Casa Burmester Touriga Nacional 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Burmester

Region:Douro

Country:Portugal

A really good example of what Touriga Nacional can offer, the bouquet here is very intense, filled with flowery, violet notes along with a strong presence of sweet raspberries. Overall, the nose exposes a very young, powerful wine.

The same impression is conveyed by the palate. Structured and mouth-fiIIing, the flavors gravitate between the same flowery impressions as in the nose joined by a more caramel, sweeter side. A very good acidity helps to keep the taste from becoming too intense. Strong powerful finish that makes the wine linger for a long time in the mouth.

I'd wait a couple more years for this one. It still needs to tame down a bit and I'm curious as to how it will evolve.

Amalaya 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Bodegas Amalaya

Region:Salta

Country:Argentina

A blend of Malbec - what else? - Syrah , Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat, this argentinian red has an inviting, intense bouquet - very fruit-forward with notes of vanilla and a subtle spice background. Although it starts off very Malbec like, I think the Syrah eventually finds its way to the foreground, with some very nice notes of blackberries.

Very open, round and inviting in the palate, silky, smooth tannins leveraging the intensity of the fruit and vanilla notes. Controlled acidity, good structure and decent finish, this is a very well made wine that is ready to be enjoyed.

Specially enjoyed those blackberries both in the nose and in the palate - the Syrah / Malbec blend came along very well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Framingham Classic Riesling 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Framingham

Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

Really fragrant bouquet on this New Zealand Riesling, with lots of sweet white fruit and a really nice mineral, wet-stone backbone.

As is the case with the whites from this winery I've tasted so far, it feels very tuned and precise in the palate. A good deal of acidity goes very well with a more austere, mineral side that is, in turn, put in check by some sweeter, white fruit flavors.

Good length, feeling very balanced down to the end of the taste.

Andreza Grande Reserva 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

Essentially fruit forward in the nose, with lots of pineapples and green apples. Very light and fresh, it shows a lot more body in the palate, with the oaky/vanilla notes coming forward and giving it a considerable weight.

A bit unfocused at first, there's a good balance here between the heavier oaky side and a dry, citrus feel. The ending is long and hints at some spices lurking around.

A definite wintery white, that needs to be enjoyed with time - give it some decanting before starting to drink.

Quinta de Termos Reserva Vinhas Velhas 2006

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Termos

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Light garnet in the glass, the nose in this wine from the Beira Interior - a region where red wines tend to be hard and edgy - is really interesting and composed. Some notes of evolution at first, then replaced by sweet red fruit, some chocolates notes, all in a very elegant, beautifully aged profile.

Also very soft and tuned in the palate, with notes of cocoa and chocolate to the foreground, this feels like a wine that's at the right spot for drinking. The tannins are smooth and round, the acidity has changed and morphed but the cherries and red berries are still there, very alive. The feeling of precision and elegance carries on the the nice, long finish.

A very old world wine in approach (although this has 20% Syrah, which is not a classical grape for the Beira Interior, or Portugal), this is a really pleasurable wine, made to be enjoyed some years after its harvest and that will probably age well for another couple of years.

Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Hoher Rain 2011

16.5 / 20

Producer: Geyerhof

Region: Kremstal

Country: Austria

Slightly inexpressive in the nose at first, with maybe some notes of white fruit. As it warms and breathes, a slight mineral feel followed by citrus, acid notes appears. The full bouquet is completed by orange blossom and other flowers.

Surprisingly strong and full in the palate, it has a solid presence. Relying very much on citrus notes, it shows a really interesting bitterness, bringing to mind grapefruits, and the associated dryness. Very original and slightly different from the other Grüner Veltliner I've tasted before, the finish is long and dry.

Paired it with an indian dish and it was a very good match for the spices on the dish.

Trimbach Riesling 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Maison Trimbach

Region:Alsace

Country:France

Very lightly coloured, showing a nice straw like hue, this has an expressive, clean nose showing all the usual Riesling notes: A strong mineral, rubbery feeling very well balanced with some sweet tropical fruit underneath.

Although the first impact in the palate is of a sweeter, fruit-forward wine, this very quickly changes halfway and the wine reveals a drier, more acid side that gives it a really focused, edgy taste. Very mineral, austere and showing notes of lemon, the sweeter side only appears from time to time, seasoning its austerity and dryness.

Really good and promises to grow in the bottle.

Cova da Ursa 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Bacalhôa

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Probably the most classical (and old) Chardonnay made in Portugal, this is one of those wines you know won't disappoint. From the yellow, light golden color continuing to those classical Chardonnay aromas - quince, boiled apples and pears, the oaky and buttery background and a hint of guavas, this is a composed and nicely tuned Chardonnay.

