here - Wines of Portugal

A Letter from Joshua Greene
Portugal: Rocks
Estremoz is a walled town on Portugal’s
frontier, a conical rise out of the Alentejo
plain, thirty miles from the border with
Spain. Marble is everywhere, framing
the doors and windows of white houses
on the hill, providing stone for the
Torre de Menagem and the Igreja dos
Congregados, the tower and baroque
church at the top of the town.
Foz Coa is a border town to the north,
at the mouth of the Coa River where it
meets the Douro; many of the town’s
buildings are made of dry-laid schist.
It’s the center of an archeological park
where 25,000-year-old drawings have
survived on the rock. Carved into vertical
schist outcroppings in the wilds of the
desert scrub, these drawings dot a
landscape sparsely populated by sheep,
olive trees and the occasional farmer,
their surroundings not significantly
different than they were at the time the
art was conceived.
The Douro cuts a deep canyon to the sea,
a meandering gash where fault lines
spilled broken rock out of a vein of schist,
girded on either side by solid granite—in
the rivers and hills of Vinho Verde to the
north and west; in the mountains of Dão
to the south and east.
In Cantenhede, on Bairrada’s coast south
of where the Douro meets the sea, you
can stand on a plain that’s blindingly
white, pure limestone in every direction.
The plain and the low hills that surround
it are covered in vines—as are the steep
schist canyons of the Douro, the granite
river valleys of the Minho and Dão, and
the sides of the marble hill in Estremoz.
Portugal’s wines are about rock, how clay
and limestone come together to sustain
the roots of old-vine baga in Bairrada,
how schist crumbles and fractures to
hold the cool winter rains, allowing vines
to survive the Douro Valley’s dry August
heat. While there is seemingly infinite
diversity in the evolution of the rock—
and a vast resource of vine DNA that
evolved to survive within it—Portugal
has geologies that are consistent enough
in large areas that you can see the rock,
taste the wine, and come to some useful
conclusions about the way the ground
and the vine interact.
P
ortugal is old Europe. There are
towns that still look Roman.
There are city neighborhoods that
can take you back five centuries, to
the height of the country’s imperial
powers. And there’s an undercurrent
of conservatism: Many growers have
sustained agricultural wisdom even as
others have tried out trendy vines from
abroad and producers have tinkered
with new technologies in their cellars.
There is enough stubborn resistance
to the disruptions of modernity that
all of the great wines of Portugal are
made in whole, or in significantly large
percentages, from the country’s own
distinctive vine varieties. And many
of Portugal’s greatest wines are still
made with the stone-age technology of
lagares, shallow stone basins in which
grape bunches are crushed by people
marching back and forth in their bare
feet. This is not a political movement to
return to traditions. It is a continuation
of traditions.
You will find examples of innovation in
Portugal that are tied to this respect
for agricultural wisdom. In the Douro,
the leading companies have invented
mechanical lagares for more efficient
production. Rather than work in tall,
stainless steel tanks, they have adapted
the shape and depth of the lagar, adding
mechanical feet that press almost as
gently as a team of treaders. They now
have the option to foot-tread their top
wines in stone, or to mechanically tread,
adapting technology to their grapes and
their soil, rather than the other way
around.
I
t’s the respect and honor many of
the most talented wine people in the
country show to their inheritance that
draws me back to Portugal again and
again. There’s a large community of
winemakers and growers dedicated to
the wisdom inherent in their soil, their
vines and the people who came before
them, a community that innovates for
the sake of their agricultural inheritance,
rather than at the expense of it. That
community has come together in the
form of the Douro Boys, who make
and market table wines in a region
still dominated by Porto; in the Baga
Friends, who share their infatuation
with traditional Bairrada; and in other,
less formal alliances that help to share
knowledge and create some of the
world’s most exciting wines.
This is the secret of Portugal. The best
things are in plain sight, but nobody
announces them. If you don’t make an
effort to know the best of Portugal,
nobody will tell you. Several years ago,
a friend suggested I check out what
was, at the time, the most popular club
in Lisbon. He gave me the address and
I wandered several narrow streets in
search of it. When I did find the place,
there was street no street number and
no sign on the door. On the other hand,
the crowd was immediately welcoming
and there was no bouncer outside
blocking the way in.
A note on the selection process:
Marta Galamba, an enologist working for
ViniPortugal, organized three sessions
of tastings for me; one in Lisbon, two in
Porto. I provided a list of wines to include,
if the producer had stock and wished to
participate. She also solicited wine from
producers throughout Portugal, limiting
the number of submissions from each
producer so the focus could be on what
they considered their great wines.
Galamba and her team presented the
wines to me in numbered glasses, in
flights by region, variety and vintage.
After I culled 100 or so of most intriguing
wines, Galamba requested new samples
and I retasted those, again in flights
based on region, variety and vintage.
My goal was to assemble 50 wines
representing the major regions of
Portugal, so I left out wines from some
regions with wide representation in
the final list, in order to include wines
from other regions. I did not include any
wines that I would not consider great,
but diversity is part of the greatness of
Portugal and it is, I believe, an important
part of the final list.
Many of the greatest wines of any
country are either very limited in
production, or quickly sold out, or both.
Some of the wines you may taste here
are rare; others are in wide distribution.
But some wines are not included due
to supply issues. This list represents a
snapshot of 50 Great Wines; there are
other great wines of Portugal waiting for
you to discover them.
50 GREAT PORTUGUESE WINES
Selected by Joshua Greene
The index below is sorted alphabetically. In the following pages, the wine notes are
sorted by tasting order as suggested by Joshua Greene.
