Tinto y Blanco » Portugal

Quinta do Ameal 2008

Dave Worthington — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:07:55 +0000

It’s 38 degrees in Melbourne today, so what to drink? The best idea is probably water, a bit boring for this time of year tho. A more enjoyable solution would be a nice bottle of manzailla or a beer, perhaps something sparkling. Or Vinho Verde, which is my choice tonight. There isn’t a lot of vinho verde getting around in Australia, so I feel quite comfortable in saying that this is the best around….

It’s peachy, lemon-limey, herby and a little salty on the nose. A little melon creeps in as it warms up too. Nicely textured, you could be convinced there is a bit of spritz there, but its not really fizz but the fine minerally acid. From what I’ve seen of previous vintages, this will open up and keep deilvering over the next couple of years. Next time you’re heading out for yum cha, grab a couple of bottles of this, loads of friends and fill the table with seafood dumplings. Heaven. 89 Pts

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Other Vintages: 2005, 2007

Quinta do Crasto ‘Crasto’ 2007

Dave Worthington — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:05:51 +0000

After a couple of weeks of demolishing kitchens, sanding and polishing floorboards, fitting a new kitchen and a few other things, I’m back tasting again. So to kick things off I’ve got this entry level wine from the Douro valley in Portugal. Many of you will know that Dominic Morris is involved in the operations here and he has made a very tasty and highly drinkable wine from the excellent 2007 vintage.

A really refined nose, but it still has that rustic, earthy/sooty edge that is one of the trademarks of the Douro. Plums and blueberries, with a dash of cherry for good measure, a little choclate, violets and wild herbs too. Just about perfect balance in the mouth, the acid is right where you want it and it isn’t overpowered by the fruit at all. Lush, flesh tannins and bit of Tang crystals (the organge concentrate) on the finish. I’d almost call this medium boddied, but it tips the scales just over I think.. Excellent drinking and great value. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2006

Vallado 2007

Dave Worthington — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:10:53 +0000

The 2005 edition of this wine was, and still is, one of my favourite wines from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It had everything, balances, tons of flavour, only 13.5% alcohol, and seemingly higher than normal acid for red wine from the Douro. You could say it was atypical, but I think it gives us a look at what is possible. I skipped the 2006, I thought it showed to many green characters, but Jamie Goode has just written it up and gave it 90. Now this 2007 is more typical of the what is becoming the classic Douro red: around 14.5 % alc, warm fruit, and the acid takes a back seat…

This nose is spicy and full of fruit, thats not to say there isn’t some smokey minerals and orange peel on the nose too. Fluffy, fleshy tannins with the acid in the background for support on the finish. Kind of rounded, and easy to glug down. The palate is more blackberry, blueberry and plum with a nice minerality to it. A touch of coco too. Not a bad little wine, a bit lacking in the mid palate, but finishes convincingly. 90 Pts.

Web: www.quintadovallado.com

Other Vintages: 2005, 2005

Niepoort Late Bottled Vintage 2004

Dave Worthington — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:22:52 +0000

I’ve been a bit all over the shop the last couple of weeks and things have been very quiet on the new release front. I’ve just got back from a conference on the Gold Coast (AusCERT, an IT Security thing, boring for the most part) just in time for it to bucket down and flood the place. I did however get a good meal in at The Rice Paddy, a Vietnamese joint on the main strip of Surfers that delivers with some top class duck. Most of the importers all seem to be landing all of their new stuff over the next couple of weeks, so there should be plenty to look at.
Things are looking up a bit for imported wine at the moment, the exchange rate has improved and the frequency of shipping to Australia from southern Europe is getting back to normal. None of the rumoured tax changes were delivered in the federal budget however…
Anyway, I took a few bottles with me up to the Gold Coast, this little 375ml of LBV port was very handy. The nose opens up with red cherries, blueberry, violets, dusty rocks, coffee and a bit of spice. Warm and open in the mouth, there is a bit of grip to it with mild sweetness and some cleansing acid. Far from cloying, there are some interesting savoury elements that make this the perfect partner for fuller flavoured blue cheese. Perfect for cold rainy nights in the tropics. 88+ Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $35 (375ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

Altano 2003

Dave Worthington — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:19:39 +0000

This is a fairly cheap and very cheerful wine from the Symington group, who you might know as the makers of ports like Dows, Smith Woodhouse and Warres. A blend of Tinta Roriz (60%) and Touriga Franca (40%) from the hot 2003 vintage. As far as I can find out, there is no oak treatment here, and to be honest I don’t miss it at all.

