You may be more aware of Portuguese wine than I am, but a recent trip to Lisbon showed me many delicious and some unexpected things. In particular, the 2009 Afros Vinho Verde Loureiro was richer deeper and more golden than I ever thought Vinho Verde could/would be. As such, it was not the match for the food that I had intended, but somehow I survived such a tasty travesty.
A new understanding of vinho verde (for me)
- Thread starter Rahsaan
- Start date
scottreiner
scott reiner
never had afros with that much age, but the wines are lovely.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Last time in Portugal we had one of his red vinho verdes from 2009 and it was delicious. I'm going to try to visit to see if he is biodynamic in the Jolyan way or natural.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Locals seldom age them, which seems strange, since they have the acidity to age well.
robert ames
robert ames
there are vinho verdes that come from just south of the minho river, (the border between galicia (and rias baixas) and portugal), that are 100% alvarinho and will kick butt of most rias baixas. priced accordingly, but not outrageously so.
scottreiner
scott reiner
Also check out Quinta do Ameal Loureiro.
Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
We've been drinking them for years, I like some of them a lot for comfortable weekday food wines, when you want to keep the abv light, and convivial summer sippers for parties and aperitifs. We buy three or four different ones I recognize by label, depending on the occassion. The price is right, too. Haven't run across a red yet.
Levi Dalton
Levi Dalton
Afros is a personal favorite. I do not tend to think of the wines in terms of "richer," "deeper," or "golden," however, and instead I value them for their effortlessness, lightness, and sense of joy.
Had a tremendous visit with Vasco and a lunch there at his home awhile back. For me the wines are stirring in a way that few are.
Had a tremendous visit with Vasco and a lunch there at his home awhile back. For me the wines are stirring in a way that few are.
Thanks for the info. Good to know.
FWIW, my descriptions were not meant to be absolute, but relative to my own (perhaps mistakenly typecast) perception of vinho verde as lighter and crisper than Muscadet.
And I had no way of knowing how to place that particular glass in perspective, hence my hope of generating discussion.
FWIW, my descriptions were not meant to be absolute, but relative to my own (perhaps mistakenly typecast) perception of vinho verde as lighter and crisper than Muscadet.
And I had no way of knowing how to place that particular glass in perspective, hence my hope of generating discussion.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Two amphora wines from Vasco Croft, a white and a red. Nothing more appropriate in Braga, formerly a Roman town (Bracara Augusta). The label says "AMPHORA WINE * made without electricity" and "Made in Clay amphorae, lined with beeswax." Organic farming (Ecocert). Perhaps to avoid confusion, these use neither the older Afros or newer Aphros brands.
2015 Phaunus Loureiro 11.0%
Made from one of the main vinho verde white varieties. Pale yellow. Aroma a bit closed, showing something resinous, reminiscent of wax polish, or the rubber tips at the end of pencils, which all scribblers must have savored. Taste confirms and multiplies this odd flavor molecule, dominating with no subtlety the tasty fruit.
2015 Phaunus Palhete 11.0%
Mixture of Loureiro with Vinhão, the main vinho verde red variety. Very pale red, effectively rosé. A bit of bread yeast and resin on the aroma, but less than the previous. In the mouth the resin is very present, again overwhelming the attractive fruit.
Labels in English. I imagine these are export-oriented, since the local market must not be ready for amphora wines. Maybe I’m not, either. As much as I wanted to support the retro avant-garde, I found them rather unappealingly odd. It must be the famous "goût d'amphore." Or "goût de beeswax." Or perhaps the "goût d'amphore" is the "goût of beeswax." It should be possible to acquire this taste, in much the same way that neophytes grow accustomed to oak. Or maybe they were just too young, and a few years will make this interference go away, leaving behind fruit clear as a bell. In short, an intellectually interesting experience, but I continue to prefer that flavors come exclusively from the vine, without vehicular contributions.
2015 Phaunus Loureiro 11.0%
Made from one of the main vinho verde white varieties. Pale yellow. Aroma a bit closed, showing something resinous, reminiscent of wax polish, or the rubber tips at the end of pencils, which all scribblers must have savored. Taste confirms and multiplies this odd flavor molecule, dominating with no subtlety the tasty fruit.
2015 Phaunus Palhete 11.0%
Mixture of Loureiro with Vinhão, the main vinho verde red variety. Very pale red, effectively rosé. A bit of bread yeast and resin on the aroma, but less than the previous. In the mouth the resin is very present, again overwhelming the attractive fruit.
Labels in English. I imagine these are export-oriented, since the local market must not be ready for amphora wines. Maybe I’m not, either. As much as I wanted to support the retro avant-garde, I found them rather unappealingly odd. It must be the famous "goût d'amphore." Or "goût de beeswax." Or perhaps the "goût d'amphore" is the "goût of beeswax." It should be possible to acquire this taste, in much the same way that neophytes grow accustomed to oak. Or maybe they were just too young, and a few years will make this interference go away, leaving behind fruit clear as a bell. In short, an intellectually interesting experience, but I continue to prefer that flavors come exclusively from the vine, without vehicular contributions.