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.

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.

Quinta do Escudial Garrafeira Vinhas Velhas 2006

17 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Escudial

Region:Dão

Country:Portugal

I was really surprised when I tasted this wine in a fair in Lisbon in November. A 6-year old unoaked red wine should taste a little tired, right? It should feel a bit old, maybe?

Well, this didn't. Starting by the color, a vibrant ruby and following up on the aromas, where notes of dried pine leaves mingled with some very alive red wild berries. Later on, the traditional flowery notes also appear in the form of buckroses.

In the palate, the first impact is of a fresh wine, showing some slight notes of leather at first and some alive, yet velvety tannins. It does not show much fruit at first, relying more on leather, a slight metalic feel, tobacco leaves, but as it opens, it reveals an outstanding red fruit and flowery profile that's truly amazing. Deep, long, very elegant and poised, it's a great wine by any standards. The fact that it has not staged in oak just pushes this into another level.

A great example of an old world wine.

Quinta do Sobral Reserva 2010

15.5/ 20

Producer: Quinta do Sobral

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Lots of red fruits in the nose of this Dão red, backed by a kind of rustic feeling that goes away with time, bringing to front some nice spices and the flowery notes from the Touriga Nacional.

Fresh acidity in an average structure body, as expected in the Dão, relying more in balance and smoothness than in volume or strength. Fresh and fruit-forward, with some nice notes of oak and cocoa in the medium length ending.

Quinta dos Carvalhais Alfrocheiro 2006

16.5 / 20

Producer: Sogrape

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Beautifully colored, sporting a dark red, almost purple tone, the bouquet has a nice intensity, with some flowers, a hint of mint and some strong dark fruit (raspberries and plums) notes. Beneath, a background of cocoa and other oaky notes enhances the ensemble.

Feeling delicate and balanced on the palate, still with a really good acidity and with nicely tuned and integrated tannins that help give it structure and layers. It's not a full bodied wine but it manages to mark the taste, with some good notes of dark fruits and some jam. Long, persistent finish that lingers for a long time.

Tasted on 2012-08-17

Álvaro Castro 2010

15.5 / 20

Producer: Álvaro de Castro

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

An interesting white from the Dão from one of the best producers in the region, it shows a slightly green tinge and a nicely balanced bouquet where citrus notes mingle with white fruits and a strong mineral background that gives it a good deal of freshness.

Very fresh in the palate, citrus notes giving it a good deal of acidity and dryness in a delicate, soft body where the white fruit notes also appear. A good deal of mineral feel - lots of limestone - keeps it interesting up to the fresh, elegant and delicate ending.

Tasted on 2012-05-29

Borges Dão Reserva 2007

14.5 / 20

Producer: Vinhos Borges

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Straw colored, the nose on this white from the Dão is not very expressive, showing a slight vegetable feel, a hint of white fruit, some oaky smoky notes and a glycerine feel that strongly suggests some evolution.

The palate is also not very expressive, showing a balanced, unremarkable acidity in a light body where the distinctive feature is the high dryness and citrus feel. It grows a little with time but it keeps its low profile during the taste all the way to a dry, lemony brief ending.

Tasted on 2012-04-10

Ribeiro Santo Escolha 2007

15.5 / 20

Producer: Carlos Lucas

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

This white Dão shows an elegant, balanced bouquet where apples mingle with some spices in a very marked mineral background - sometimes approaching some Rieslings with an almost rubbery scent.

Very balanced in the palate as well, with a decent body and a mineral, dry approach that maybe lacks a slightly stronger fruit influence - it feels a bit unidimensional as it is.

Good, lemony ending, cleaning the palate and leaving a pleasant dry feel that lasts for quite some time.

Tasted on 2012-04-04

Quinta dos Carvalhais Alfrocheiro 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Carvalhais

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Light ruby to the eye, the bouquet starts by showing some smoke, hints of red fruits and some rock roses. As it breathes, a stronger oaky, vanilla side emerges, balanced by some more well defined red fruits and flowers. Very delicate, elegant and balanced.

The same feeling persists in the palate, where the elegance is supported by a fresh acidity, remarkable for its age. As in the nose, as it breathes, it starts to grow, becoming a little more robust and full bodied in the mouth, but never leaving behind the balance and elegance.

Red fruits and flowers come along stronger in the long and expressive ending.

Overall, an exquisitely balanced and elegant Dão that seems to be in a great drinking window.

Tasted on 2012-04-02

Quinta de Saes Reserva Estágio Prolongado 2007

16.0 / 20

Producer: Álvaro de Castro

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Our contribution to WBW#75 is a single vineyard red from the Dão, from a producer with a great track record (checkout Carrocel or Pellada Touriga Nacional for other great wines).

This one comes from old vines at Quinta de Saes and was staged in oak for 14 months (hence the name Estágio Prolongado, which translates to english as long duration stage) and has a a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass.

At first, the nose is very floral (with rockroses and violets) and showing notes of oak and toast. A bit hidden at first, it slowly opens and reveals some really nice dark wild berries.

At once delicate and structured in the palate - not uncommon in the best Dão wines - it's still the flowery side that marks the taste, combined with some toast/coffee from the oak. Fresh, still with a good deal of acidity, it feels a bit closed in the mouth but, as in the nose, it opens up to a more black fruit approach. Finish is elegant and persistent.