Classic shisty nose of smoky, earthy and rocky fruit: a mix of red cherry, plum and blueberry. It’s gungho with plenty of ripe fruit and chewy tannins. More about a rollicking good time than brain busting thought. The palate shows sunny, but savoury fruit, plums and cherries, wild sage, hot river stones and musk sticks. This value here is outstanding, perfect autumn/winter drinking on a budget. 87 Pts.

Source: Negociants Australia RRP: $17 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.symington.com

Niepoort ‘Redoma’ Brancho 2007

Dave Worthington — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:18:42 +0000

Niepoort make some amazing red table wines, as well as some mind blowing ports, but I think it’s these Douro white wines that really show off Dirk Niepoort’s skills and that the Douro isn’t a hot region just for the production of fortified wines. Its made from a a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto from 40 year old vines up on the top of part of the Douro valley. The thing that really sucks me in with this wine is its calm, subtle and fresh nature. You could almost swear it was a village white burgundy going by the texture, length and mouthfeel. There is also a Reserva version from 100 year vines that I will have to track down.

A really fresh and vibrant nose of peach, apple with a touch of apricot kiwi. The thing that gets me here is the sence of purity and freshness the radiates from the wine, confident but reserved. Perfect weight in the mouth. The palate give up more white peach with some lanolin and lemon zest. A big long finish showing some minerally touches. This is excellent drinking now, looks like it would cellar as well. If you are going to look at only one Portuguese white this year, make this it. 92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Brancho 2007

Dave Worthington — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:00:11 +0000

A quick note of this one, its designed for drinking and enjoying with food and that’s just what I did. Again 2007 in Portugal is looking great. Also looks like a Diam cork in this which would be a bonus. Have a look at my note on the 2005 for more details.

Smokey thistle and fresh green leaves, apricot and peach with just a touch of lemon peel.More smoke, a bit of caramel, peach and apricot. Slight oily texture and very smooth. Minerally acid with plenty of length. A good bar wine with a few snacks. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $25 Closure: DIAM Cork (?)

Other Vintages: 2005

meandro do vale meao 2006

Dave Worthington — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:35:14 +0000

As I mentioned the other week, this is the little brother to Quinta do Vale Meao. This one is a blend of 40% Touriga National, 30% Tinta Roriz, 20% Tinta Barroca, 10% Tinta Amarela. Now 2006 wasn’t the best vintage in the Douro, but this is a seriously good wine that is a great introduction to what Douro table wine is all about.

The nose comes on strong from the start: cherry and cranberry with some hot cinnamon and smokey, earthy rocks. Structured and textured in the mouth, velvety smooth with good length and acid. It’s quite a full on wine, full bodied but with the structure and restraint to gain and hold your interest. This wine swamps your palate with more red fruits, a bit of beef stock and plenty of minerals. Very enjoyable and an ideal intro to what the Douro can do. These guys make a stunning Vintage Port too. 91+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $50 Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Vale Meão 2005

Dave Worthington — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:00:12 +0000

I’ve been thinking about my favourite wines of the year over the past couple of weeks, and this features towards the top of the list. Considering that many of these top end portugese wines have only been available in Australia for 12 months or so, they have gained huge popularity and a loyal following with wine drinkers around Australia. This wine is at the top of the heap for me.

Quinta do Vale Meao is the top table wine here, with Meandro de Vale Meao being the ‘entry level’ wine. What really enhances the complexity here is the different soil types on the Quinta, while it is all what would generally called schist, areas of slate, granite and alluvial gravel show very different characters in the resulting fruit. The high percentage of Touriga National (60%) also helps a lot. The remaining 40% is 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca.

