Dom Manuel I 2010

14.5 / 20

Producer: Adega Cooperativa de Pinhel

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Fruit forward and exuberant in the nose, feeling very young and showing some subtle oak notes.

Those same oak, vanilla notes are present in the palate, where it shows a light structure that, combined with a marked acidity, results in a fresh, young wine with some wild red berries notes.

It comes along as a relatively well made wine, showing the high acidity typical of the region and some greenish, a bit wild tannins that are also typical in the wines from the Beira Interior.

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.

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.

Quinta do Cardo Reserva Touriga Nacional 2008

15.5 / 20

Producer: Companhia das Quintas

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Dark purple in the glass, this Touriga from the Beira Interior (near Figueira do Castelo Rodrigo) feels very closed both in the nose and in the palate. The bouquet reveals a hint of violets, a touch of intense, concentrated red fruits and a slight impression of mint and assorted plants. At first, a slightly unpleasant animal scent also appears but this clears after a minute or so. It takes a couple of hours for the bouquet

to gain focus and reveal the stronger violet, flowery notes usually associated with Touriga Nacional.

The same closed feeling appears in the palate. The tannins feel very hard and, coupled with a good, fresh acidity, they overshadow the intense red fruit and flowers that can be felt in the background. At this point in time, the medium structure of the wine seems unable to harness both the tannins and the acidity. As it opens and breathes, it mellows and a pleasant sense of flowers comes forward and helps the wine gain a lot.

Definitely one to keep in the cellar for some more years.

Tasted on 2012-09-21

Varanda do Castelo 2009

14.5 / 20

Producer: Adega Cooperativa de Pinhel

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Light garnet in the glass, the nose is mainly composed of wild and acid red fruits with a slight hint of oak.

Lots of acidity in the mouth, typical of the region, with some quite hard tannins still going strong, this is a very fruit-forward wine, with some tenuous oak notes. Slightly rustic approach where the alcohol level seems too high for the wine light structure.

Tasted on 2011-09-28

Pinhel Síria 2010

14.5 / 20

Producer: Adega Cooperativa de Pinhel

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Pinhel is a wine sub-region of the larger Beira Interior wine region. One of the accepted white grape types for this region - and probably the most well known and worthwhile - is Síria, known as Roupeiro elsewhere in Portugal.

Very lightly colored, almost completely transparent, the nose gives us a mix between white/yellow fruits - melon, peaches - and some flowers. Quite intense, but not very complex.

Light in the palate, with lots of fruits and flowers. Fresh, although the acidity is not very high, this is a pleasurable, simple wine that finishes in a drier note - lemon skin comes to mind - with a short persistence.

Ideal for a relaxed setting, as an aperitif or accompanying light meals, I just think that at 13%, this has a bit too much alcohol for its structure - although it does not interfere with the taste.

Tasted on 2011-08-16

Almeida Garrett Reserva 2007

16.0 / 20

Producer: SABE

Region: Beira Interior

Country: Portugal

Coming from a lesser known wine region in Portugal, the Beira Interior which is located to the south of the Douro and to the east of the Dão, this is a really nice introduction to the region - although it could be a bit hard to track down.

An unusual blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Merlot, it is very nice and balanced in the nose, expressing red fruits, spices, a touch of oak and some jam.

In the mouth, it shows a good body, filled with fruit and with a decent acidity that keeps it interesting. Complex enough, with the well rounded tannins giving it some extra structure and strength, it finishes nicely leaving a pleasant vanilla/oaky aftertaste.

Tasted on 2011-03-21