This is still a very young wine and one that will certainly grow for some years in the bottle. If you choose to open it right now, give it a couple of hours in the decanter so it has time to properly open up.

Tasted on 2012-03-21

Quinta da Bica Reserva 2004

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta da Bica

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

This red from the Dão comes from a small producer near the Serra da Estrela. Dark ruby to the eye, without any trace of evolution, the nose is marked at first by vanilla notes and flowers along with some more mineral, silex-like notes. Warm and intense, it later shows some cocoa and coffee and, still later, some meaty red fruit also joins this nice and balanced bouquet.

It shows a slightly more fruit-forward body, with an average structure, balanced acidity and a nice overall dryness. Some lively tannins give it some strength, but overall this is a balanced, velvety wine with a nice finish that brings to mind more red fruits and mineral notes.

Tasted on 2012-02-29

Quinta dos Carvalhais Encruzado 2008

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Carvalhais

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Light green to the eye, this Encruzado from the Dão has a lovely bouquet that starts going with some white fruits (apples and pears) and some oak/smoky notes, a hint of flowers and then starts opening up to a more expressive mineral side, with limestone and rubber.

Feeling dry in the mouth, it shows a good, full, structured body - the oak here giving it weight and some buttery/vanilla notes - that is very well balanced by the lively and fresh acidity that it shows. As in the nose, after the first ten or so minutes where the oak notes are prominent, a more mineral side comes forward. Good, persistent and dry ending that conjures up notes of spices and some lemon.

A really good Encruzado from the Dão at a reasonable price.

Tasted on 2012-02-21

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

Casa da Ínsua Reserva 2009

16.5 / 20

Producer: Casa da Ínsua

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

A really nice, expressive white from the Dão, the bouquet is quite balanced and delicate, with notes of white fruit, some oaky/buttery notes, a marked mineral side and, as it opens up, a definite vegetable feel, like freshly cut green beans or Asparagus.

Well structured in the mouth, with the oak giving it some weight, but managing to achieve a delightful balance between structure and acidity/freshness. Not very fruit-forward, relying more on mineral notes and a citrus like feel to take the message home, this has a good length, finishing long and persistent.

Very nice, if not very typical, white from the Dão at a really inviting price target (around 10€ at the producer).

Tasted on 2011-12-08

Quinta dos Roques Alfrocheiro 2007

16.0 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Roques

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Made from Alfrocheiro, a grape type primarily grown and used in the Dão, this ruby colored wine has lots of cocoa and chocolate notes in the first impact. After a while, some toast also appears and then, as it opens, some subtle flowers.

Average bodied, almost delicate in the palate, it shows the usual high acidity found in the Dão but it also feels quite rounded and ready to drink. I would say it needed a bit more structure to make a real impression, although it opens up as time goes by, revealing leathery notes in the average length finale.

Tasted on 2011-11-20

Casa da Ínsua Reserva 2005

15.5 / 20

Producer: Casa da Ínsua

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

This wine is produced by a small hotel hosted in a former manor house in Penalva do Castelo, in the Dão.

Clear ruby, the nose is a bit muddy and fuzzy at first, showing some red fruits and oak notes. Later it opens to clearer, more precise aromas that include some delicate violets.

Quite fresh in the mouth, with an average body that gets most of its structure from some hard tannins. There's also a pervading sweetness to the taste, that converges on some chocolate notes in its average length finale.

Tasted on 2011-11-16

Outono de Santar 2005

13.5 / 20

Producer: Dão Sul

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

An unusual Late Harvest, since it comes from the Dão and is made exclusively from Encruzado grapes, this has a golden color.

Nose was a bit unclear at first, with some glyceric notes and a stranger, almost plastic aroma. It later slightly opens up to some dried fruits and orange peel.

A bit short on the palate, with a soft structure, I felt it could have some more acidity to balance out the sweeter side. Some dried fruits appear during the taste and the ending briefly shows some orange peel.

Maybe it was this particular bottle, but this wine failed to impress me. Maybe it has passed its drinking window - although I bought this at the producer earlier this year?

Tasted on 2011-10-23

Picos do Couto Reserva 2010

15.5 / 20

Producer: FTP Vinhos

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Interesting bouquet on this white from the Dão, with the usual ripe white fruits, a bit of pineapples, oranges/citrus notes and a strong oaky background - vanilla/coconut.

Slightly less expressive to the taste, it's an average bodied wine, with controlled acidity and showing a good balance between the fruit and the oak. Finish has some citrus notes and is able to convey some freshness but it feels a bit short. Some interesting smoky/oaky notes linger on the aftertaste.

Overall, an honest, solid white wine at a reasonable price.

Tasted on 2011-10-21

Picos do Couto Grande Escolha 2005

16.0 / 20

Producer: FTP Vinhos

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Dark ruby, the bouquet starts by showing some leathery notes, later replaced with flowers - violets and rockroses - and then some oak, chocolate and dark plums.

Quite some structure in the mouth, the first impression being of leather notes, again. Some vegetable and flowery notes also appear, very nicely integrated with the oak, tamed tannins and a still very marked acidity. The ending reveals a slight hint of evolution, a nice lengthy persistence that brings up again dark plums.

I think this is in an ideal drinking window, its six years in the bottle having granted it a very balanced feel.

Tasted on 2011-09-27