Quinta da Foz 2007

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta da Foz

Region:Douro

Country:Portugal

Intense nose on this red from the Douro, showing some dried plums, a balsamic feel that hints at some evolution and distinct oak/vanilla notes. Later on, some ripe red fruits also join the bouquet.

In the palate, starts by showing a medium structure, controlled acidity with some toast/oak but it gains momentum as it breathes. Fine, velvety but very structured tannins start to emerge giving the wine a lot more structure and depth. Flavors remain focused on the balsamic, oakier side leaving the ripe red fruits more to the background.

Pedra Cancela Selecção do Enólogo 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Pedra Cancela

Region:Dão

Country:Portugal

A blend from the Dão, this comes across as a modern look at a very classical blend. I don't think I'd ever tasted a wine from this producer, but I'll definitely try to check them out.

Very appealing in the nose, with a marked flowery side, mixed with some pine-tree, earthy notes and a healthy amount of wild berries underneath.

Very elegant in the palate, very well balanced with notes of buckroses to the foreground. Very lively wine, with fine but present tannins and the usual - for the Dão - fresh acidity. Ends very long and strong leaving traces of wlid berries in the tongue.

Casa da Passarella Vinhas Velhas 2008

16 / 20

Producer: Casa da Passarella

Region:Dão

Country:Portugal

Ripe red berries on the nose, along with the usual buckroses and some notes of resin, this traditional blend from old vines in the Dão is a very elegant and worthwhile wine.

Elegant and soft in the palate, with a good, fresh acidity, reminiscent of cherries, this has a really nice structure, helped along by hard tannins, still very present but letting the fruit and flowery notes come forward and rule the taste. As it breathes, it starts becoming more intense, strenghtening the flowery side that persists all the way to the long, persistent ending.

António Saramago Reserva 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: António Saramago

Region:Setúbal

Country:Portugal

Very nice and balanced nose, with the usual jammy black fruit note associated with Castelão in Setúbal, that are seasoned here with light balsamic tones, a hint of spices and an oaky background.

Very elegant and alive in the palate, with lively tannins, fresh acidity and some really nice jammy fruit notes. It's a wine with the right intensity, just enough to show off its flavors, but never overpowering - really gastronomical.

The site says the wine is a blend of Castelão, Touruga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet, but I'd totally believe if I was told this is a 100% Castelão. The jammy blackberries that appear on both nose and mouth are a great expression of the Setúbal Castelão.

Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2011

16.5 / 20

Producer: Framingham

Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

As usual for the whites from this brand, a lovely, precise New Zealand white.

Very expressive in the nose, showing passion fruit and pineapples without excesses. Very focused, very pure fruit notes that are combined with the greener, more vegetable feel - aspargus and green grass.

The vegetable side seems to take more proeminence in the palate, giving the wine a pleasurable bitterness that goes very well with the tropical fruit background. Intense, with a very good acidity, finishes long and pleasurable.

Quinta do Corujão Reserva 2008

15 / 20

Producer:Quinta do Corujão

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Interesting nose in this Dão blend, with cocoa and coffee notes, along with jammy blackberries and a slight vegetable/flowery scent.

Less interesting in the palate, coming along as somewhat difuse. The usual fresh acidity from the Dão is here, along with a balanced and elegant feel, but the flavors of the wine seem to be hidden, somewhere in the background.

Messias Colheita 1977

17.5 / 20

Producer: Messias

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

The first colheita I tasted from Messias, this 1977 was bottled in 2007 and is showing very well at the moment, the spirits here already tamed and integrated into the whole wine.

Really interesting, complex nose where dried fruits mingle with some exotic woods in a sweet, honeyed background.

Smooth and layered in the palate, honey and caramel, rasins and dried plums, the spirits give it some acidity and freshness. Delicate, smooth caramel notes come up as well in a smooth, elegant and velvety body. Great, long finish. Amazing value for the price.

Riesling Vogelthen 2011

16 / 20

Producer: Soellner

Region:Wagram

Country:Austria

A dry riesling from Austria, this white shows some subtle tropical fruit notes in the nose, along with delicate mineral notes.

In the mouth, these impressions are inverted, with the mineral side of the wine coming more to the foreground, along with a marked citrus, lemony side. Feels very elegant and lively, helped by a slightly bubbly feel.

Quinta do Escairo Reserva 2010

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Escairo

Region: Trás-os-Montes

Country: Portugal

Another wine from the nearly forgotten wine region Trás-os-Montes in Portugal, this is a very pleasant and well made wine, showing some acid red berries in the nose along with some nice cocoa and coffee overtones.

Feels very elegant in the palate, with a really nice balance between red fruits and oak, round yet lively tannins and a fresh, crisp acidity that does not get in the way of enjoyment.

Lightly structured but showing up really well in the palate, the ending is very persistent. Although it won't probably age that well, it's a very enjoyable wine right now.

José de Sousa Mayor 2008

17 / 20

Producer: José Maria da Fonseca

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

A blend containing 65% of Grand Noir (a bit unusual) from Reguengos de Monsaraz, this is a really good Alentejo red from one of the biggest wine making companies in Portugal. Jammy red and black fruits on the nose, with some oak and vanilla notes. There's also a scent of raisins and dried plums, hinting at a very gracious and poised evolution.

Beautifully balanced in the palate, still showing a lot of youth with a good deal of acidity and some tense, lively tannins. Wild red berries dominate the palate, elegantly mixed with toast notes. Takes a while to open up, but after 20 minutes or so in the glass, it reveals its full breadth, textured and complex.

Really good Alentejo.

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2011

15.5 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Certainly one of the best valued whites in Portugal, this oak-staged white from near Setúbal has been very consistent in its quality, although I was a bit disappointed with one of the last vintages, since the sweet fruit notes seemed a bit too much.

This vintage showed a better balance, although sweet fruit notes predominate in the nose, along with the slightest impression of oak/toast.

Very pleasant in the palate, full bodied and showing the oak where it staged, sweet fruit notes are also very present, but are balanced by a bitter, lemony aftertaste that keeps the sweetness in check. Strikes a very good balance between this bitterness and the heavier side provided by the oak, it finishes long and persistent.

Still a good bet and one to track down whenever you're in the mood for an affordable, interesting wintery white wine.

Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir 2010

16 / 20

Producer: Boschendal

Region: Boschendal

Country:South Africa

An interesting blend for a still white, the first impressions on this South African white instantly take us into Champagne territory, with a lot of toast notes combined with some boiled apples and pears. Also present is an interesting mineral side and some spices impressions which gives it an edge.

Good, enticing palate that combines a good, elegant and fresh acidity with an heavier structure resulting in a very interesting and original white. It's probably worth cellaring for a couple of years as well.