1967 Viuva José Gomes da Silva & Filhos Colares Reserva Tinto: Served blind. I have to admit, when I first tasted this wine, I didn't like it. It seemed thin, hollow, and had a weird lactic thing happening on the finish. However, the lactic sourness starts to clear out and the wine starts to wake up with some time in the glass.
I get dark raspberry, cassis, dried fruit, and a pronounced green bell pepper on the nose with a hint of dried tobacco. The dark red fruit emerges, infused with anise, soy sauce/umami, leather, and earthiness with a lovely salinity to season the elixir. The body is light, the acidity fresh, and the alcohol low (11%). And texturally, the tannins are pretty much resolved and quite silky, with just a subtle dustiness on the finish to let you know they were there. There is perhaps a touch of madeira to the palate, but the wine is still very much alive and kicking.
Because of the pyrazine, I thought it was made from some Bordeaux variety like Cabernet Franc or Carmenere. It turned out this is 100% Ramisco, a Portuguese indigenous grape that is known for high acidity and tannins. The region where this wine comes from, Colares, is located on the central Atlantic Coast, which may account for the pronounced saltiness of the wine, and comes from ungrafted vines. Really quite elegant and finessed, and I never would have thought an 11% red wine could come from Portugal! The things you learn.
2023 Aphros Vinho Verde Loureiro Branco: Grapefruit, lemon zest, and herbs on the nose. Quite light bodied, crisp, steely, and linear. There's green fruit, citrus, and bitter herbal flavors lying atop a pronounced minerally substrate. Light bodied, but good density on the midpalate. There's pronounced acidity that is borderline screechy, but not excessive or jagged. The lemony finish is quite good. A really interesting, energetic wine with tons of character. 10.5% abv.
2023 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit: Musk melon on the nose. The palate is slightly saline with white fruit and lemon zest. Nice minerality, good acidity, and proper balance. Not a barn burner, but thoroughly satisfying, easy-going, crisp white wine. 12.5% abv
NV Melgaco Super Reserva Bruto: Thick mousse. Citrus and bready notes on the nose. Pronounced anise note on the initial attack. Mouthwatering acidity with citrus and white orchard fruit. Finish has decent length.
2023 Arreiro Vinho Regional Lisboa Branco: Very floral with cantaloupe and other musk melon notes on the nose. Round and a little flabby. Overripe yellow fruit, yet also thin on the midpalate. Some minerality on the finish, but the acidity is very lacking and seems kind of structureless.
2022 Filipa Pato Bairrada Dinamica Bical & Arinto: Sea breeze and lemon the the nose. Very round and a thin midpalate. There's acid, but it feels very structureless without much fruit or minerality. Downright watery (could be opening up with air, but don't feel a strong need to re-visit). 11.5% abv
2016 Niepoort Poeirinho: Light dark cherry nose. The palate is fairly straightforward dark red fruit, but texturally its surprisingly silky and elegant. A noticeable touch of spice on the finish. Surprisingly pretty good. 100% Baga. Only 11% alcohol.
2019 Herdade do Esporão Esporão Reserva: A little lacking in structure with flabby dark red fruit. Some tannic bite, but also a touch lactic. Meh. Blend of indigenous and Bordeaux grape varieties.
2020 Quinta de S. Sebastião Mina Velha Reserva: Big, slightly hot nose with blackberry and cassis. The palate is quite dark, with lush blue fruit, a plush and round texture that reminds me of slightly overripe Zinfandel. Probably some residual sugar.
2020 Caves Velhas Vinho Regional Lisboa Romeira Reserva: Big chocolatey nose that would probably fail a breathalyzer test if you waved it two feet above the glass. Heavy vanilla on the palate that overwhelms all of the other flavors except for the pruney fruit. Oak, oak everywhere, nary a drop to drink.
2021 Quinta de S. Sebastião Touriga Nacional Reserva Forte de S. Sebastiao: Layer of mint over the plummy nose. A little cough syrupy, there's an artificial-tasting, candied red fruit that's also kind of pruney. Not great. 100% Touriga Nacional
NV Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira Savannah Verdelho Special Reserve: Lots of alcoholic heat on the nose with caramel and other confected notes. The nose is quite maderized, obviously. Palate is still fresh and saline with warm baking spices, but it is just too hot and boozy for me. I guess I'm just not a Madeira guy. 19.5% abv
NV Niepoort Moscato do Douro 20 Years Old: Really didn't take careful notes, but the alcohol seemed a little more integrated than in the Madeira. Still fresh-testing, though of course a bit hot. Not bad.
