Gnarly Head Chardonnay 2009

16 / 20

Producer: Gnarly Head

Region:California

Country: USA

A californian Chardonnay showing a subtle, discreet bouquet where boiled apples and pears mingle with some honeyed notes and a subtle touch of oak.

Shows its weight on the palate, feeling unctuous but this is very well supported by a nice acidity and a orange-skin bitterness that is refreshing. It's a pleasant, not very complex white, very balanced (the 14% alcohol are not noticeable) that ends very pleasantly.

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.

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.

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.

Aneto Pinot Noir 2010

16 / 20

Producer: Aneto

Region: Douro

Country:Portugal

The nose on this Pinot from the Douro is somewhat unexpected, showing some sweeter and more intense cherries than you'd expect from a Pinot. There's also a slighty peppery, greenish feel and a touch of cellar that goes away with time. More to the background are some vanilla and coffee/cocoa notes.

More restrained in the palate, combining a seemingly slim and delicate struture with a good, marked persistence, it shows red fruit notes (again, maybe a bit sweeter than expected) and some nice cocoa, toast notes that are more present in the average length but imposing finale. Smooth, round tannins make it alreay enjoyable.

Quinta de Arcossó Reserva 2007

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta de Arcossó

Region: Trás-os-Montes

Country: Portugal

The wines from the northmost region in Portugal are relatively unknown, even in Portugal. I can think of one brand coming from there - Valle Pradinhos, although there are some more and I distinctly remember having a really interesting Reserva from one of the Adegas up there a couple of years ago.

This farm is a new enterprise (they started in 2005) and their wines are made by Francisco Montenegro, very well known in the Douro - his Aneto brand is one to check. This particular wine is their reserva (apologies for the back label but for some weird reason the shop where I bought this had not received the front labels yet). The nose is very alive and vibrant, with lots of red wild berries along with toast and coffee. There's no hint of evolution here.

The same youth and vibrancy can be sensed in the mouth, with the wine showing a fresh, vibrant acidity - usual in these regions - in a relatively light weighted body. I was actually expecting greener, spikier tannins but the five years seem to have done their work, taming those tannins down to a round, well behaved and appealing version.

On the whole, I'd say I was expecting a bit more focus in the palate, maybe some more fruit notes, which are in the background here. But it's an interesting wine from an offbeat region, nevertheless.

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.

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.

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.

Quinta dos Termos Reserva Branco 2010

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Termos

Region:Beira Interior

Country:Portugal

Flowery in the nose at first, showing a slight sulphur scent later replaced by wet stones, light citrus notes and a hint of sweeter fruit.

Dry and acid in the palate, as expected in whites from this region, it's very focused, precise with lots of lemony notes. Feels a bit short at first, disappearing in the back of the mouth, but its length increases as it breathes and oxigenates.

Feels like it needs to grow in the bottle for a year or so, but it should pay back.

Herdade de Myrtus Reserva 2007

16 / 20

Producer:Jorge Manuel Matos Francisco

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

A blend including Touriga Nacional, this is apparent in the nose from the start with notes of violets and other flowers coming to the foreground. Later, leather and resin appear and, beneath it all, some discreet but well balanced fruit.

Very alive, intense in the palate with notes of sweet red berries, along with a flowery feel - the Touriga again. Oak and caramel complete the taste in a medium structured body with nice, velvety tannins and a good length.

Not a very classical Setúbal, but a worthy wine and a very good buy at 5€.

Grand'Arte Alicante Bouschet 2009

16 / 20

Producer: DFJ Vinhos

Region: Lisboa

Country: Portugal

The intensity and depth of the color is matched by the power of the bouquet on this Alicante Bouschet from near Lisbon. Sweet, ripe blackberries dominate the nose, backgrounded by an oaky, smoky side.

Intense and concentrated also in the palate, fruit forward but balanced by some nice oak notes - dark chocolate pops up often. A good, fresh acidity keeps the wine interesting, offsetting the sweet fruit and a good, average structure is guaranteed by velvety, tamed tannins. Nice, dry finish wraps this up.

Filoco 2009

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Filoco

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

A true Douro in the nose, with buckroses, resin and wild flowers backed by intense wild fruits and a oaky feel underneath it all.

Feels very young, almost wild in the palate, showing a fresh acidity and a decent amount of dry tannins. It is not a full-bodied wine, although it has some structure in it, but has a nice length, finishing with wild red berries and strong notes of dark chocolate and cocoa.

Overall, a very young wine that will need some time in the bottle to settle down and grow.