2009 Adriano Ramos Pinto Collection, Douro
2009 Aliança Quinta da Dôna Red, Bairrada
2012 Anselmo Mendes Vinhos Contacto, Vinho Verde
2012 Casa de Mouraz Encruzado, Dão
2010 Casa de Mouraz Elfa, Dão
2011 Casca Wines Monte Cascas Malvasia de Colares Branco, Colares
2009 Duorum Vinhos Reserva Vinhas Velhas, Douro
2012 Enoport United Wines Quinta do Boição Reserva White, Bucelas
2008 Folias de Baco Olho no Pé Grande Reserva Red, Douro
2011 Fonseca Vintage Porto, Douro
2009 FTP Vinhos Quinta do Serrado Reserva Red, Dão
2008 Herdade de Vale Barqueiros Reserva Red, Alentejo
2010 Herdade do Esporão Reserva Red, Alentejo
2012 Herdade do Esporão Verdelho, Alentejo
2010 IdealDrinks Eminência, Vinho Verde
2011 João Brito e Cunha Quinta de S. José Touriga Nacional, Douro
2010 Jorge Nobre Moreira Poeira, Douro
2012 Jose Maria da Fonseca Vinhos Domingo Soares Franco Colecção Privada Moscatel Roxo Rosé, Península de Setúbal
2009 Luís Pato Vinha Pan, Bairrada
2010 Lusovini Pedra Cancela Seleção do Énologo, Dão
1996 Madeira Wine Company Blandy’s Colheita Bual, Madeira
2010 Monte da Ravasqueira Vinha das Romãs, Alentejo
2011 Muxagat Vinhos Red, Douro
2010 Niepoort Vinhos Batuta, Douro
2011 Niepoort Vinhos Vintage, Douro
2009 Quinta da Alorna Portal da Águia Red DOC, Tejo
2012 Quinta da Lixa Aromas das Castas Alvarinho Trajadura, Vinho Verde
2010 Quinta da Plansel Marquês de Montemor Colheita Seleccionada Touriga Franca, Alentejo
2007 Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha Vinhas Velhas, Dão
2008 Quinta da Sequeira Reserva Red, Douro
2009 Quinta das Bágeiras Garrafeira Red, Bairrada
2004 Quinta das Bágeiras Garrafeira White, Bairrada
2011 Quinta de Chocapalha Arinto, Lisboa
2008 Quinta de Chocapalha Red, Lisboa
2012 Quinta de Gomariz Avesso, Vinho Verde
2011 Quinta de Paços Casa do Capitão-mor, Vinho Verde
2008 Quinta do Noval Red Wine, Douro
2011 Quinta do Pinto Estate Collection Red, Alenquer
2008 Quinta do Portal Reserva, Douro
2007 Quinta do Sagrado Mutante, Douro
2010 Quinta Seara d’Ordens TalentVs Grande Escolha, Douro
2011 Rui Reguinga Enologia Terrenus, Alentejo
2012 Secret Spot Wines Vale da Poupa Moscatel Galego White, Douro
2012 Soalheiro Alvarinho, Vinho Verde
2012 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas, Vinho Verde
NV Sogevinus Fine Wines Burmester Tordiz 40 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro
2012 Solar das Bouças Loureiro, Vinho Verde
1969 Symington Family Estates Graham’s Single Harvest Tawny Port, Douro
2010 Vidigal Wines Brutalis, Lisboa
2010 Wine & Soul Quinta da Manoella Vinhas Velhas, Douro
01
Producer:
SOLAR DAS BOUÇAS
Wine Name:
LOUREIRO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
LOUREIRO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
80,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
ÁLVARO VAN ZELLER
“This Loureiro grows on a hillside north of the Cavado River, in the
center of the Vinho Verde region. It’s made by Alvaro van Zeller, who
began his winemaking career at Quinta do Noval in Douro, a property
his family owned until 1993. His young white has the clarity of a
Vinho Verde without any overt sweetness; instead, it delivers a blast
of coastal briskness, its pear-like fruit reflecting the granite soils in
which it grows as a crystal refracts light. The flavors are harmonious
and lasting, with lime-zest freshness.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Rua do Crasto 1415, 4720 – 614 Prozelo Amares,
Portugal
Contact:
Fernando van Zeller
Email:
solardasboucas@mail.telepac.pt
Phone:
+351 253 909 010
Website:
US Importer:
Regal Wine Imports, Inc
Contact:
US Address:
2 Commerce Drive, Suite 3, Moorestown, NJ 08057
Email:
Phone:
notes:
856.985.6388
02
Producer:
QUINTA DE GOMARIZ
Wine Name:
AVESSO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
AVESSO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
10,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
ANTÓNIO SOUSA
“Avesso thrives in the mountainous, inland reaches of Vinho
Verde, producing a more substantial white than many of its coastal
counterparts. This one grows in Ave, in the center of the region,
at a 40-acre estate close to the sea. It’s a different take on Avesso,
presenting an herbal white with the scent of meadow flowers and the
bitterness of cauliflower. The fruit has a toasty character, bringing
grilled peach to mind. It’s a salty wine with frisky acidity and touches
of CO2 to clean up the finish.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua de Sergidos, 10 – 4780-620 Sequeirô Santo Tirso,
Portugal
Contact:
Tiago Lopes
Email:
tiagolopes@quintadegomariz.com
Phone:
+351 919 172 030
Website:
www.quintadegomariz.com
US Importer:
PR Grisley
Contact:
Michael Grisley
US Address:
1485 South 300 West Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
Email:
Grisley3@gmail.com
Phone:
801.706.2737
03
Producer:
QUINTA DA LIXA
Wine Name:
AROMAS DAS CASTAS ALVARINHO TRAJADURA
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ALVARINHO (50%), TRAJADURA (50%)
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
30,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
CARLOS TEIXEIRA
“This melds Trajadura’s scents of talc with the supple juiciness of
Alvarinho, combining in a gentle, peachy white with fresh, coastal
minerality. This 25-acre estate is located on a north-facing granite
hillside. The harvest team works to get the grapes pressed quickly, and
then ferments the wine at a low temperature to sustain its freshness.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Monte 4615-658 Lixa, Portugal
Contact:
Carlos Teixeira
Email:
carlosteixeira@quintadalixa.pt /info@quintadalixa.pt
Phone:
+351 255 490 590
Website:
www.quintadalixa.pt
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court Suite A Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
04
Producer:
QUINTA DE PAÇOS
Wine Name:
CASA DO CAPITÃO-MOR
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
ALVARINHO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
6,600 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
RUI CUNHA
“Deeded in the 14th century to a knight of King Afonso III, this estate
in Mazedo takes its name from the high commander (Capitão-mor)
of Monção, who took it over in 1640. The granitic soils are covered in
smooth rocks deposited by a long vanished river that once fed into
the Minho, a half-mile away. Rui Cunha makes this wine in stainless
steel, where it rests for six months on the lees, developing the broad,
toasty depths of flavor that contrast the wine’s tart flavors of lemon,
woodland cherries, fresh almond and peach. It feels walled off behind
a block of granite; then the flavors explode through the rock, brisk,
clean and oceanic.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
R. José de Carvalho, 68, Portugal
Contact:
José da Silva Ramos
Email:
quintapacos@gmail.com
Phone:
+351 968 018 145
Website:
www.quintapacos.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
05
Producer:
SOALHEIRO
Wine Name:
ALVARINHO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ALVARINHO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
100,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
LUIS CERDEIRA
“Luis Cerdeiro makes this wine from his family’s vineyard as well as
those of his neighbors in the hills and granite soils of Melgaço. Handharvested into small bins, the grapes arrive quickly at the winery
and are immediately pressed. Then the chilled must rests for two
days, allowing the heavier solids to settle out of the wine before
fermentation begins without added yeast (he uses a parallel process
for the Primeiras Vinhas). The 2012 is his 30th vintage, and may be one
of the best yet, its dark-toned, umami earthiness contrasting vibrant
notes of litchi, bitter melon, peaches and cream. The gentleness to
this wine defines Alvarinho on the Portuguese side of the Minho, a
formidable structure with delicate freshness that lasts.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Alvaredo-Melgaço 4960 010 Melgaço, Portugal
Contact:
Luis Cerdeira
Email:
quinta@soalheiro.com
Phone:
+351 251 416 769
Website:
www.soalheiro.com
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court Suite A Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
06
Producer:
SOALHEIRO
Wine Name:
PRIMEIRAS VINHAS
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ALVARINHO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
12,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
LUIS CERDEIRA
“Selected from the oldest vines on the Cerdeiro’s family estate in
Melgaço, planted in 1982 and farmed organically, this is the grand
cru of Alvarinhos. The wine’s fruit complexity comes across in a sour
cherry scent and pink grapefruit pith flavors, turning toward paler
notes of Brazil nuts and pear skin in the finish. It captures the granitic
soils of Melgaço in its acidity, potently wrapped within the wine’s
beautiful freshness. Luis Cerdeiro makes most of this wine in stainless
steel, with 15 percent fermented in older oak barrels; it rests on its fine
lees until bottling the May after harvest. This will age with grace and
harmony for ten years or more. Cerdeiro’s top vintages, including the
1994, are still gaining momentum in the bottle.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Alvaredo-Melgaço 4960 010 Melgaço, Portugal
Contact:
Luis Cerdeira
Email:
quinta@soalheiro.com
Phone:
+351 251 416 769
Website:
www.soalheiro.com
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court, Suite A, Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
07
Producer:
ANSELMO MENDES VINHOS
Wine Name:
CONTACTO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ALVARINHO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
60,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
ANSELMO MENDES
“Anselmo Mendes gives this wine 12 hours of skin contact at 12 ˚C
before allowing a spontaneous fermentation to begin. The wine
remains on the lees for four to five months, stirred once a week.