Expectedly full in the palate, but, again, finely tuned and balanced by a good deal of citrus-like dryness and a fresh acidity, it's a structured, deep and long lived wine that will shine in colder weather.

Quinta de Cottas Grande Reserva 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta de Cottas

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

I tasted the reserva 2009 a couple of months ago and really liked it, being one of those very dry whites from the Douro that, for my taste, really develop when staged in oak for some months. I'm not sure if this Grande Reserva is a rebranding or a new top brand, but I liked this one even more, I must say, although they seemed to cut down on the dryness for this vintage.

Greenish tinged, the nose is very complex, penetrating and intense. Strong vegetable notes at first - aspargus, mainly - open up way to a sweeter, vanilla-like scent along with dried almonds, the new oak barrels where this staged having left its mark. Still later on, some white fruit and flowers join the party and make for a very enticing bouquet.

The fresh acidity is a worthwhile match for the heavier, sweeter streak brought on by the oak. On the whole, the wine feels very structured and complex in the palate, the oakier notes making it mouth filling while maintaining a good fresh vibe. I think it just lacks maybe a little more elegance to make it ascend to the next level.

Really good, long finish.

Offley Late Bottled Vintage 1997

16.5 / 20

Producer: Offley

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

This one looks a lot younger than its 15 years. Starting by the color, a really dark purple, and carrying on to the nose, where a lot of black berries are still very present, along with a slight more chemical paper feel and the usual dried plums, raisins and a hint of spices. Very intense and vibrant bouquet.

Good intensity on the palate as well, its good structure showing some distinct layers where sweet black fruits mix with sweeter notes, a touch of syrup but still brought together by a nice lingering acidity. Good, strong and lengthy ending.

A notch up from the 200 LBV I tasted a year or so from the same brand and another piece of evidence in favour of older LBVs.

Bétula 2011

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Torgal

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

An equal blend of Sauvignon and Viognier, this white from the Douro has a nice greenish tinge to it and a very delicate, smooth and elegant bouquet where slight tropical fruit notes mingle with sharper citrus impression, orange blossoms and, as it breathes and opens, smooth vegetable notes.

Very smooth in the palate as well, homogeneous and showing a good structure. Some notes of passion fruit appear, along with more herbaceous impressions and a strong mineral backbone. Feeling a bit closed at first, it shows a clear crescendo of intensity as time goes by. Ends very well, dry and with the citrus notes coming to the foreground.

Comparing it with the previous vintages, I think there's a marked evolution towards a more austere approach. Both the oak notes and the tropical fruits were more present in the previous vintages, whereas this one seems to rely even more on the mineral/citrus side. Although I still miss the splendid acidity the 2009 had.

Tasted on 2012-10-14

Grand Terroirs Tautavel 2008

16.5 / 20

Producer: Gérard Bertrand

Region: Cotes du Roussillon

Country: France

Very dark to the eye, this Grenache/Syrah/Carignan blend is an enticing, deep and elegant red with the nose very focused on sweet black fruits - blackberries and blackcurrants - and showing caramel and coffee, pepper and a hint of liquorice.

Intense in the palate, with strong black fruit notes expertly mixed with the oak, it comes along as a very balanced wine, with acidity, tannins, fruit and oak all balancing out and creating a really good red.

Tasted on 2012-10-08

Quinta do Portal Vintage 1999

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Portal

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Good, dark ruby color when poured in the glass, the nose is filled with spices, raisins and dried plums and apricots. Also present in the background are cocoa and coffe and, at times, some ripe red berries also come up.

Its 13 years have erased most of the rough edges, the wine feeling very round in the palate, the tannins very integrated into the set, just present enough to give it some bite, and the ripe red fruits not overpowering the other components of the wine. Nevertheless, a full bodied wine, still very imposing where dried fruits and spices mingle with the ripe red fruit to create a good taste. Finish is quite long.

Feels ready to drink and enjoy right now - at its price, a really enjoyable Vintage.

Tasted on 2012-09-09

Symmetria Best 2006

16.5 / 20

Producer: Paulo Laureano

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Deeply purple to the eye, the nose on this Alentejo is intense, showing lots of ripe red fruits, some dried plums and raisins and a nice touch of oaky notes.

Good structure on the palate, again showing in first impact some dried fruits that later open to some red fruit. This is matched by cocoa and toast notes from the oak and a good, refreshing acidity.

Lively, very present tannins provide this with an added structure and give it a good presence in the palate, finishing long.

Tasted on 2012-09-04