Quinta do Boição Arinto Reserva 2010

16.0 / 20

Producer: Enoport

Region: Bucelas

Country: Portugal

100% Arinto from Bucelas, this has a nice straw color and a fine bouquet, where notes of ripe citrus fruit mingle with smokier notes, a hint of mineral - rubbery notes like in a Riesling - and, as it warms up, a scent of oak pops up, reminding us this has fermented in oak for

some time.

Dry impact in the mouth, the mineral notes to the foreground along with lemon and lime. In the background, a touch of hazelnuts and a creamier, heavier texture give it some grace and weight.

Feels very fresh but, at the same time, it also shows some weight and structure, which gives it an added interest. Finish is long and dry, the citrus notes again mixed with hazelnuts.

Very interesting and with a good quality/price ratio.

Tasted on 2012-10-18

Aldeias de Juromenha Reserva Syrah 2008

16.0 / 20

Producer: Herdade das Aldeias

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Open ruby, the nose is all about berries, blackberries and raspberries, at times coming into the jammy side, but keeping things controlled and balanced. A background of spices/oak keeps it interesting and inviting.

Round, inviting taste with a nicely tuned, average structured body with smooth, velvety tannins and a balanced acidity. Lots of blacberries in the palate again, showcasing the warmth of the Alentejo, it finishes smooth and long.

Tasted on 2012-09-19

Aldeias da Juromenha Reserva 2007

16.0 / 20

Producer: Herdade das Aldeias

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

From near Elvas, in the Alto Alentejo, this ruby-colored reserva has a distinctive Alentejo bouquet, warm and fruit-forward, with nice red fruit notes with a clear acid side along wih oak.

Very inviting in the palate, rounded and with a nice balance between fruit and oak, it shows some quality red fruit, with just the right amount of acidity. Also present is a more vegetable, grassy side - probably from the Cabernet Sauvignon present in the blend, although it is not apparent in the nose. Good, present tannins that mold the wine without imposing themselves on the taste, this has a good, lengthy finale marked by plum notes.

A definite classical Alentejo, very inviting and food-friendly .

Tasted on 2012-09-02

Arenae 2008

16.0 / 20

Producer: Adega Regional de Colares

Region: Colares

Country: Portugal

Like the reds from Colares, the white wines from this region are out of the ordinary experiences. There is a definite sense of old world in these wines, maybe caused by the terroir, maybe because of the way the vines are planted deep in sand. Anyway, both red and whites are wines made to be enjoyed some years after the vintage and are pretty much guaranteed to hold up those years.

This white has a beautiful golden color and, although the nose has lost the tropical fruit notes usual in Malvasia, it has started to gain an ejoyable smoky, toasty feel, along with dried almonds, a hint of boiled apples and, to the background, a distinct mineral, rubbery impression. Very interesting and composed, leaving out any kind of excessive fruit.

Soft and light in the palate, it stands its own ground, however, supported by some really interesting grapefruit notes that give it some bitterness and a strong mineral side, that sometimes veers into salty territory - Colares is by the atlantic seaside. Very well balanced, with everything in its place, the ending is medium-length and brings out some more refreshing bitter notes.

Definitely not your average white and a worthy experience.

Tasted on 2012-08-28

Quinta dos Quatro Ventos 2008

16.0 / 20

Producer: Aliança

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

2008 was a very good year in the Douro, producing elegant and hopefully long lived wines, contrasting with the more powerful - but also excellent - 2007. This wine is a good example of the premium wines (around 10€) from that year. Deep extracted garnet, the nose is very balanced and composed, bringing to mind shale, wild bushes, ripe, strong wild red fruits and a touch of oak and toast.

A bit more fruit-forward in the mouth, the wild red and black fruits coming to the foreground, it is a balanced, nicely built wine with a good, fresh acidity and balanced but present tannins. Overall, a sense of balance and elegance permeates the taste all the way to the nice, lengthy finale that leaves discreet cocoa notes in the palate.

Tasted on 2012-08-23

Venâncio da Costa Lima Reserva 2009

16.0 / 20

Producer: Venâncio da Costa Lima

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Yet another good example of a 100% Castelão from Setúbal, This reserve from one of the oldest companies in the region presents itself in a nice, dark ruby color and a very typical Castelão nose, mainly dark fruits, meaty and sweet, sometimes going into jam territory but never going overboard. To the background, a touch of oak and vanilla composes the bouquet.

Fruit forward in the palate, in the usual Castelão way with lots of dark plums, this is an average bodied wine with well balanced acidity and some nice, dry and still powerful tannins.

Good, pleasant presence in a really typical example of the Castelão from this area. Finishes decently long bringing out an oaky, cocoa aftertaste.

Tasted on 2012-08-06