Serrana 2008

14.0 / 20

Producer: Agroturismo Serrrana do Olival

Region: Lisboa

Country: Portugal

Light golden to the eye, this white has a discreet, subdued nose where after some time, some green apples appear.

Light bodied in the palate, very soft it shows just a bit of fruit, relying more on a dry, austere approach. Brief persistence, where at first the alcohol shows a bit too strong, but later develops into something a little more interesting, with an interesting dryness. Definitely one to try much younger as this seems to be going downhill.

Tasted on 2012-06-14

Adega de Penalva Encruzado 2009

14.0 / 20

Producer: Adega de Penalva

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Almost golden colored, this white from the Dão has a discreet nose with notes of oak and some white fruits.

Also quite discreet and subdued in the mouth, it has a soft, light body where the white fruits mark a somewhat underwhelming presence. Short lived and very light, it has a brief, average finish.

For my taste, this needed a stronger presence and a bit more complexity. Maybe it is supposed to be enjoyed briefly after being released, since it felt a bit tired.

Tasted on 2011-12-15

Adega de Penalva Jaen 2008

14.0 / 20

Producer: Adega de Penalva

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

An 100% Jaen from the Dão, which is the only place in Portugal - as far as I know - where this grape type is used. It is also used in some spanish wines, where it goes by the name of Mencia.

It has a light ruby color, showing some notes of chocolate in the nose, later backed by some red fruits, coffee/toast notes and a hint of rockroses. Simple, but pleasurable.

In the mouth, the notes of chocolate and rockroses continue in a light body, still showing a relatively high acidity for its structure. The finish shows still some hard tannins, making it a bit astrigent, and is relatively short, although it still has time to leave some lingering flowers around.

This will probably benefit from a longer time in the bottle, so it can tame the tannins and lose some of its acidity.

Tasted on 2011-08-21

Noble Dragon 2007

14.0 / 20

Producer: Changyu Wines

Region: Shandong

Country: China

Chinas has recently become a target for winemakers everywhere due to the explosive consumption growth for wine in this country. But the fact is that China also has quite a few wineries of their own, most of them quite recent. This one, Changyu, is probably one of the oldest, being active since 1892.

This wine, Noble Dragon, is one of their midtier brands and is composed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Yantai 73 - a local grape.

It has a dark garnet color, the nose is primarily driven by the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot, with green bellpeppers taking center stage. More to the side, some spices, cocoa, a scent of leather and some red fruit. The overall feeling is that the bouquet is not very focused or sharp, as if the several parts fail to create a whole.

To the taste, this is a soft, rounded and balanced wine, showing some signs of evolution. The taste brings some more vegetable notes and also a dash of red berries. It finishes somewhat short with a brief persistence.

Should you wish to taste this wine, make sure you get the latest vintage there is. This is not supposed to be an age-worthy wine and this 2007 showed it, in my opinion. A more recent vintage would be fresher and more fruit-forward and this would make it much more enjoyable.

Tasted on 2011-06-14