Portuguese Table Wine
I’ve been wanting to try some Portuguese wines for some time now and today for Wine Blogging Wednesday #38 the theme is Portuguese Table Wine hosted by Catavino. That gives me the extra motivation I need to stop delaying and try some Portuguese wine!
I actually have a sliver of a connection to Portugal as I supposedly have some Portuguese blood in me. It’s pretty diluted to be honest… nonetheless, I embrace it.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been wanting to try Portuguese wines, another is the fact that when I read reviews in various wine publications the list of highly rated value wines from Portugal seems to keep getting longer and longer. So I make notes of all the great values that I read about and head off to the wine shop and walk in circles trying to find these great wines… Where are they?! I’m off to another wine shop… same thing… and another…
I had a devil of a time finding Portuguese wine, much less finding some not from Douro. The few Portuguese wines I found were usually mixed in with Spanish wines. One shop I was in even has a sign that looks something like this:
SPAIN & Portugal
It seems that the wine distributors in my area (Cincinnati, OH) are doing a piss-poor job at bringing in Portuguese wine. And I think they are missing a huge opportunity. Everyone loves a great deal, and from what I’ve read there are lots of great value wines available from Portugal. If I knew the business of wine distribution I would do it myself. If anyone knows the folks at Cutting Edge Selections make the suggestion as I think they are probably the ones who would go after this market.
The Tasting
After much searching I was able to pick up two bottles from producer Sogrape Vinhos. One of them I thought was mediocre, but the other bottle I thoroughly enjoyed.
The first bottle I tried was Vinha Do Monte 2001 ($10.99) from the Alentejano region. This wine is a blend of Aragones, Trincadeira and Alfrocheiro Preto grapes. All of which are new to me, so I did a little digging: Aragones it seems is either another name for Garnacha or Tempranillo (I’m not sure which to believe); Trincadeira is an indigenous Portuguese varietal that grows best in dry, hot regions and typically produces flavors of jam, red plum, cinnamon and clove; Alfrocheiro Preto is another indigenous varietal thought to be related to Pinot Noir. Alfrocheiro Preto is typically grown in Dão and is attributed to producing flavors of mint, flowers, black currants and fresh strawberries.
The Vinha Do Monte has an interesting nose: strong floral and vanilla with earth and cherry undertones. The palate brings out the cherry a bit more with plum and vanilla riding shotgun. It has a very warming mouth feel with a rather high acidity that is just slightly out of balance. It’s a little bitter on the back of the tongue. The finish is long but rather uninteresting. In general it’s an OK wine, but not great.
Wine: Vinha Do Monte
Varietal: Blend of Aragones, Trincadeira and Alfrocheiro Preto
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 82
The second bottle I tried was Grão Vasco 2004 ($6.99) from the Dão region. This wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Tinta Pinheira. Touriga Nacional is a varietal used extensively in Port wine that has characteristics of strong tannins and concentrated black fruit. Jaen is a rather bland grape with low acidity that is often used to balance tannins from other varietals. Tinta Pinheira, also known as Rufete, is another varietal used in Port that oxidizes easily and adds candy-like fruit flavors.
Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable wine. It has a nice smoky, leathery and floral bouquet. Cherry and pepper on the palate with a silky mouth feel. It isn’t terribly complex, but it does have surprising concentration for a $7 wine. It always makes me happy when the less expensive wine is my favorite.
Wine: Grão Vasco
Varietal: Blend of Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Tinta Pinheira
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 89
I like that you liked the cheapie Grao Vasco. Your description is how I remember it and I too thought it was perfectly good quaffer that showed off some of the nice expressiveness of typical Portuguese red wine. And what a price!
I’ve had the Vinha do Monte too and it changes from year to year. The 2004 was harsh, the 2003 was much better and the new 05s are forthcoming. Was the 2001 that you had on store shelves recently? It’s several years past release and is not likely the type of wine that benefits from that kind of wait. (Aragones is Tempranillo btw — didn’t know about the Alfrocheiro Preto connection to Pinot but it makes sense.)
Cheers
Thanks for the comments, Marcus. The 2001 Vinha do Monte was a recent purchase and I too was surprised to find that vintage on the shelves. I guess it’s another indicator of the poor distribution of Portuguese wine in my region.
A new wine merchant just opened up (here in our small north east WASPy town) and has a large Portuguese section. It is beyond anything I have seen anywhere else locally and rather unusual to say the least. The owner and I chatted and he thinks Portuguese wines are becoming more popular for a variety of reasons. Sort of like Australian & South African wines were 10 or 12 years ago. For that reason, he feels almost “obligated” to feature them extensivly. His way of getting the word out among the elitest.
We are all familiar with Port & Maderia’s. But the regional table wines of Portugal are finally gaining well deserved attention too. Just hope it does not drive the prices up too much. Sometimes when I give it as a gift I get a look like “Are you re-gifting this to me?” But those same people call about a week later asking where they can buy another bottle.
After drinking Vinha do Monte in Portugal,I drink only Vinha now in Canada. It is exceptionally good with any red meat or cheese.