A really engaging nose of gun smoke, violets and wild flowers, blackberry, dark cherry and mulberry, wild herbs and hot tarmac. In the mouth it feels quite rounded at the start, gaining more more focus as it gets more air. Well textured with supple tannins, plenty of them too. Juicy and meaty, but smooth and very complex. Rocky/stoney minerals, cherry, blueberry and plum on the palate with plenty of complexity thanks to some spices, wild herbs and liquorice. An excellent wine, decant it for a bit to sharpen things up. The ageing is a question that is difficult to answer for these douro reds, they have only been around for 10 years or so, but this looks like it will improve over the short term, then go 15 years standing on it’s head. 96+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 Closure: Conventional Cork

Alvaro Castro Dão Tinto 2007

Dave Worthington — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:00:14 +0000

Just a quick note on this one. This is Alvaro Castro’s entry level wine and I find that it’s the kind of wine that polarises people. It’s gamey and a bit wild, I find I need a couple of sips to get into it, but once I’m there I have a great time.

It’s a blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen (Mencia) and Tinta Roriz that sees 6 months in old wood before being bottled.

The nose starts off with a gamey meat smell, followed up with some plums and black cherries, subtle spice and an old campfire note. The palate has the goods however, smooth and focused with some sandy tannins on the finish. It’s very complex and I feel like my palate is pulled from one side to the other at times. It’s very dry and a bit wild, more notes of plum and dark fruits with strong wild sage character, a touch of chocolate and liqorice. It’s not something I’d want to drink a lot of on it’s own, but with a spicy sausage pasta it was a treat. 87+ Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $33 Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Ameal Loureiro 2007

Dave Worthington — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:34:47 +0000

Like much of Rias Briaxa, Vinho Verde had a very good quality vintage in 2007. This wine really shows it off, it’s vibrant and character filled but remains easy to drink and excellent with food. This is perfect for lazy sunday drinking, I have but this to the test a couple of times now…

The nose kicks things off well with aromas of peach, lemon, pineapple with a hit of apricot and grapefruit. It’s lightly textured with some spritzy/minerally acid and big ‘ol finish. Lively on the palate with plenty of tropical fruit with a bit of peach and apricot. Everything is in balance, nice and savoury with some sweet fruit. A fun drink that you could take seriously if you wanted to. I’m buying a bunch of this for summer drinking in the backyard with some BBQ’d fish. 89 Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Other Vintages: 2005

Quinta do Noval Masterclass

Dave Worthington — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:30:04 +0000

A last minute invitation got me into a Quinta do Noval Masterclass a couple of weeks. A great opportunity to have a look at just about all of the current releases and a few back vintages, including a couple of vintages of the revered Nacional Vintage Port.

The tasting was led by Aymeric de Gironde, the International Sales Director for Axa Millismes, who did a great job of bridging the gap between a straight forward lecture about a grand old port house and giving a sence of the place and the people that live and work there. There was enough information to start a profile on the Qunita, so I won’t bore you with all the gritty details right now. It should be up on the site in the next couple of weeks.

We ran through the table wines, then the tawnies followed by the vintage ports. A fairly big range, but I could see the quality from the cheapest tawny through to the top end table wine.

Table wines:

Maria Mansa 2003: This wine was Noval’s first commercial attempt at a Douro table wine and its a good drink. It’s mainly a blend of the two torigas. Shisty and earthy on the nose with beetroot, plum and cherry. In the mouth it’s medium boddied and fairly straight forward but enjoyable with blueberry, cherry and plum with some pepper/hot cinnamon. 88 Pts. $33

Cedro de Noval 2005: This is named after a big old cedar that provides some shade in the courtyard at the Quinta. This is a blend of mostly syrah with the torigas and some Tinta Cao making up the balance. Flinty, shisty nose with cherry, plum and mulberry with herby undergrowth. In the mouth, it’s bright and fresh, well balanced and stylish. Silky, fine tannins frame the fruit with a bit of tar and mint. Minerals show throughout, but mostly on the finish. 91 Pts. $44

Quita do Noval 2005: This is the flagship table wine, and for the price it is excellent value. I don’t expect this to last for ever however as the prices of the top level Douro wines are heading north. This is similar in many respects to the Cedro, however the minerality and finesse are taken up a couple of notches. Gunsmoke and hot rocks on the nose with perfectly ripe plum, red cherry and blueberry. The fruit is really expressive and the fleshy, soft tannins deliver a lush texture. At the same time, it has a backbone of acid that I think will allow it to age for quite some time. Excellent stuff. 95 Pts. $141