The process gives this Alvarinho a fascinating earthiness, focused
on lotus root and litchi. It feels cool and juicy, with a zesty spice.
Mouthwatering layers of flavor develop, from chamomile to beeswax
and honey. This grows at four sites in alluvial soils derived from
granite, with a lot of rock in the vineyards.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Zona Industrial de Penso, Lote 2 4960-310 Melgaço,
Portugal
Contact:
Anselmo Mendes
Email:
Anselmo.mendes@netcabo.pt
Phone:
+351 227 128 541 / +351 919 440 714
Website:
www.anselmomendes.pt
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court, Suite A, Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
08
Producer:
IDEALDRINKS
Wine Name:
EMINÊNCIA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
LOUREIRO
Region:
VINHO VERDE
Production:
20,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
CARLOS LUCAS
“A portion of this wine ferments and ages on the lees for six months
in stainless steel, while another portion undergoes a parallel process
in older French oak barriques. Malolactic is blocked in both lots.
Blended together and bottled, the wine ages another year before
release, developing a richness and intensity that’s unusual for
Loureiro. This takes on the nobility and power of a classic, terroirdriven white, tasting as much of the earth as it does of juicy pear-like
fruit. Scents of chamomile, beeswax and dried peach last with the
wine’s mineral austerity.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua Principal 3780-179 São Lourenço do Bairro,
Portugal
Contact:
Filipe Pereira
Email:
geral@idealdrinks.com / filipe.pereira@idealdrinks.com
Phone:
+351 231 528 312 / +351 917 295 354
Website:
www.idealdrinks.com
US Importer:
Strategic Importers
Contact:
Alejandro Ferrari
US Address:
6453 West Rogers Circle, Suite 1, Boca Raton, Fl 33487
Email:
strategicimporters@gmail.com
Phone:
561.305.3456
09
Producer:
CASA DE MOURAZ
Wine Name:
ENCRUZADO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ENCRUZADO
Region:
DÃO
Production:
3,666 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
VINES AND WINES AND ANTÓNIO LOPES
RIBEIRO
“António Lopes Ribeiro farms this vineyard under organic and
biodynamic principles, and then ferments the must without added
yeast in stainless steel vats. Gentle lees stirring for three weeks
seems to enhance the wine’s minerality, while not diminishing the
clarity of its fruit expression—a cool sensation of lemon peel and
orange oil. The texture plays off Encruzado’s unctuous richness
while still feeling as clean as spring water. The flavors last, with the
granitic spice of the grapes.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
R. do Outeiro, 111, Mouraz, Portugal
Contact:
Sara Dionísio
Email:
casademouraz@sapo.pt
Phone:
+ 351 232 822 872 / + 351 933 657 040
Website:
www.casademouraz.blogspot.com
US Importer:
Savio Soares Selections
Contact:
Danielle Rosenberg
US Address:
10 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Email:
savio@savioselections.com
Phone:
718.797.4114
10
Producer:
QUINTA DAS BÁGEIRAS
Wine Name:
GARRAFEIRA WHITE
Vintage:
2004
Varietal(s):
MARIA GOMES, BICAL
Region:
BAIRRADA
Production:
3,200 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
RUI ALVES
“The coastal region of Bairrada is best known for long-lived reds from
the Baga grape, but the whites can share that longevity, especially
when grown on centenary vines. Mario Sergio Alves Nuno tends two
small parcels of ancient bush vines, mostly a mix of Maria Gomes and
Bical growing in the clay–limestone soils of Bairrada. He uses a vertical
press to gentle drain the juice from the bunches, and lets it settle for
a day. The juice then ferments without added yeast in 100-year-old
Portuguese oak vats (2,500 liters each), where the wine remains in
contact with its fine lees for five months, eventually bottled without
fining or filtration. This is a tannic white, robust and seemingly
sherried when first poured. Decant it to bring oxygen into the wine
and you’ll find fresher citrus notes, as well as deep tones of roasted
almonds and cream. The texture feels as smooth as suede, weaving all
the meatiness and earthiness into the saturated flavors. Rich enough
for roast pork, this is probably best with grilled langoustines or other
meaty shellfish.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Fogueira 3780-523 Sangalhos, Portugal
Contact:
Mário Sérgio
Email:
quintadasbageiras@mail.telepac.pt
Phone:
+351 234 742 102
Website:
www.quintadasbageiras.pt
US Importer:
Aidil Wines/ Wine Wise
Contact:
Pedro Carvalho/ Hiram Simon
US Address:
574 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ
5655 College Avenue Oakland, CA
Email:
pedro.carvalho@aidilwines.com
hiram@winewise.biz
Phone:
973.712.0950
510.848.6879
11
Producer:
QUINTA DE CHOCAPALHA
Wine Name:
ARINTO
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
ARINTO
Region:
LISBOA
Production:
Winemaker:
SANDRA TAVARES DA SILVA
“Arinto thrives in the coastal hills of Alenquer, where the Tavares
da Silva family farms a north-facing hillside of calcareous clay soils.
The vines, now 25 years old, benefit from the winds off the coast,
sustaining freshness in the grapes. Sandra Tavares ferments this
wine in stainless steel, and then ages it on the lees for six months. The
wine’s breezy feel meanders past delicate nutty scents toward peach
pit and pale kumquat flavors, with a cool buzz of acidity to leave the
mouth feeling refreshed.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
2580-081 Aldeia Galega Da Merceana, Portugal
Contact:
Alice or Andrea Tavares da Silva
Email:
chocapalha@chocapalha.com/
andreatavares@chocapalha.com
Phone:
+351 263 769 317
Website:
www.chocapalha.com
US Importer:
Solstars Ltd.
