WTN: Musar rocks, but so does Borba!

I met up today with a peripatetic fellow Musaroholic. He has recently been visiting several of the -stans in Central Asia and I wanted to see some photos of the trip. I think Central Asian Islamic architecture rocks.
The two wines we drunk tonight rocked as much as the architecture (sorry, no pics of that).

We all know that Musar rocks. We drunk the Musar Rouge 1989 which was its typical self - except with a sweetness to the fruit that I haven't noticed in other bottles I've drunk. Take away the animal notes (smelled just like a camel - the animal not the fag) and I would have gone to a CdP in a blind tasting! And I don't usually agree when people say that Musar tastes of x, or x or x....

But I don't think we all know that Borba rocks also! It's a region in Aletejo that I had never heard of before. We had a stunning white Adega Cooperativa de Borba Reserva 1979. From what I've managed to find out (from conflicting sources) the grapes for the white Borba are a blend of: Antão Vaz, Perrum, Rabo de ovelha, Roupeiro, Arinto, Síria and Tamarez. Arinto is the only I had heard of before - isn't Portugal fun!!!

Well, served blind, and knowing that my friend is a fellow Musaroholic, I thought that he had served me a white Musar with a bit of age on it - maybe from the late 80's.

The colour was a deep gold. The nose was lovely and complex with some peach aromas, earth, minerals and great fruit - a little funky also like Musar. The palate was gorgeously fruity, lively but not terribly acidic, incredibly complex, weighty yet light on its feet and so very fresh and long. Stunning stuff. The price? 15€. Time to find a case or three, methinks.

-Otto-

[James Roscoe]

So is camel some kind of derrogatory word for people with a different sexual orientation? Or do you have something against camels? Why are you using politically insensitive words like "fag" on this "family-friendly" forum. Robin might have the FTA or who ever knocking on his door right now! Oh,, the horror of seeing such a word like that in print! I'm still trying to figure out if a camel is going to sue Robin for some kind of defamation of character. It's a good thing Bob Ross seems to be on vacation. Maybe we ought to remove this thread entirely.

I thought cigarettes were called fags???

I think James is just giving you a good hearted ribbing.

Otto, in North America, fag is a derogatory word for homosexual.

[James Roscoe]

I think James is just giving you a good hearted ribbing.

Otto, in North America, fag is a derogatory word for homosexual.

Who? Me? I shudder at the thought. I am the MOST politically correct person in the world!

I love to get the Europeans when they use that word. I wonder what word we use that .... well... Let's end this.

Hey Otto, those were great notes by the way! I always love to read about Musar!

I think James is just giving you a good hearted ribbing.

Otto, in North America, fag is a derogatory word for homosexual.

Ah, thanks for the explanations!

Isn't English wonderful?

Let's see here:

Antão Vaz and Roupeiro are grown in the Alentejo.

Tamarez is specific to Bairrada.

Arinto, according to Jancis Robinson, could be the "saviour" of Portuguese whites, if only it were more widely planted. It is unpopular because of its stingy yield.

Perrum is a synonym for Palomino.

Síria is, as far as I can tell, completely obscure.

Rabo de ovelha is a red grape!

Dave, thanks so much for digging that info up! I don't suppose you have info on what grapes actually are used in white Borba? Tamarez was mentioned in the page of the Coop, so who is wrong: your source or the people who make the wine?

Though I love the diversity of Portugal, I do find it frustrating that there is so little info and what little info there is contradicts all other info. It sounds just like what I study at University! I'd like a few more certanties in wines at least....

-O-

I went digging, and the result was typical: I'm more confused than ever. Seems Rabo de Ovelha is also described as a white grape. I also found out that while "Borba" is a Portuguese DOC, it is also the name of a white grape planted in Spain's Extremadura.

When you look up "Borba" in the Oxford, it refers you to "Alentejo," and then says only that Roupiero and Perrum "have potential" for white wine.

In other words, damned if I know.