Port Wines

Quinta do Noval Tawny: this is the basic tawny which uses fruit from Class A growers and is made in an auto lagar. Toffee and raisin mixed in with some plum and spirit on the nose. In the mouth its tangy cherry and plum with hot cinnamon and a touch of clove. Fresh and fruity. 87 Pts. $35

Quinta do Noval 10 year old Tawny: Spirity raisins with Christmas cakes spices and mixed nuts. The palate is a bit rum and raisin with plum, rosewater and more nuts. Fresh and full of life. 90 Pts. $79

Quinta do Noval 20 year old Tawny: Smokey and nutty, with soft spirit, light raisins, old wood and an almost salty note on the nose. Very complex on the plate with layers of flavours: rose, raisins and currants, roasted walnuts, smoke and clove. Driving spirit and fairly dry too. Excellent drinking. 93 Pts.

Quita do Noval Colheita 1995: The nose on this wasn’t really giving up too much, some old wood, something a bit floral and raisins. But on the palate it explodes with vitality and fresh cherry and raisins. There is more acid here, but there is also plenty of sweetness to provide balance. Very long finish with a touch of warmth. 90 Pts. $95

Quinta do Noval LBV 2003: Plenty of fruit on the nose here: plum and dark cherry with clove and anise. This really is like a baby VP in character with plum, cherry and rosella fruit with liquorice and clove. Meaty and dense this is a ripping LBV for drinking now. 92 Pts.

Quinta do Noval ‘Sival’ Vintage Port 2005: This is made from a leased Quinta called Sival. The style here is for a lighter and earlier drinking style of vintage port than the traditional vintage from Noval. Nice juicy fruit, rosella and cherry for the most part, there is a bit of plum in there too. Anise and earthy herbs add some complexity. It’s quite brooding at the moment, but highly drinkable. 89-90 Pts. $95

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2004: This is the stuff. Its quite grapey and raisiny with plum and dark cherry, a little blackberry too. In the palate the first thing that hits me is the lush tannins, followed by some excellent fruit that shows perfect ripeness. More dark fruits, shot with minerals and earthy goodness. Very early in it’s life, this should grow to be a classic. 93 Pts.

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2003: If I thought the 2004 was good, this takes things to a different level. The nose is fully of classic douro notes: smoke and hot rocks, gun smoke and clove. Intense blackberry, dark cherry and rosella. The tannins are fleshy and ripe which give the wine luxury texture. This has all bases covered and will live a very long, full life. 97 Pts. $185

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1967: It may be the only time I ever taste this wine, so I jumped at the offer of a refill when it was offered. Old coffee beans and smoke with quality cigar tobacco, lifted up by some dried currants, varnish and some floral notes. Amazingly complex in the mouth too, layers of flavour, some grape notes, anise, raisins and old leather. Excellent mouthfeel and the length here is amazing. The only way to describe this is: Wow. 95 Pts.

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2000: I was thinking that I would be in for a bit of a struggle here, 8 year old vintage port is generally closed down and hard going. But this was so very open and drinking like the 99 point wine that it clearly is. I was supprised that this was my favourite wine of the tasting, thinking the 67 would surely be. The nose is dense and floral with bright fruit and overwhelming sense of welcoming. Seductive and fleshy in the mouth, the wine seems delicate and light but has deep intensity, integrity and complexity. If there is a port you should have an epiphany with, this is it. If you don’t get the port bug from this wine, you don’t like port. 99 Pts.

Vintage Cellars Tasting

Dave Worthington — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:40:11 +0000

Last Wednesday night I took a short trip out to Camberwell to taste through most Vintage Cellar’s Spanish and Portugues range. Its quite a big range and it’s fairly much all come about in the past year, increasing from about 7 wine to around 30 with more on the way. A few Tinto y Blanco readers came along for the fun, which was great.

The focus is on quality wines at affordable prices, I found plenty to like here and there some real stand out wines from Ribera del Douro in the range. Here’s what I thought on the night:

DO Cava

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva NV ($13.99) - Bready and apply, quite fresh and refreshing. Looking quite good at the moment 86 Pts.