Contact:
Haim Hassin or Anne Rodeman
US Address:
575, Madison Avenue Suite 1006 New York, NY 10022
Email:
hhassin@solstars.com/ arodeman@solstars.com
Phone:
212.605.0430
12
Producer:
ENOPORT UNITED WINES
Wine Name:
QUINTA DO BOIÇÃO RESERVA WHITE
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
ARINTO
Region:
BUCELAS
Production:
15,600 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JOÃO VICÊNCIO
“Bucelas was once known as a super-long-lived white, and this one
shows the age-worthy character of Arinto grown well. Grown on
25-year-old vines planted on clay soils, this starts a slow fermentation
in stainless steel, finishing in new French oak barriques with 15 days
of lees stirring. It’s tightly structured, saturated with smoky, meaty
fruit flavors that coalesced during its time in French oak. It finishes
clean, lasting on pale peach and almond flavor.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua Mariano de Carvalho, Apartado 2040-998 Rio Maior,
Portugal
Contact:
Maria José Viana
Email:
Enoport.sgps@enoport.pt
Phone:
+351 243 999 070
Website:
www.enoport.pt
US Importer:
Prestige Wine Group
Contact:
Kevin Campbell
US Address:
1999 Shepard Road St. Paul, MN 55116
Email:
kcampbell@prestigewinegroup.com
Phone:
651.649.5800
13
Producer:
CASCA WINES
Wine Name:
MONTE CASCAS MALVASIA DE COLARES BRANCO
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
MALVASIA DE COLARES
Region:
COLARES
Production:
450 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
HELDER CUNHA AND FREDERICO GOMES
“Federico Carnall Vilar Gomes and Helder Cunha are partners in Casca,
making wines from throughout Portugal. Gomes has family ties to
Colares, and he is personally committed to sustaining what is left of
the Ramisco and Malvasia on this sandy spit of land, the westernmost
vineyard land on the European continent. He works with three
adjacent vineyards- their 80-year-old vines growing horizontally
along the white sandy soil and their roots digging deep into limestone.
The wine ferments in two old French oak barrels, then ages in old oak
for 18 months before bottling by hand. After aging in bottle, it turns
out spicy and cool, expressing its minerality in saline notes and sandy
acidity. The fruit comes across in scents of fennel, beeswax and the
floral spice of linalool. A rarity and a Portuguese original.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua Romano Esteves nº 276, 2750-576 Cascais, Portugal
Contact:
Helder Cunha
Email:
info@cascawines.pt
Phone:
+351 933 256 124
Website:
www.cascawines.com
US Importer:
Matador Vino
Contact:
Michael Hutchinson
US Address:
6501 Crown Blvd # 106 A5 San Jose, CA 95120
Email:
michael@matadorvino.com
Phone:
650.906.4332
14
Producer:
RUI REGUINGA ENOLOGIA
Wine Name:
TERRENUS
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
ARINTO, FERNÃO PIRES, BICAL, ROUPEIRO
AND OTHER VARIETALS
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
5,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
RUI REGUINGA
“A field blend of at least eight Portuguese white varieties including
Arinto, Fernão Pires and Roupeiro, these bush vines grow at five
different sites near the Serra de São Mamede outside Portalegre, their
ages ranging from 80 to 100 years old. The soils are granite and schist.
The wine rests with its lees for six months, sixty percent of the blend
in stainless steel, the rest in a mix of new and older French barriques.
The result is a rich, robust, gastronomic white, its dense texture and
floral spice targeted to braised pork shoulder.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Zona Industrial, Lote 81, 2080 Almeirim, Portugal
Contact:
Rui Reguinga
Email:
rui.reguinga@mail.telepac.pt
Phone:
+ 351 917 599 368
Website:
www.ruireguinga.com
US Importer:
Currently Seeking US Importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
15
Producer:
HERDADE DO ESPORÃO
Wine Name:
VERDELHO
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
VERDELHO
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
5,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DAVID BAVERSTOCK AND SANDRA ALVES
“Verdelho, a variety from Madeira, is new to the vineyards at Esporão
(planted in 2001). Growing in an area of the estate where the soil
transitions from schist to granite, it has settled in quickly, sustaining
its acidity in the region’s heat. It’s a wine based on shapely curves and
mineral edges, the fat of the grape cut by the wine’s persistent acidity,
woven into the finish so the wine feels warm and spicy without
feeling hot.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
80 River Street Suite 306 Hoboken, NJ 07087
Contact:
Pedro Vieira
Email:
Pedro.vieira@esporao.com
Phone:
201.420.4460
Website:
www.esporao.com
US Importer:
Aidil Wines
Contact:
Pedro Carvalho
US Address:
574 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ 07105
Email:
Pedro.carvalho@aidilwines.com
Phone:
973 .712.0950
16
Producer:
SECRET SPOT WINES
Wine Name:
VALE DA POUPA MOSCATEL GALEGO WHITE
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
MOSCATEL GALEGO BRANCO
Region:
DOURO
Production:
15,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
RUI CUNHA AND HUGO LINTON
“Secret Spot is a partnership between Gonçalo Sousa Lopes
(a viticultural consultant in the Douro Valley) and Rui Cunha
(a consulting enologist working in the Douro Valley and Vinho Verde).
They make this lively, fresh Muscatel Gallego from fruit grown in
Favaios, at 1,950 feet. It ferments in stainless steel without added
yeast and ages for five months on the fine lees, enhancing the wine’s
bright spice and balancing its sweetness.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
5070-270 Favaios, Portugal
Contact:
Rui Cunha
Email:
ruicunha@secretspotwines.com
Phone:
+351 937 346 584
Website:
www.secretspotwines.com
US Importer:
Europvin
Contact:
Paul Sharp
US Address:
16311 Stagg St. Suite 200 Van Nuys, CA
Email:
psharp@europvin.com
Phone:
notes:
17
Producer:
JOSÉ MARIA DA FONSECA VINHOS
Wine Name:
DOMINGOS SOARES FRANCO COLECÇÃO
PRIVADA MOSCATEL ROXO ROSÉ
Vintage:
2012
Varietal(s):
MOSCATEL ROXO
Region:
PENÍNSULA DE SETÚBAL
Production:
8,500 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DOMINGOS SOARES FRANCO
“Domingos Soares Franco, winemaker at J.M. da Fonseca, has access
to half of the Moscatel Roxo in Portugal, 20 out of the 40 hectares
planted. His father worked to save the variety from extinction, and
used it to produce a rare, delicious fortified wine (the 1964 is one of
the most memorable Portuguese dessert wines I’ve tasted, on par
with the greatest older Tawnies from the Douro; the family is currently
selling an older vintage, the 1960). Soares Franco believes this is a
natural mutation from Muscat of Alexandria and, in addition to using
it for fortified wines, he has been tinkering with a “macho rosé.” This
is the color of a saignée Champagne, the flavors intriguingly spicy
and floral, with a touch of grape skin tannin balanced by an equally
subtle sweetness. It delivers potent flavors in a wine that’s easy
to drink, especially in the company of a country pâté or cured
linguiça sausages.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua José Augusto Coelho 11/13, 2925-511 Azeitão,
Portugal
Contact:
António Maria Soares Franco
Email:
Antonio.sfranco@jmfonseca.pt
Phone:
+ 351 212 197 500
Website:
www.jmf.pt
US Importer:
NLC Wines
Contact:
Naâma Laufer
US Address:
649 Morgan Avenue, Suite 4E8, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Email:
Naama.laufer@nlcwines.com
Phone:
917.297.7407
18
Producer:
QUINTA DA ALORNA
Wine Name:
PORTAL DA ÁGUIA RED DOC
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
TINTA RORIZ, CASTELÃO, SYRAH,
ALICANTE BOUSCHET
Region:
TEJO
Production:
230,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
MARTTA REIS SIMÕES
“Built in 1725 by Pedro de Almeida Portugal, the Marquis of Alorna,
this grand quinta has been in the Caroça family since 1918. Located
near Santarém, close to the Tagus River, the 6,900-acre property
includes 540 acres of vines as well as cork forests and other crops.
