portuguese winesproducers have been able to reap the rewards. today the algarve, as a region...

PORTUGUESE WINES

In looking at Portugal’s wine regions, it’s helpful to split the country in two, by drawing a line about a third of the way down. This separates the northern regions of the Douro, Dão and Bairrada, and the central and southern regions of the Alentejo, Ribatejo and Estremadura. As a useful generalization, the future for the northern regions lies in focusing on high-quality, top-end ‘terroir’ wines, while the strength of the southern and central regions is their ability to produce accessible, full flavoured red wines in large quantities and at affordable prices: new world-style wines with a Portuguese twist.

Alentejo The Alentejo has led the way in Portugal’s wine revolution. It’s a region that has enjoyed tremendous success over the last decade, producing red wines in two distinctive styles. On the one hand, there is the traditional Alentejo style. This is typified by José Maria da Fonseca, part of which is fermented in clay pots, and which displays leathery, herby, sweet-spice complexity. Another traditional producer is Cartuxa (from Évora), best known for the brilliant but unusual cult wine Pera Manca. However there is now a move to the more modern, fruit-forward, almost new-world style that has been such a huge commercial success and which has propelled this region forward so fast. The Alentejo is huge, with its flat plains covering almost a third of the country. Much of this area is given over to cereal production. It is also hot, and irrigation is common. In contrast to the northern regions, with their fragmented smallholdings, production is dominated by large, professional outfits.

Bairrada Unusually for Portugal, Bairrada is a region dominated by just one grape, the often-maligned Baga. 80% of wines from this region are red, and almost all of these are made from Baga. It is thick-skinned, high in acidity and pretty tannic. Combine this with the common practice of leaving the stems in the fermentation vat, and it has the potential to make tough, challenging wines. But while many of the wines made from Baga are overly astringent, the fact that some winemakers do great things with it suggests that the blame lays at the door of the less competent producers rather than the grape.

Dão Dão reds have changed beyond all recognition over the last years. There has been massive improvement, and while there’s still some mediocre wine made here, the overall standard has been raised. Like Bairrada, though, the fragmentation of vineyard holdings has been a hindrance to progress.

Located inland, the Dão has cold wet winters but mild, dry summers. The granitic-soiled vineyards are at altitude, resulting in ripe grapes with good acidity, and the potential for elegant, expressive red wines.

Douro In a relatively short period of time the Douro has established itself as Portugal’s premium wine region. It’s hard to overstate the scale and pace of change that is currently taking place in this most spectacular of wine regions. The steeply terraced vineyards contain some wonderful landscapes, but because of the economic dominance of the Port trade it is only recently that these have been widely exploited to produce premium wines.

Estremadura

A long, thin region running up the Atlantic coast from Lisbon, Estremadura has struggled in the past as a producer of bulk wine from tired cooperatives. While the region is still quite a mixed bag, there are some impressive wines emerging at both the quality and volume ends of the market. As in the Ribatejo, it is not uncommon to find international grape varieties planted here. Some appealing fruity whites are also made here.

Ribatejo

For a long time the provider of bulk wine, the Ribatejo is now emerging as an exciting source of modern-styled commercially astute red wines. The fertile alluvial soils on the banks of the river Tagus produce soft-textured, ripe, drinkable reds in the sorts of quantities and at the price that excites supermarket buyers. Further up, on the stonier soils more serious wines can be made. Unlike most other Portuguese regions, foreign varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are quite common here, and seem to do well.

Algarve

The demarcated region of the Algarve has existed since 1980, but for a long time the vines have been abandoned, neglecting the genetic inheritance of old grape varieties. However, as a result of strong investment over the last few decades, about 30 producers have been able to reap the rewards. Today the Algarve, as a region producing quality wine is a reality, enhanced by excellent terroirs, with a touch of clay that is often identified as a characteristic trait of Algarve wines. There are four wine-producing regions in the Algarve with Designation of Origin: Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

All prices are inclusive of IVA (VAT) at the prevailing rate.

PATO FRIO SELECTION

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Vidigueira – Alentejo – Portugal

Grape variety: Antão Vaz, Arinto, Síria

Winemaker: Paulo Laureano

Producer: Ribafreixo

Production: 40.000 bottles

Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus

Aroma: Tropical fruits, citrus and green vines mixed with a mineral accent.

Mouth: A rounded wine, well-balanced, with anoutstanding freshness,

showing a persistent and a pleasant finish

Glass 125 ml: €3.50 Glass 175ml: € Carafe 500 ml: €10.00 Bottle 750 ml: €14.

Tropical fruits, citrus and green vines mixed with a mineral accent.

balanced, with anoutstanding freshness,

€4.30 €14.95

PATO FRIO ANTÃO VAZ

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Alentejo – Portugal

Grape variety: Antão Vaz

Winemaker: Paulo Laureano

Producer: Ribafreixo


Alcohol %: 13.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus yellow

Aroma: Intense tropical fruits and notes of mineral and citrus.

Mouth: Smooth with good freshness that releases all of the intensity of fruit

in the wine and with a good consistency.

