recall a white late harvest wine from Portugal before. This is apparently Semillion. Light gold in color. Light nose. Not sweet. Like a vanilla sorbet on the palate. Quite different. A nice treat to end the night.

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Really interesting tasting and one of the reasons we have this group (its not just to get drunk once a month ;-) ). Plenty of value as well as candidates for the cellar in an area that is often over looked. Thanks to Ry for hosting and to all, especially, Robert, Mark and Jeff for stepping up the contributions.