This wine is a blend of four varieties that thrive in Tejo (Tinta Roriz,
Castelão, Syrah and Alicante Bouchet), the percentages varying with
the vintage. The 2009 is dominated by the purple-fruit character of
Syrah and Alicante, emphasizing its oak when first poured. It begins
to show its elegance with air, developing scents of cracked green
peppercorn and a full-on juicy texture. Tightly built, this will age well
over the next several years.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
2080-187 Almeirim, Portugal
Contact:
Telma Moura or Dora Martins
Email:
geral@alorna.pt
Phone:
+351 243 570 700
Website:
www.alorna.pt
US Importer:
Regal Wines
Contact:
Patrick Bautista
US Address:
2 Commerce Drive Suite #3, Moorestown, NJ 08057
Email:
info@regalwineco.com
Phone:
800.467.5889
19
Producer:
QUINTA DE CHOCAPALHA
Wine Name:
RED
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
TINTA RORIZ (33%), SYRAH (22%), TOURIGA
NACIONAL (22%), TOURIGA FRANCA (11%),
CASTELÃO (10%), ALICANTE BOUSCHET(2%)
Region:
LISBOA
Production:
Winemaker:
SANDRA TAVARES DA SILVA
“Alice and Paulo Tavares da Silva bought this estate in the 1980s and
have planted 111 acres of vines. This year, they built a new winery
into the hillside where their daughter, Sandra, makes the Chocapalha
wines. (Sandra Tavares also makes the Quinta da Manoella and Pintas
wines with her husband, Jorge Serodio Borges, in the Douro). This
blend, including Tinta Roriz, Syrah, Touriga Nacional and Franca, ages
in older French oak and has a traditional feel to it, with delicate floral
notes of violets and heather alongside a spicy crushed peppercorn
scent that lasts. A touch of earthiness adds to the wine’s smoky
richness and complexity.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
2580-081 Aldeia Galega Da Merceana, Lisboa, Portugal
Contact:
Alice or Andrea Tavares da Silva
Email:
chocapalha@chocapalha.com or
andreatavares@chocapalha.com
Phone:
+351 263 769 317
Website:
www.chocapalha.com
US Importer:
Solstars, Ltd.
Contact:
Haim Hassin or Anne Rodeman
US Address:
575, Madison Avenue, Suite 1006, New York, NY 10022
Email:
hhassin@solstars,com or arodeman@solstars.com
Phone:
212.605.0430
20
Producer:
QUINTA DO PINTO
Wine Name:
ESTATE COLLECTION RED
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (25%), ARAGONEZ
(20% ), CASTELÃO (10%), ALFROCHEIRO
(10%), TINTA MIÚDA (10%), SYRAH (25%)
Region:
LISBOA
Production:
150,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
TIAGO BELLEGARDE MACHADO
“From an estate that has produced wines since the 17th century, this
grows at a 130-acre vineyard just south of Alenquer. The soils are
comprised of clay and limestone on a south-facing slope planted to
Aragones, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Miúda, Alfrocheiro, and Syrah. It’s
fermented in concrete tanks without added yeast, and then aged for
nine months in older French oak barrels. The spicy aroma of the grapes
becomes more layered and compelling with air, adding elegance to the
purple fruit and lending the wine power without weight.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Aldeia Galega da Merceana, 2580 Alenquer, Portugal
Contact:
Ana Cardoso Pinto
Email:
ana.cardosopinto@quintadopinto.pt
Phone:
+351 925 418 650
Website:
www.quintadopinto.pt
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
21
Producer:
VIDIGAL WINES
Wine Name:
BRUTALIS
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
ALICANTE BOUSCHET (85%), CABERNET
SAUVIGNON (15%)
Region:
LISBOA
Production:
30,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
ANTÓNIO VENTURA, RAFAEL NEUPARTH
AND ARNALDO SIMÕES
“Vidigal is a Norwegian–Portuguese joint venture with a winemaking
team that includes António Ventura, Rafael Neuparth and Arnoldo
Simões. They blend this wine from Alicante Bouchet and Cabernet
Sauvignon grown on a north-facing hillside of clay-limestone soils. It
presents the bold, floral black fruit flavors of Alicante Bouchet under the
richness of French oak (the wine aged 17 months in barrels, 40 percent
of them new). With some air, the cabernet emerges in hints of leather
while Alicante’s fruit supersedes the oak, turning sleek and spicy.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Estrada da Ribeira, 230, Cortes, 2410-502 Leiria, Portugal
Contact:
Ricardo Daniel Marques
Email:
daniel@vidigalwines.com
Phone:
+351 244 819 480
Website:
www.vidigalwines.com
US Importer:
Portugal Wines
Contact:
Sar Perlman
US Address:
2951 MacDonald Street Oceanside, CA 92054
Email:
sar@portugalwines.org
Phone:
530.219.4334
22
Producer:
QUINTA DA PLANSEL
Wine Name:
MARQUÊS DE MONTEMOR, COLHEITA
SELECCIONADA TOURIGA FRANCA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA FRANCA
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
4,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DORINA LINDEMANN
“Winemaker Dorina Lindemann ferments this in stainless steel with
a three-day cold soak beforehand and three days of maceration
afterward. She ages the wine for 15 months in French oak, 20 percent
new, turning out Touriga Franca that tastes like a peppery claret, with
little of the overt warmth of the Alentejo. It’s ripe and velvety, lasting
with fragrance rather than heat. The Mediterranean grasslands
that produce this franca also produce delicious pork, including the
traditionally long-braised trotters with which this would be delicious.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Apartado 2, 7051-909 Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal
Contact:
Dorina Lindemann orMarisa Parreira
Email:
quintadaplansel@plansel.com
Phone:
+351 266 898 920
Website:
www.plansel.com
US Importer:
Savio Soares Selections
Contact:
Savio Soares
US Address:
10 Jay Street No. 722 – Brooklyn, NY 11201
Email:
saviosoareswine@gmail.com
Phone:
718.797.4114
23
Producer:
MONTE DA RAVASQUEIRA
Wine Name:
VINHA DAS ROMÃS
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
SYRAH, TOURIGA NACIONAL, ALICANTE
BOUSCHET, TOURIGA FRANCA
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
30,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
PEDRO PEREIRA GONÇALVES
“Silky smooth, this has the warm, almost peachy ripeness that the
Alentejo brings to its red grapes. The flavors are bright, with jasmine
and rose highlights on its supple black fruit. A blend of syrah, touriga
nacional, touriga franca and alicante bouchet, this was grown in
clay–limestone soils over granite. It should develop well over the next
several years.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Santana do Campo, Arraiolos 7040-121, Portugal
