Wine Focus for September 2017: Portugal

Jenise -

I guess I'm spoiled by living near one of the largest Portuguese immigrant communities in the US (Newark, NJ) plus NYC. Between the two I can choose from a decent variety. It is interesting that the selections are quite different in Newark, which caters to more daily drinkers and well known brands in Portugal, and NYC, where you can find some geekier wines that old Portuguese guys would think are strange or overpriced!

In many other parts of the US Portuguese wine seems to be represented mainly by vinho verde or maybe some Port. I had a brief look at the selection in my local Total WIne and it was heavily weighted towards products from fairly large companies like Sogrape or Real Companhia Velha (RCV).

[Robin Garr]

Dow 2014 "Vale do Bomfim" Douro ($14.99)

Made from traditional Port grapes, Tinta Barroca (30%), Touriga Nacional (25%), Touriga Franca (25%), Tinta Roriz (15%), and Tinto Cão (5%), this wine from the Symington family's historic Dow Port house is dark garnet in color almost all the way to the edge. It seems closed at first, showing simple black fruit, but opens up a bit with time in the glass to reveal notes of something like cranberries and a whiff of licorice. Black fruit and licorice show on the palate in a ripe flavor built on a sturdy structure of tart acidity and firm, astringent tannins. Although 14.5% alcohol is claimed, I don't detect the bite of heat that sometimes comes with higher-alcohol wines. U.S. importer: Premium Port Wines Inc., San Francisco. (Sept. 28, 2017)

FOOD MATCH: Red meat would serve it fine; we enjoyed it with fennel-scented Italian sausages sauteed with green peppers and onions, and later with rich, buttery cheese.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's okay now, best with a little breathing time in the glass; but the sharp acidity and strong tannins suggest that it would benefit from a few years in a temperature-contolled cellar.

VALUE:
Wine-Searcher.com's $12 average retail beats my local price by $3. I'll take it anywhere below the upper teens, but again, with scattered vendors offering it for less than $10, it's worth checking Wine-Searcher and shopping around.

WEB LINK
There's plenty of info about Dow's Ports online, but it's harder to track down fact sheets on the Douro Reds. Here's an overview from Vins Philippe Dandurand, a Canadian distributor.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and locate vendors for Dow's "Vale Do Bomfim" Douro on Wine-Searcher.com.

Want to find more Douro reds under $10? Check this link on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Robin Garr]

Ramos Pinto 2014 "Duas Quintas" Douro ($15.99)

This wine's name, Duas Quintas ("Two Vineyards"), refers to the sources of its grapes, the Quinta de Ervamoira vineyard on the Douro Valley's hot, dry lower slopes, and the cooler, breezy Quinta dos Bons Ares vineyard high up the mountainside. A blend of the Port varieties Tinta Barroca (40%), Touriga Franca (30%), Touriga Nacional (20%), and Tinta Roriz (10%), this is a clear but dark reddish-purple wine, showing ruby glints against the light. Its pleasant aroma, fresh but not overbearing fruit, is focused on blackberries and black plums with a faint background whiff of spice. Clean, fresh and rather full-bodied black-fruit flavors carry over on the palate, shaped by brisk acidity, with tannic astringency present but palatable. The label claims 13.5% alcohol, standard strength for a red table wine. U.S. importer: Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2017)

FOOD MATCH: The winery suggests pairings with meat, pasta or Asian fusion cuisine. We were pleased with its affinity for a pasta cousin, bulgur wheat pilaf with tomatoes, basil and garlic.

WHEN TO DRINK: The winery calls it ready to drink but suggests that it will continue to improve in the bottle. I wouldn't worry about cellaring it for five or even 10 years, assuming good cellar conditions. On the wine rack at room temperature, drink it up over the next year or two.

VALUE:
Wine-Searcher.com's $15 average retail is consistent with my local price, a fine value. If you're lured by a bargain, though, you can find some vendors offering it for less than $10 on Wine-Searcher.

WEB LINK
The back-label QR code points to this detailed fact sheetfrom Ramos Pinto.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Ramos Pinto "Duas Quintas" Douro on Wine-Searcher.com.

Click this link to find lots more Douro reds and vendors under $10 on Wine-Searcher.com.

2015 Antonio Madeira Branco, DOP Dão, Sub-Regiao Serra da Estrela:

Of all the various regions in Portugal I am personally most fascinated by the wines from the Dão. This is a rocky (granite) area in Beiras (central Portugal) roughly between the Caramulo and Serra da Estrela mountains. Antonio Madeira is French of Portuguese origin and has come back to his home region, identifying and restoring mainly old vine vineyards in the foothills of the Serra da Estrela to produce his minimal interventionist wines. This particular wine is made from 50-120 year old field blends of more than 20 types, including Siria, Fernao Pires, Bical, Arinto and Cerceal among the more well known Dão white grapes. It is slowly fermented over 10 months with ambient yeast and then spends some time in neutral 500L oak.

The wine is very light silvery-bronze, with a fresh, mineral nose, perhaps some fennel and kiwi? Bright on the palate, one wants to say liquid granite, but that is objectively ridiculous. Light notes of under-ripe pineapple, fennel, saline, with a pure, crystalline aspect. A fine example of a white from Dão, despite the fact it apparently includes no Encruzado, the grape considered by many to be the best and most unique in the region. Moderately expensive for a white Dão at $26, but understandable given what goes into it.

It was interesting to me that a daily drinker Dão, the 2015 Pedra Cancela Seleção do Enólogo Branco has a very similar profile, not quite as fine, but one third the price. And the composition is 40% Encruzado, 30% Cerceal, 30% Malvasia Fina. Must be saying something about terroir - both really speak of the Dão. BTW, the Pedra Cancela Tinto is also great QPR if you see it - both of these wines are available as half bottles in some of the restaurants I frequent, so I've probably drank gallons of each over several vintages.

Robin: thanks for the TNs on those two Douro wines, and especially on the 2014 Dow, which I haven't tried yet. Both are usually great QPR in most years.

Sounds like two great whites Joe, thanks for getting us all involved this month.