€18.50

CHAMINÉ

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Antão Vaz, Viognier,

Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker: Hans Kristian Jorgensen

Producer: Cortes de Cima

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Yellow green

Aroma: Citrus flowers, with lime and tropical fruit notes.

Mouth: Exotic fruits, full and elegant, with good intensity. Balanced and very

fresh.

€19.90

CALADESSA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Alentejo

Grape variety: Alvarinho, Arinto, Fernão Pires

Winemaker: Eduardo Cardeal

Producer: Herdade da Calada

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 13.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus

Aroma: Tropical fruits with hints of lemon

Mouth: Soft. Shows good acidity

€20.20

MONTE DA RAVASQUEIRA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker: Pedro P. Gonçalves

Producer: Soc. Agr. D. Diniz


Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Greenish color, pale clear and bright.

Aroma: Very clean, exotic and intense. Notes of tropical fruit, cut grass,

asparagus, lime and some candied fruit..

Mouth: Vibrant and vigorous freshness, well balanced by the volume of the

fruit.

€21.80

DORINA LINDEMANN

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Gouveio, Viosinho , Arinto

Winemaker: Dorinna Lindemann

Producer: Quinta da Plansel

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 13.50

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clean, light citrus

Aroma: Full ripe fruit, with white peach and citrus notes, passionfruit and pineapple..

Mouth: Juicy with exotic hints and a pleasant acidity. Good structure with finesse..

€18.80

DORINA LINDEMANN RESERVA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Gouveio, Viosinho

Winemaker: Dorinna Lindemann

Producer: Quinta da Plansel

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 14.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale yellow

Aroma: lovely mixture of exotic fruit and buttery aroma.

Mouth: A lot of fruit, harmonious and wonderfully elegant..

€24.80

QUINTA DO CARMO

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Roupeiro, Arinto, Antão Vaz

Winemaker: Filipa Tomaz da Costa

Producer: Bacalhoa, S.A.

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 13.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Hay yellow

Aroma: Tropical fruits give this wine a sublime exotic touch.

Mouth: Good natural acidity, that offers a unique liveliness and freshness.

Good natural acidity, that offers a unique liveliness and freshness.

€31.00

ESPORÃO

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Antão Vaz, Arinto,

Roupeiro.

Winemaker: David Baverstock, Sandra Alves

Producer: Esporão, S.A.

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 13.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Crystal clear, hay colour with green hues.

Aroma: White stone fruits with delicate spice, toast and mineral notes.

Mouth: Creamy palate with volume and structure. Well balanced, nice fruit

depth, long and complex finish.

€31.50

ADEGA MÃE – SAUVIGNON BLANC

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Lisbon – Portugal


Winemaker: Anselmo Mendes e Diogo Lopes

Producer: Adega Mãe


Alcohol %: 13.5

Tasting Notes


Aroma: Very intense aroma with

esparagus and tomato

leaf notes. Light tropical fruit nose.

Mouth: Juicy flavors of gooseberries and pears. Dense and sustainable, with

great potential.

Glass 125 ml: €5.30 Glass 175 ml: €6.00 Carafe 500 ml: €15.50 Bottle 750 ml: €22.00

DORY – RESERVA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2017

Region: Lisbon – Portugal

Grape variety: Viosinho, Chardonnay, Alvarinho e

Arinto

Winemaker: Anselmo Mendes e Diogo Lopes

Producer: Adega Mãe


Alcohol %: 13.5

Tasting Notes


Aroma: Lifting mix of stone fruit, pear and honey.

Mouth: Rich in the mouth with volume and excellent acidity. Slight toasted

notes at the end..

€26.00

QUINTA DA ALORNA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2017

Region: Tagus – Portugal

Grape variety: Arinto, Fernão Pires,

Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne

Winemaker: Marta Reis Simões

Producer: Quinta da Alorna


Alcohol %: 13.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Yellow green

Aroma: Tropical fruits and citrus with a predominance of pineapple and

lemon.

Mouth: Very delicate, and fresh with citrus notes. Full in the mouth with a

good balance between acidity and residual sugar.

€15.80

QUINTA DA ALORNA RESERVA

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Tagus – Portugal

Grape variety: Arinto, Chardonnay

Winemaker: Marta Reis Simões

Producer: Quinta da Alorna


Alcohol %: 13.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Yellow

Aroma: Contrast between the fresh and citrus from Arinto and the ripe and

smokey from Chardonnay.

Mouth: Good balance between the freshness of Arinto, the maturity of the

Chardonnay and the elegance of the wood.

€24.80

CARM

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Douro – Portugal

Grape variety: Côdega do Larinho, Rabigato e Viosinho.

Winemaker: Antonio Ribeiro

Producer: CARM

Production: N/A

Alcohol %:12.5%

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light yellow and crystalline

Aroma: Fresh and harmonious with citrus fruist, light floral and slightly

stronger mineral notes.

Mouth: Of surprising volume in the mouth and with a long and fresh finish. €21.00

and slightly

and with a long and fresh finish.