Contact:
Joaquim Guimarães
Email:
jguimaraes@ravasqueira.com
Phone:
+351 964 250 678
Website:
www.ravasqueira.com
US Importer:
Winresources USA
Contact:
Arlindo Correia
US Address:
688 Columbia Road, Suite 2, Boston, MA 02125
Email:
acorreia@winresourcesusa.com
Phone:
617.869.1863
24
Producer:
HERDADE DO ESPORÃO
Wine Name:
RESERVA RED
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
ARAGONÊS, TRINCADEIRA, ALICANTE BOUSCHET,
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
50,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DAVID BAVERSTOCK AND LUIS PATRAO
“This is a dark and supple blend of Trincadeira, Aragonês, Alicante
Bouchet and Cabernet Sauvignon, from a vast vineyard project in
Reguengos de Monsaraz. It grows in a part of the vineyard where the
soils are clay loam with schist over basalt, the vines monitored for soil
moisture in the arid heat of the region. Winemakers Luis Patrao and
David Baverstock produce it in a number of small-scale fermentations
to control the extraction, and then age it in French and American oak,
30 percent new. The wine delivers immediate richness, taking time to
show its subtle tannic detail. There’s a touch of volatility to point up
the complex scents of leather, earth and black peppercorn, then the
finish holds firm and stony.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
80 River Street Suite 306 Hoboken, NJ 07087
Contact:
Pedro Vieira
Email:
Pedro.vieira@esporao.com
Phone:
201.420.4460
Website:
www.esporao.com
US Importer:
Aidil Wines
Contact:
Pedro Carvalho
US Address:
574 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ 07105
Email:
Pedro.carvalho@aidilwines.com
Phone:
973.712.0950
25
Producer:
HERDADE DE VALE BARQUEIROS
Wine Name:
RESERVA RED
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
ALICANTE BOUSCHET, TRINCADEIRA
Region:
ALENTEJO
Production:
14,400 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
PAULO LAUREANO
“A family-owned estate with 300 acres of vines near Alter do Chao,
west of Portalegre in the northern Alentejo, Vale Barqueiros includes
cork forests and 800 acres of olive trees. Paulo Laureano blends this
from Alicante Bouchet and Trincadeira grown in granitic soils, and ages
it for 12 months in French oak (50 percent new). It carries the heat and
sun of the Alentejo in spicy scents of cracked green peppercorns and
crushed thyme. The wine’s supple red raspberry flavor gets an electric
jolt from some volatile acidity, giving it a classical Alentejana profile.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Travessa da Prelada, 613 4250 – 380 Porto, Portugal
Contact:
Miguel Trancoso
Email:
mtrancoso@valebarqueiros.pt
Phone:
+351 228 341 000
Website:
www.valebarqueiros.pt
US Importer:
Currently seeking US Importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
26
Producer:
LUSOVINI
Wine Name:
PEDRA CANCELA SELEÇÃO DO ENÓLOGO
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL, ALFROCHEIRO, TINTA
RORIZ
Region:
DÃO
Production:
200,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JOÃO PAULO GOUVEIA
“Nuno Cancela de Abreu grew up in a winemaking family in Dão, and
started his own project there in 1991. He has since expanded to other
regions, including Lisboa, where he consulted on the viticulture and
winemaking at Quinta da Alorna, another winery among the 50 Great.
This wine is his personal selection from his vineyard in Dão, a blend of
Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro And Tinta Roriz, aged for eight months in
new French oak barriques. It has soft flavors of red plum and the cool,
earthy feel of a cave—a brisk, granitic Dão presented fresh and light.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Av. Da Liberdade, nº 15, 3520-061 Nelas, Portugal
Contact:
Sónia Martins
Email:
Soniamartins@lusovini.com
Phone:
232942153
Website:
www.lusovini.com
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court, Suite A, Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
27
Producer:
CASA DE MOURAZ
Wine Name:
ELFA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
FIELD BLEND OF 30 DIFFERENT GRAPE
VARIETALS
Region:
DÃO
Production:
6,666 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
VINES & WINES AND ANTÓNIO LOPES RIBEIRO
“António Lopes Ribeiro converted this mixed planting to organic
viticulture in 1990; while the 80-year-old vineyard is now certified
organic, he has been farming it with biodynamic practices since 2006.
He ferments the wine without added yeast in stainless steel, where it
rests until bottling. It’s a simple vinification that allows the explosive
complexity of the 30 varieties in the vineyard to blast out of the glass,
vibrant in its flavor detail, monumental in its granitic power. A modern
classic from the terroir of Dão.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
R. do Outeiro, 111, Mouraz, Portugal
Contact:
Sara Dionísio
Email:
casademouraz@sapo.pt
Phone:
+ 351 232 822 872 / + 351 933 657 040
Website:
www.casademouraz.blogspot.com
US Importer:
Savio Soares Selections
Contact:
Danielle Rosenberg
US Address:
10 Jay Street Brooklyn NY 11201
Email:
savio@savioselections.com
Phone:
718.797.4114
28
Producer:
FTP VINHOS
Wine Name:
QUINTA DO SERRADO RESERVA RED
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL, ALFROCHEIRO, JAEN
Region:
DÃO
Production:
Winemaker:
ANTÓNIO MACHADO
“Starting out with delicate floral intensity, this wine’s austere tannins
meet broad, rich blue fruit. It’s a full-bodied Dão, opening into a racy
finish. A blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Jaen, this grows at
a vineyard in Penalva do Castelo, redeveloped by Carvalho, Ribeira &
Ferreira in the 1980s, now in the hands of FTP Wines, part of Tavfer, a
Portuguese group that started investing in wine properties in 1990.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
3550-163 Penalva do Castelo, Portugal
Contact:
Gabriel Pereira
Email:
geral@ftpvinhos.com
Phone:
+351 232 642 428
Website:
www.ftpvinhos.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
29
Producer:
QUINTA DA PONTE PEDRINHA
Wine Name:
VINHAS VELHAS
Vintage:
2007
Varietal(s):
BLEND OF DIFFERENT GRAPES VARIETALS
Region:
DÃO
Production:
8,300 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
PATRÍCIA CARVALHO, CATARINA SIMÕES AND
LAFAYETTE AGRA
“From an old mixed planting in the Serra de Estrela region of Dão, about
30 percent of this wine is Alfrocheiro, Baga and Jaen, while the rest is
made up of a wide range of varieties, all grown on weathered granite.
