Muros de Melgaço Alvarinho 2011

17 / 20

Producer: Anselmo Mendes Vinhos

Region:Minho

Country:Portugal

Very subtle bouquet, with a strong mineral side, along with some lovely flowery impressions and a drop of an herbaceous, more vegetable note. In the nose, the overall feel is one of austerity and balance.

Impressive in the mouth, feeling very soft at first but quickly building up to a full, long and persistent wine. It's fresh but the acidity is very controlled, there are some more fruit notes than in the nose, but the main drive is the mineral, wet stones side. The oak has been masterfully used here, almost not apparent in the bouquet or in the flavors but giving a great deal of complexity to the wine.

Really good Alvarinho and a great buy at under 20€.

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.

Luís Pato Vinha Formal 2008

17 / 20

Producer: Luís Pato

Region:Bairrada

Country:Portugal

100% Bical and staged 9 months in oak, this older white - 5 years - is a reminder that the Bairrada is a prime terroir for whites in Portugal.

The nose expresses the wine's age, with dried fruits appearing, along with a glyceric note. But given time, some sweet white fruit also appears and gives it some grace.

In the palate, the wine is a revelation. Although you can definitely tell it's an older white - although the evolution here is very positive - it comes along as imposing. Very structured and deep, austere and precise, the heavier glyceric notes are matched by an impressive dryness. The set results in a remarkable wine that will probably take on some more cellaring.

Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas 2011

17 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Soalheiro

Region:Minho

Country:Portugal

From one of the best - to my view - Alvarinho producers in Minho (and Portugal), this wine is made from the oldest vines in their farm and is a close match to their Reserva - maybe just lacks some of the aging potential the Reserva has, but still great value for the price.

Orange blossom and a slight tropical feel in the nose, complemented by a strong mineral background and some vegetable bitterness - extremely elegant and inviting.

Nicely structured in the palate, intense and long, it shows a very good acidity, with gentle tropical notes mingled with stronger citrus and mineral notes. Finishes very long with the citrus notes to the foreground. Really good balance between structure and freshness results in a very rewarding wine.

Quinta do Javali Special Reserve

15.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Javali

Region:Porto

Country:Portugal

This is probably a reserve ruby, although that's not explicit from the label or the info on their site. Very fruit forward on the nose, lots of red sweet morello cherries along with some plums and raisins impressions.

Keeps the same approach in the mouth, revealing itself as a young, lightly structured wine. Pleasant enough, I just felt the spirit was a bit too harsh, the alcohol a little too much in the foreground. But this is probably the profile for their ports, as I felt the same thing with their 10-year old tawny.

For that reason, serve it lightly chilled and it be a good apetizer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Messias Colheita 1977

17.5 / 20

Producer: Messias

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

The first colheita I tasted from Messias, this 1977 was bottled in 2007 and is showing very well at the moment, the spirits here already tamed and integrated into the whole wine.

Really interesting, complex nose where dried fruits mingle with some exotic woods in a sweet, honeyed background.

Smooth and layered in the palate, honey and caramel, rasins and dried plums, the spirits give it some acidity and freshness. Delicate, smooth caramel notes come up as well in a smooth, elegant and velvety body. Great, long finish. Amazing value for the price.

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.

José de Sousa Mayor 2008

17 / 20

Producer: José Maria da Fonseca

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

A blend containing 65% of Grand Noir (a bit unusual) from Reguengos de Monsaraz, this is a really good Alentejo red from one of the biggest wine making companies in Portugal. Jammy red and black fruits on the nose, with some oak and vanilla notes. There's also a scent of raisins and dried plums, hinting at a very gracious and poised evolution.

Beautifully balanced in the palate, still showing a lot of youth with a good deal of acidity and some tense, lively tannins. Wild red berries dominate the palate, elegantly mixed with toast notes. Takes a while to open up, but after 20 minutes or so in the glass, it reveals its full breadth, textured and complex.

Really good Alentejo.

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2011

15.5 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country: Portugal

Certainly one of the best valued whites in Portugal, this oak-staged white from near Setúbal has been very consistent in its quality, although I was a bit disappointed with one of the last vintages, since the sweet fruit notes seemed a bit too much.

This vintage showed a better balance, although sweet fruit notes predominate in the nose, along with the slightest impression of oak/toast.

Very pleasant in the palate, full bodied and showing the oak where it staged, sweet fruit notes are also very present, but are balanced by a bitter, lemony aftertaste that keeps the sweetness in check. Strikes a very good balance between this bitterness and the heavier side provided by the oak, it finishes long and persistent.

Still a good bet and one to track down whenever you're in the mood for an affordable, interesting wintery white wine.

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.

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 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.

Herdade do Esporão Syrah 2008

17 / 20

Producer: Herdade do Esporão

Region:Alentejo

Country:Portugal

Part of this year's reconciliation with Syrahs from Alentejo, supported by a great 2-week vacation there, this varietal from the Herdade do Esporão (great wine tourism spot and a lovey restaurant by the way) is a great example of what this grape type can offer in the Alentejo.

Strongly scented, intense and concentrated blackberries predominate in the nose, with oakier notes, some smoke and a hint of tobacco leaves.

Follows suit in the palate, showing a strong, full body where intense black fruit is balanced by an excelent acidity. The round and velvety tannins add complexity and layers to the wine's structure and presence, resulting in a very fulfilling, delightful taste that ends long and persistent - albeit the alcohol feel is maybe a bit too strong.

It's still a very young and powerful wine, so you can definitely wait for it a couple more years. If not, match with strongly flavored foods - went great with a pot-roast pheasant with apples.

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.

Dona Helena 2011

15 / 20

Producer: Adega de Pegões

Region: Setúbal

Country:Portugal

A light (both in structure and in alcohol), simple white from Adega de Pegões, near Setúbal, this shows an intense fruit-forward nose, sometime veering into candy territory but managing to keep interesting. There's also a marked citrus feel - notes of orange blossom at first and later even some lemon skin.

Very soft in the palate, it's a simple wine that has a nice, balanced presence. Lots of fruit here, the same candy notes also appearing - but everything backed and balanced by a fresh citrus acidity and a lemony note that helps it gain some interest. Good, simple finish. A good white for the summer or for before meals.