Segura Viudas Brut Rosado NV ($13.99) - Not sweet at all, dusty strawberry, quite pretty and light with something a bit herbal on the mid palate. 86 Pts

Segura Viudas Brut 2002 ($19.99) - The standout in this bracket, yeasty and nutty on the nose, cider apples and less character. Blanced fizz and acidity with plenty of length. 88 Pts.

Segura Viudas Semi-Seco NV ($13.99) - An off-dry style, sugared backed apples, a bit dusty but quite fresh. Mildly sweet. A bit simple and fruity with a clean finish. 85 Pts.

DO Rueda

Con Class Vendemia Excepcional 2007 ($17.99) - Grassy with passionfruit and a sweaty note (in a good way) on the nose. Nice and fleshy in the mouth, pear and apple. Plenty to like here. 87 Pts.

Con Class Verdejo 2007 ($11.99)- Fresh with plenty of fennel and pear on the nose, dusty and tangy. As I’ve said before, great for the cash. 88 Pts.

DO Rias Baixas 2006 ($16.99) - I didn’t take a note on this one, but still looking very good as per my note here.

DO Jerez-Sherry

Osborne Manzailla NV ($19.99) - Fairly classic manzilla notes of apples, sea spray, almonds and flor. There is something herbal on the mid palate that’s a bit odd at first but very enjoyable after that. 88 Pts.

DOCa Rioja

Aradon Joven 2006 ($9.99) - Juicy and fresh with bright cherry and blueberry. Earthy cherry and plum on palate with a clean long finish. A bargain at this price. 87 Pts.

Cosme Palacio Cosecha 2005 ($20.99) - Modern with lush fruit, plenty of cherry and plum with firm tannins and a touch of oak influcence. Solid wine. 88 Pts.

Glorioso Crianza 2004 ($17.99) - Here is a classic Crianza at a great price. A lovely nose of violets, plum and cherry on the nose with a bit of pencil shavings and earth. Traditional character with plenty of fruit. 89-90 Pts.

Glorioso Reserva 2003 ($27.99) - Subtle on the nose with some earthy cherry, plum and spice. The palate shows good fruit with some spice and slight coco. 88+ Pts.

Glorioso Gran Reserva 1999 ($45.99) - Surprisingly to me this was a crowd pleaser, normally people go striaght to the crianza or modern wines. Classic oak aged nosed of pencil shavings, mint/pine resin, strawberry and cherry with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. A bit flabby in the middle, but some fine grained tannins and a very long finish. 90 Pts.

Bodegas Palacio Reserva Especial 2001($49.99) - A modern styled Super Reserva. Dark chocolate, espresso and ceadery oak over some dark cherry and plum fruit. The oak treatment is a little hamfisted, but there is some great fruit under there. I’m not sure if it’s in an odd place or just over oaked. 87 Pts.

DO Navara

Tandem Ars ‘In Virto’ Merlot Tempranillo 2005 ($14.99) - This opened up a bit reductive, but this blew off to show some chewy plums and cherry, nice chunky tannins and a generally soft friendly wine. A bit of sweetness in the mid palate, but it pulls it off. 87 Pts.

Tandem Ars ‘Nova’ Tempranillo Cabernet 2004 ($22.99) - Plenty of fruit here, but it’s earthy and savoury blue and red fruits. A bit juicy with nice fine tannins. 89 Pts.

Tandem Ars ‘Macula’ Cabernet Merlot 2004 ($32.99) - Soft, dry and plenty of flesh fruit tannin here. Nice plum and blackcurrant with some earthy herbs, but it doesn’t really grab me. 87 Pts.

DO Ribero del Duero

Vina Mayor Tinto Roble 2005 ($17.99) - A very well done roble with classic animale, cherry and blackberry with some herby bramble. Plenty of flesh tannins and well balanced acidity. 88+ Pts

Tabula Damana 2004 ($34.99) - These two next wines were the stand out of the tasting. This is all red cherry and mocha with some lavender and sage. Excellent mouth feel thanks to some refined tannins. Great length and character. Lots to like here and will cellar very well. 91+ Pts.