Inoculated with local yeast, fermented and aged in stainless steel, the
wine is a silken, old-fashioned Dão. It takes a classical approach to the
region, presenting gamey notes and a little healthy sweatiness that
could read as salinity or minerality. Austere and meaty, with a crisp
line of wild berry flavor in the middle, it finishes clean.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
6290-094 Lagarinhos Gouveia, Portugal
Contact:
Patrícia Carvalho
Email:
quintadapontepedrinha@gmail.com
Phone:
+351 238 485 000 / +351 939 896 000
Website:
www.quintadapontepedrinha.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
30
Producer:
ALIANÇA
Wine Name:
QUINTA DA DÔNA RED
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
BAGA
Region:
BAIRRADA
Production:
22,687 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
FRANCISCO ANTUNES
“Aliança, one of Portugal’s largest wine exporters, started as a
shipping company in Bairrada in the 1920s. The firm purchased this
quinta in 2002, a north-facing hillside on Bairrada’s clay-limestone soil
where baga reached a fine maturity in 2009. The fruit was cold-soaked
for five days, then fermented in stainless steel and aged for a year in
new French and Russian oak barrels. The quality of the fruit shows in
a brisk note of black raspberries, the flavor focused and vibrant. The
tannins are soft enough to make this robust wine feel elegant and
gracious on release and balanced to gain complexity as it ages.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua do Comércio nº 444, 3780-124 Sangalhos, Portugal
Contact:
Mario Neves
Email:
mario.neves@alianca.pt
Phone:
+351 234 732000
Website:
www.alianca.pt
US Importer:
Tri-Vin Imports, Inc.
Contact:
Joao Oliveira
US Address:
One Park Avenue, MT Vernon, NY 10550
Email:
info@tri-vin.com
Phone:
914.664.3155
31
Producer:
LUÍS PATO
Wine Name:
VINHA PAN
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
BAGA
Region:
BAIRRADA
Production:
3,066 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
LUÍS PATO
“Luis Pato has been experimenting with Baga since he left his career as
a civil engineer to take over his family’s old-vine blocks in 1980. At the
time, most Baga was undrinkable for its first ten years in bottle; it was
often grown on high-yielding vines that rarely ripened their grapes
before rains began on the coast, leaving the wines severely tannic.
His innovative farming and early experiments with destemming the
grapes and aging in new French oak has helped reinterpret Baga, his
wines developing with age into something akin to Burgundy or Barolo,
depending on the season and the site. Pato’s vines at Vinha Pan are
33-years-old, farmed with restricted yields to express their claylimestone soil within black-fruited exuberance. This 2009 captures
the round, supple character of the vintage in Bairrada; it’s fragrant
and brisk, a young wine with intensity and gracious tannins.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua da Quinta Nova, 3780-017 Amoreira da Gândara,
Portugal
Contact:
Luís Pato
Email:
geral@luispato.com
Phone:
+351 231 596 432
Website:
www.luispato.com
US Importer:
Wine in Motion
Contact:
Pedro Veloso
US Address:
2421 Lorio Court, Suite A Union, NJ 07083-8137
Email:
pedro.veloso@wineinmotionusa.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
32
Producer:
QUINTA DAS BÁGEIRAS
Wine Name:
GARRAFEIRA RED
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
BAGA
Region:
BAIRRADA
Production:
8,676 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
RUI ALVES
“A great Bairrada, this wine presents concentric circles of flavor, its
fully ripe tannins releasing complex scents that shift from woodland
red berries to tangerine pith and cumin-like spice. It smells fantastic
and tastes juicy and rich, capturing a classic vintage for Baga in the
power and intensity of its tannins. Mario Sérgio Alves Nuno makes this
wine from his family’s old-vine parcels on the region’s clay–limestone
soils, where he farms the fruit to ripen the stems and uses all of those
stems in his fermentations. He ferments the wine in 100-year-old
Portuguese oak vats (3,000 liters), where it ages for 18 months prior
to bottling. This is one of the most traditional old-vine Bairradas, and
consistently one of the best.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Fogueira 3780-523 Sangalhos, Portugal
Contact:
Mário Sérgio
Email:
quintadasbageiras@mail.telepac.pt
Phone:
+351 234 742 102
Website:
www.quintadasbageiras.pt
US Importer:
Aidil Wines/ Wine Wise
Contact:
Pedro Carvalho/ Hiram Simon
US Address:
574 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ
5655 College Avenue Oakland, CA
Email:
pedro.carvalho@aidilwines.com
hiram@winewise.biz
Phone:
973.712.0950
510.848.6879
33
Producer:
JOÃO BRITO E CUNHA
Wine Name:
QUINTA DE S. JOSÉ TOURIGA NACIONAL
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL
Region:
DOURO
Production:
2,700 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JOÃO BRITO E CUNHA
“João Brito e Cunha owns this north-facing vineyard across the Douro
from Romaneira, where he farms 25 acres of vines organically. His
Touriga Nacional vines are now 15 years old, growing on blue and
gray schist soils. He ferments this wine in stainless steel then ages it
in large (400 liter) second-use French oak barrels; that oak is present
in the wine but remains in the background. The foreground is much
more complex than most single-variety Tourigas, pulling aside a full
drape of purple fruit to reveal a silken fabric of purple–black tannins.
The tannins seem to refract the broken edges of schist, rounded by
oak into richness. The wine has flavor dimensions as well as cut, the
structure as tight as the skin around a plump black cherry.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Rua Augusto César, 99 – 5000-591 Vila Real, Portugal
Contact:
João Brito e Cunha
Email:
joaobritoecunha@quintasjose.com
Phone:
+351 934 041 413
Website:
www.quintasjose.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
34
Producer:
MUXAGAT VINHOS
Wine Name:
RED
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL, TOURIGA FRANCA,
SOUSÃO
Region:
DOURO
Production:
15,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
MATEUS NICOLAU DE ALMEIDA
“Mateus Nicolau de Almeida blends this wine from two parcels in the
Douro Superior, one near the river at 820 feet facing north, the other
at 1,800 facing south. He farms the higher elevation vines sustainably
and began farming the riverside parcel under biodynamics five years
ago. Nicolau de Almeida harvests early, ferments without added
yeast and ages the wine in barrels that average five years old, ranging
from 225 to 500 liters. The result is a Douro original, glowing with red
fruit shot through with schist. It’s a wine of restrained ripeness and
textural cool.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Avenida Gago Coutinho e Sacadura Cabral 6430-183
Mêda, Portugal
Contact:
Mateus Nicolau De Almeida
Email:
mateus@muxagat.pt
Phone:
+351 279 883 009
Website:
www.muxagat.pt
US Importer:
Winebow Inc.
Contact:
Frank Paredes
US Address:
75 Chestnut Ridge Road, Montvale, NJ 07645
Email:
F_Paredes@winebow.com
Phone:
973.985.8694
35
Producer:
QUINTA SEARA D'ORDENS
Wine Name:
TALENTVS GRANDE ESCOLHA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (50%), TOURIGA
FRANCA (25%), TINTA RORIZ (25%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
6,092 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
LUÍS SOARES DUARTE
“Luís Soares Duarte makes this wine at a vineyard in the hills
northeast of Regua, in the Cima Corgo district of the Douro.