PLANALTO

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Viosinho, Malvasia Fina,

Códega, Gouveio

Winemaker: Luis Sottomayor

Producer: Casa Ferreirinha

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright hue with citrus nuances

Aroma: Good intensity and complexity. The floral aromas stand out, as well

as citrus, tropical fruits, white pulp fruits and asparagus vegetable aromas.

Mouth: Lively acidity and is well integrated on the palate, with good volume.

Its finish is elegant and harmonious.

Glass 125 ml: €4.70 Glass 175 ml: €5.40

Carafe 500 ml: €12,90 Bottle 750 ml: €18.90

TERRAS DO GRIFO

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018


Grape variety: Malvasia Fina, Gouveio Real,

Rabigato, Viosinho

Winemaker: Luciano Madureira

Producer: Rozès, S.A.

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes


Aroma: Very exuberant, with predominant tropical fruits and citrus and white

flowers.

Mouth: Notes of fruit, with a very fresh and vibrant acidity and with a long

and persistent finish.

and citrus and white

Notes of fruit, with a very fresh and vibrant acidity and with a long

€19.20

VINHA DOS SANTOS

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Douro

Grape variety: Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato.

Winemaker: Anselmo Mendes

Producer: Vnha dos Santos

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus

Aroma: Fruity and mineral.

Mouth: Soft, fresh and with a long finish.

€24.50

QUINTA DO COUQUINHO SUPERIOR

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2017


Grape variety: Viosinho, Rabigato

Winemaker: João Brito e Cunha

Producer: Quinta do Couquinho

Production: 2.800 botlles

Alcohol %: 13.0

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus

Aroma: Fresh citrus and light tropical notes evolving to a more elegant wine

with mineral notes.

Mouth: Fresh with a light and well balance acidity. Fine and complex with a

fruity character and good balance between alcohol, fruit and

and long finish

ore elegant wine

resh with a light and well balance acidity. Fine and complex with a

acidity. A fine

€24.00

CAMALEÃO

Type: White

Vintage year: 2017

Region: Minho - Portugal

Grape variety: Chardonnay

Winemaker: J. Cabral Almeida

Producer: J. Cabral Almeida

Produçtion: N/A

Alcohol: 13.0%

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear and citrus.

Aroma: Apple, pineapple and honeycomb with light notes of clove.

Mouth: Balanced acidity, round and with a long finish

€26.00

FRAMINGHAM

Type: White

Vintage Year: 2017

Region: Marlborough – New Zealand


Winemaker: N/A

Producer: N/A

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.50

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrus

Aroma: Smoky aromatics, with flint, bitter lemon citrus and exotic fruits.

Mouth: Fresh, rich, and full flavoured with good texture and harmony.

Flavours of yellow citrus, passion fruit and gooseberries..

€29.50

SANCERRE DOMAINE BONNARD

Type: White

Vintage year: 2018

Region: Loire – França


Winemaker: N/A

Producer: Domaine Bonnard

Production: N/A

Alcohol: 13.0%

Tasting notes

Colour: Pale gold

Aroma: Dry and fruity, with hint of gorse and citrus.

Mouth: Vivid and mineral, with notes of citrus and yellow fruits.

€33.00

CASAL GARCIA

Type: Green

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Minho– Portugal

Grape variety: Trajadura, Loureiro,

Arinto, Azal

Winemaker: Manuel Soares

Producer: Aveleda, S.A.

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 9.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrine

Aroma: Delicate, fruity, young and balanced.

Mouth: Smooth and fresh with a short finish in the mouth..

Glass 125 ml: €3.60 Glass 175 ml: €4.30 Carafe 500 ml: €9.80 Bottle 750 ml: €14.80

CAMALEÃO

Type: Verde

Vintage year: 2018

Region: Minho - Portugal

Grape variety: Loureiro e Alvarinho

Winemaker: J. Cabral Almeida

Producer: J. Cabral Almeida

Production: N/A

Alcohol: 13.0%

Tasting notes

Colour: Clear and citrus.

Aroma: Orange blossom and bay leaves, Intense and pleasant.

Mouth: Opens in the mouth with a balanced vivacity. Medium body with a

long and pleasant finish.

€19.50

QUINTA DO CANDOSO

Type: Green

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Minho– Portugal

Grape variety: Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura e

Arinto.

Winemaker: N/A

Producer: Exploração Agrícola Quinta Candoso

De Cima.

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.5

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clean green

Aroma: Intense ripe fruits.

Mouth: Soft and dry, with persistent finish in the mouth.

€15.50

MURALHAS

Type: Green

Vintage Year: 2018

Region: Monção – Portugal

Grape variety: Alvarinho and Trajadura

Winemaker: N/A

Producer: Adega de Monção

Production: N/A

Alcohol %: 12.50

Tasting Notes

Colour: Citrine

Aroma: Fruity with an intensity of peaches and apricot.

Mouth: Balanced, intense, soft and dry.

€18.00

portuguese winesproducers have been able to reap the rewards. today the algarve, as a region...

Documents