Tapada de Coelheiros Chardonnay 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Herdade de Coelheiros

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

I tasted the previous vintage of this wine a couple of years ago and I remember not being particularly impressed. I felt it was a nice wine, but not remarkable - although I can see from the taste note that this wasn't a typical heavy, oaky and buttery chardonnay.

This vintage seems to be a notch up - the wine style brings to mind the drier Chardonnays from Bourgogne, not Chablis but almost there. Green apples in the nose, some dried almonds and a slight vegetable background, which are later complemented by a mineral, chalky scent.

Very interesting in the palate, with a fresh, crispy acidity and a remarkable dryness, leaving a mineral, chalky feel in the mouth. This is a very elegant wine, with the fruit notes (mainly green apples) mixing with some citrus and the mentioned mineral notes to make a very composed wine that has a lot of structure without relying in the usual oak, buttery excesses.

As it breathes and is exposed to air, this starts to gain some of the heavier Chardonnay notes, boiled apples and pears coming to the front, along with some heavier oak notes - so it loses some of that mineral, chalkier feel and starts feeling like a more new world Chardonnay.

Dona Helena 2011

15 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country:Portugal

A light (both in structure and in alcohol), simple white from Adega de Pegões, near Setúbal, this shows an intense fruit-forward nose, sometime veering into candy territory but managing to keep interesting. There's also a marked citrus feel - notes of orange blossom at first and later even some lemon skin.

Very soft in the palate, it's a simple wine that has a nice, balanced presence. Lots of fruit here, the same candy notes also appearing - but everything backed and balanced by a fresh citrus acidity and a lemony note that helps it gain some interest. Good, simple finish. A good white for the summer or for before meals.

Herdade do Peso Reserva 2004

17/ 20

Producer: Herdade do Peso - Sogrape

Region:Alentejo

Country:Portugal

A very elegant wine in the nose, showing nice jammy fruit notes, a minty/eucalyptus feel in the background and some discreet evolution notes, the slighest note of leather creeping up here and there, contributing to a very intriguing bouquet.

Very alive in the palate, with the typical Alentejo jammier fruit notes very well integrated with the oak backed by a still very fresh acidity. Structured but not heavy, velvety, round tannins permeate the taste that finishes long, elegant and very balanced.

It will still live for a couple of years at least, but right now it's an extremely pleasurable, rewarding wine.

Fontanário de Pegões 1998

15.5 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Saw this at the winery shop in a recent visit and decided to take a chance with an older Setúbal wine, mainly made with Castelão - a recent good surprise with a 1999 red from Adega de Palmela gave strength to the notion that Castelão shows well with age, even in wines not made with that goal.

A lot of leather and old cupboards in the nose at first, it gains some strength and life as it breathes, revealing some dried leaves and, surprisingly, a good deal of jammy black fruits - the kind that I associate with Castelão from this region.

Slim and delicate in the palate, as expected for a 14-year old red, it nevertheless feels very alive, with the same notes of jammy black fruit appearing throughout the taste and making it very interesting.

Does not show its age at all and it still holds its own when matched with food.

Sonnseit´n Roter Veltliner 2011

16 / 20

Producer: Soellner

Region: Wagram

Country: Austria

Roter veltliner is a grape type indigenous to Austria, introduced there during the era of the Roman Empire. Despite the name, it is not related to Gruner Veltliner, apparently.

Subtle, flowery aromas showing some sweet fruit in a backdrop of minerality - wet stones and rubber.

Very fresh in the palate, soft and well balanced between acidity and sweeter fruit, this is a really refreshing white that feels very light by its own but, when matched with food, reveals a very solid structure. Good, palate cleansing ending with a nice persistence.

Quinta do Escudial Garrafeira Vinhas Velhas 2006

17 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Escudial

Region:Dão

Country:Portugal

I was really surprised when I tasted this wine in a fair in Lisbon in November. A 6-year old unoaked red wine should taste a little tired, right? It should feel a bit old, maybe?

Well, this didn't. Starting by the color, a vibrant ruby and following up on the aromas, where notes of dried pine leaves mingled with some very alive red wild berries. Later on, the traditional flowery notes also appear in the form of buckroses.

In the palate, the first impact is of a fresh wine, showing some slight notes of leather at first and some alive, yet velvety tannins. It does not show much fruit at first, relying more on leather, a slight metalic feel, tobacco leaves, but as it opens, it reveals an outstanding red fruit and flowery profile that's truly amazing. Deep, long, very elegant and poised, it's a great wine by any standards. The fact that it has not staged in oak just pushes this into another level.

A great example of an old world wine.

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2009

16 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Lots of oaky and caramel notes in the nicely tuned, inviting bouquet that also shows some jammy black fruits.

Feels very young in the palate, showing a lot of oak notes, the fruit notes still feeling somewhat "green" and needing some bottle time to mature. The tannins are also very present, although they do not hide any of the opulent, jammy fruit that's here. Good, average length finale.

For my taste, I'd wait another year or two before starting to drink it.

Marquesa de Alorna 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta da Alorna

Region: Tejo

Country: Portugal

Deeply golden in color, making me question if this had oxidized prematurely. Hapilly, the bouquet told me otherwise - although it showed an heavier white, with lots of buttery, vanilla notes, the white fruits (peaches) and boiled apples were also very present and showing very well. Maybe some flowers in the background.

Very structured and heavy in the palate at first, it changes halfway and reveals a drier approach, relying more on citrus than on vanilla and sweet white fruits. It shows a good balance between fruit and oak, being a very well tuned wintery white that finishes long and comforting as expected.

Quinta do Javali 10 Years Old Tawny

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Javali

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Opened this for the Christmas season - the goal was to have a good companion for the after dinner cigars so I thought this 10 year tawny would still have the strength to go down well with cigars and maybe pair with some leftover desserts.

Keeping on the dessert theme, english cake was the first thing that came to mind in the bouquet - a mixture of spices, crystalized fruits in a background of sweetness. When I first poured it, I felt the aguardente was too much to the foreground, hiding the more subtle aromas.

That same feeling marked the first taste, with the aguardente giving it a drier style, but at the same time taking the cherry notes to an almost kirsch level, which was not what I expected. Given time, this is corrected and the wine comes along as a very well balanced tawny, with a good acidity and a decent amount of dried sweet figs.

Duorum Reserva Vinhas Velhas 2007

17 / 20

Producer: Duorum

Region: Douro

Country:Portugal

Pure Douro bouquet, a touch of silex, buckroses, a good deal of black fruits and a lot of oak and spices notes.

Great structure and still feeling quite fresh, the tannins are present, but tamed. At first, it reveals more notes of spices and oaks, but given time some very fresh red berries also appear in the palate. Deep, impositive finale.

Feels very round, surprisingly inviting since it is a Douro from one of its most potent vintages. Give it time, a couple of hours decanting will help it achieve its peak. I'm divided on if it is worth to cellar this anymore or if it is on its best drinking window.