I get dark raspberry, cassis, dried fruit, and a pronounced green bell pepper on the nose with a hint of dried tobacco. The dark red fruit emerges, infused with anise, soy sauce/umami, leather, and earthiness with a lovely salinity to season the elixir. The body is light, the acidity fresh, and the alcohol low (11%). And texturally, the tannins are pretty much resolved and quite silky, with just a subtle dustiness on the finish to let you know they were there. There is perhaps a touch of madeira to the palate, but the wine is still very much alive and kicking.
Because of the pyrazine, I thought it was made from some Bordeaux variety like Cabernet Franc or Carmenere. It turned out this is 100% Ramisco, a Portuguese indigenous grape that is known for high acidity and tannins. The region where this wine comes from, Colares, is located on the central Atlantic Coast, which may account for the pronounced saltiness of the wine, and comes from ungrafted vines. Really quite elegant and finessed, and I never would have thought an 11% red wine could come from Portugal! The things you learn.
2023 Aphros Vinho Verde Loureiro Branco: Grapefruit, lemon zest, and herbs on the nose. Quite light bodied, crisp, steely, and linear. There's green fruit, citrus, and bitter herbal flavors lying atop a pronounced minerally substrate. Light bodied, but good density on the midpalate. There's pronounced acidity that is borderline screechy, but not excessive or jagged. The lemony finish is quite good. A really interesting, energetic wine with tons of character. 10.5% abv.
2023 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit: Musk melon on the nose. The palate is slightly saline with white fruit and lemon zest. Nice minerality, good acidity, and proper balance. Not a barn burner, but thoroughly satisfying, easy-going, crisp white wine. 12.5% abv
NV Melgaco Super Reserva Bruto: Thick mousse. Citrus and bready notes on the nose. Pronounced anise note on the initial attack. Mouthwatering acidity with citrus and white orchard fruit. Finish has decent length.
2023 Arreiro Vinho Regional Lisboa Branco: Very floral with cantaloupe and other musk melon notes on the nose. Round and a little flabby. Overripe yellow fruit, yet also thin on the midpalate. Some minerality on the finish, but the acidity is very lacking and seems kind of structureless.
2022 Filipa Pato Bairrada Dinamica Bical & Arinto: Sea breeze and lemon the the nose. Very round and a thin midpalate. There's acid, but it feels very structureless without much fruit or minerality. Downright watery (could be opening up with air, but don't feel a strong need to re-visit). 11.5% abv
2016 Niepoort Poeirinho: Light dark cherry nose. The palate is fairly straightforward dark red fruit, but texturally its surprisingly silky and elegant. A noticeable touch of spice on the finish. Surprisingly pretty good. 100% Baga. Only 11% alcohol.
2019 Herdade do Esporão Esporão Reserva: A little lacking in structure with flabby dark red fruit. Some tannic bite, but also a touch lactic. Meh. Blend of indigenous and Bordeaux grape varieties.
2020 Quinta de S. Sebastião Mina Velha Reserva: Big, slightly hot nose with blackberry and cassis. The palate is quite dark, with lush blue fruit, a plush and round texture that reminds me of slightly overripe Zinfandel. Probably some residual sugar.
2020 Caves Velhas Vinho Regional Lisboa Romeira Reserva: Big chocolatey nose that would probably fail a breathalyzer test if you waved it two feet above the glass. Heavy vanilla on the palate that overwhelms all of the other flavors except for the pruney fruit. Oak, oak everywhere, nary a drop to drink.
2021 Quinta de S. Sebastião Touriga Nacional Reserva Forte de S. Sebastiao: Layer of mint over the plummy nose. A little cough syrupy, there's an artificial-tasting, candied red fruit that's also kind of pruney. Not great. 100% Touriga Nacional
NV Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira Savannah Verdelho Special Reserve: Lots of alcoholic heat on the nose with caramel and other confected notes. The nose is quite maderized, obviously. Palate is still fresh and saline with warm baking spices, but it is just too hot and boozy for me. I guess I'm just not a Madeira guy. 19.5% abv
NV Niepoort Moscato do Douro 20 Years Old: Really didn't take careful notes, but the alcohol seemed a little more integrated than in the Madeira. Still fresh-testing, though of course a bit hot. Not bad.