Tabula 2004 ($66.99) - Toasty oak over the top of blackberry and black currant with some violets. Juicy, meaty fruit with a shovel load of soft fruit tannins. Earthy and savoury with a core of perfectly ripe blue and black fruits. 93 Pts.

DO Priorat

Cims de Porrera ‘Solanes’ 2003 ($32.99) - An old standard that is back in Australia. pepper and spice, a little funky but very appealing. Nice plumy fruit with some pepper earth and herby bramble.

Portugal

Vinho de Mesa Rose NV ($8.49) - A little cheesy, but there are some fresh strawberry and raspberry notes. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but finishes nicely with some strawberry candy. 81 Pts.

DO Estremadura

Pink Elephant Rose ($11.99) - Musky, sweet strawberry with a good acid back bone, more in the winey style of rose. Designed for food and would be great with something spicy. 85 Pts.

DO Alenquer

Quinta das Setencostas 2005 ($14.99) - Fresh and spicy, savoury plums and blueberry. Plenty of texture and a lick of acid to keep things moving, a bit of mid palate sweetness that I’m not that keen on. 86 Pts.

DOC Porto

Taylors 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($49.99) - Nice aged characters on the nose, raisins and clove with a light sprinkle of mixed nuts. Very long finish with good integration of spirit. 90 Pts.

Taylors LBV Port ($39.99) - I didn’t catch the vintage on this, but will chase it up. Plum and cherry fruit with clove and nutmeg, a bit of hot cinnamon. Fleshy and well structured with plenty of vintage character. 88 Pts.

Van Zellers Douro 2005

Dave Worthington — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:27:33 +0000

This is a project from Christiano van Zellar of Quinta do Vale Dona Maria, a field blend red wine from the Douro that uses grapes from outside Quinta. That’s about all I know, a quick bit of work on google didn’t really show up much except for a couple of good scores from TWA and WS for the 2004.

These mid-priced Douro seem to be were it’s at, I think you get the best expression for the price at around $40-60, with good value at the low end. The top end wines, while outstanding, are starting to get up there in price ($170 for the Meao top bottling, the new Vallado super deluxe job will come in over $300 here if it’s imported). It’s not that they aren’t great wines…

That classic sooty, rocky shist note kicks things off on the nose followed by some juicy plum, blueberry and cherry with a bit a clove pepper. The acid level is quite high for a Douro red and gives a good balance to the meaty, flesh tannins. Savoury and flavour packed on the palate: plums and cherry, with a touch of rosella with subtle christmas cake spices and a mineral crunch. A generous long finish. Very moreish in this cold weather. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Wine from Dão - an Alvaro Castro Tasting

Dave Worthington — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:00:20 +0000

Last week I dropped into the Spanish Acquisition HQ for a bit of Jamon and ended up tasting a whole heap of stuff including a selection of wines from Alvaro Castro from the Dão region in Portugal. This lot are not currently being imported, but I’m sure it won’t be long before we’ll be seeing a few of these around town. The wines were served up single blind (we knew they were Alvaro Castro’s wines, but not which ones). I don’t have a lot of info on these wines or the region, but Jamie Goodie has a good overview of the region, including a bit on Alvaro Castro and his vineyards. Overall, I’d summarise the wines as very elegant and balanced, at the same time there is plenty of fruit too.

Primus 2006 – The only white in the line up from Alvaro today. Apples and pears, saturated by banana. Pleasant enough with a long finish, but too much banana for me. 87 Pts.

Dão Reserva 2005 - An enticing nose with subtle spice with some dark fruits and violets. A brooding kind of wine, deep and intense with fine balance and plenty of quality fruit. 91 Pts.

Dão Reserva 2005 - Something odd with this bottle, no notes.

Quinta du Pelleda Vinha da Serra 2006 - Cherry and blackberry, Christmas cake spices, vanilla oak and a bit of game. Tight and structured in the mouth, but very enjoyable. A healthy dose of tannins too. 90 Pts.

Pelada 2003 - Here we go, showing a bit of age but its still quite intense. Blackberry, beetroot and blueberry with woody spice and some great acid that really livens up this wine. 92 Pts.

Carrocel 2006 - This seemed like a younger version of the Pelada with a bit of mint and more obvious oak. Juicy and mouth coating, but I’m sure it will all integrate in a couple of years. 92 Pts.