This is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta
Roriz, vinified in stainless steel without added yeast, aged in
new barriques for a year and then in bottle for ten months. It’s a
grand expression of Douro power, fragrant with rose, mulberry
and wild blueberry notes, elegant in its layers of schist and
new oak tannins.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
5050-342 Poiares, Portugal
Contact:
José Moreira
Email:
geral@searadordens.com
Phone:
+351 254 906 415
Website:
www.searadordens.com
US Importer:
Emporium Nostrum/ Casa Ventura Imports,Inc
Contact:
Danielle Liagi/ Basilio Rodriguez
US Address:
908 Algeria Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33134
3216 lowa Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229
Email:
dliagi@emporiumnostrum.com
basi@casaventuraimports.com
Phone:
305.450.5550
360.303.1760
36
Producer:
JORGE NOBRE MOREIRA
Wine Name:
POEIRA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
OLD VINES
Region:
DOURO
Production:
15,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JORGE MOREIRA
“An elegant wine with the perfumed scent of sour cherries, this is
a soft, gentle red blended from a vineyard of mixed old vines above
the right bank of the Pinhão River. Jorge Moreira chose his 22-acre
vineyard for table wine as it faces north, so the grapes ripen less
quickly than in the surrounding Port wine vineyards, and they
maintain their acidity well. His 2010 has the floral spice of Douro’s oldvine blends, and compelling schist tannins that lend an undercurrent
of power —a sunny wine that seems to expand and contract with each
breath after a taste of its dynamic flavors.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Provesende 5060-283 Sabrosa, Portugal
Contact:
Jorge Moreira
Email:
poeira@poeira.pt
Phone:
+351 939 506 699
Website:
www.poeira.pt
US Importer:
Tri Vin
Contact:
John Oliveira
US Address:
One Park Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Email:
info@tri-vin.com
Phone:
914.664.3155
37
Producer:
NIEPOORT VINHOS
Wine Name:
BATUTA
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
TINTA AMARELA, TOURIGA FRANCA, TINTA
RORIZ, RUFETE, MALVAZIA PRETA AND
OTHERS
Region:
DOURO
Production:
13,014 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DIRK NIEPOORT AND TEAM
“The Niepoort family purchased the Quinta do Carril in 1987, and Dirk
Niepoort soon found its north-facing slopes well suited to the style of
table wine he hoped to create. The vineyard is near the Tedo River, just
upstream of its confluence with the Douro. Niepoort bases Batuta on
the fruit of its 70-year-old vines, blending in grapes from 100-yearold vines at two vineyards in the neighborhood. Those vines include
Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Rufete, Malvasia Preta and
a host of others. The age of the vines restricted yields in an otherwise
abundant vintage, creating this brisk 2010, fermented without added
yeast, macerated on its skins for 60 days, and then aged in French
oak for close to two years. It’s bursting with fruit complexity (salted
plums, green olive notes, pink grapefruit acidity). The finish is fresh,
even as it’s gripping with the smoke of schist tannins.”
-Joshua Green
notes:
Address:
Rua Cândido do Reis, 670 – 4400-071 Vila Nova de Gaia,
Portugal
Contact:
Verena Niepoort
Email:
verena@niepoort.pt
Phone:
+ 351 223 770 770
Website:
www.niepoort-vinhos.com
US Importer:
Martine’s Wines, Inc.
Contact:
Gregory Castells
US Address:
285 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Suite Q, Novato, CA 94949
Email:
greg@mwines.com
Phone:
415.883.0400
38
Producer:
WINE & SOUL
Wine Name:
QUINTA DA MANOELLA VINHAS VELHAS
Vintage:
2010
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (60%), TOURIGA
FRANCA (25%), TINTA RORIZ (10%), TINTA
FRANCISCA (5%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
10,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JORGE BORGES AND SANDRA TAVARES
“Jorge Serodio Borges’s great-grandfather planted the Quinta
da Manoella after phylloxera, about 120 years ago. Serodio
Borges now farms it with his wife and winemaking partner,
Sandra Tavares. The oldest vines grow at three blocks at
varied altitudes and include a substantial proportion of Tinta
Francisca, which Tavares describes as “a very fresh variety,
with red fruit and beautiful acidity. Listening to old people,
they used Francisca in the blend for acidity, for longevity.”
They ferment their Vinhas Velhas blend in lagares and age
it in older French oak barriques. Serodio Borges believes the
delicacy of this wine’s red fruit is part of the personality of the
vineyard; the 2010 vintage leads with that bright red fruit and
spice before blossoming with schist tannins, their muscular,
sinewy structure holding it tight. Built like a marathon runner,
this is set up to age for decades.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Avª Julio de Freitas 6, Portugal
Contact:
Sandra Tavares
Email:
sandratavares@wineandsoul.com
Phone:
+351 254 738 076
Website:
www.wineandsoul.com
US Importer:
Winebow Inc.
Contact:
Megan O’Connor
US Address:
75 Chestnut Ridge Road, Montvale, NJ 07645
Email:
me_oconnor@winebow.com
Phone:
201.930.2361
39
Producer:
ADRIANO RAMOS PINTO
Wine Name:
COLLECTION
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (50%), TOURIGA
FRANCA (40%), TINTA DA BARCA (10%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
Winemaker:
JOÃO NICOLAU DE ALMEIDA
“This captures a warm, dry vintage in the Douro with
gentleness, a textural pleasure in cushioned velvet and fresh
fruit preserved. João Nicolau de Almeida blends this wine
from two estate vineyards, Ervamoira in the Douro Superior
and Bom Retiro in the Cima Corgo, where a block of 80-yearold mixed vines makes up 25 percent of the blend. He vinifies
the old-vine fruit in lagares, while fermenting single-variety
blocks of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca in stainless steel.
The freshness of the Bom Retiro fruit melds with the powerful,
concentrated flavors of grapes from the Douro Superior,
creating a wine with floral scents of blueberries and firm schist
tannins, round, smoky and complex.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
4400-266 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Contact:
João Machete
Email:
jmachete@ramospinto.pt
Phone:
+351 223 707 000
Website:
www.ramospinto.pt
US Importer:
Maisons Marques & Domaines USA Inc.
Contact:
Ilene Denaro
US Address:
383 Fourth Street, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94607
Email:
idenaro@mmdusa.net
Phone:
510.587.2000
40
Producer:
DUORUM VINHOS
Wine Name:
RESERVA VINHAS VELHAS
Vintage:
2009
Varietal(s):
FIELD BLEND OF MAINLY TOURIGA NACIONAL
(45%), TOURIGA FRANCA (45%), TINTA RORIZ
(5%), SOUSÃO (5%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
10,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JOSÉ MARIA SOARES FRANCO
“João Portugal Ramos and José Maria Soares Franco graduated from
the same agronomy school class of 1977. Thirty years later, after
Soares Franco had built his name as the winemaker for Ferreira,
and Portugal Ramos had built a small wine empire from his base
in Alentejo, the two winemakers partnered in this Douro project.
They make Duorum from vineyards Soares Franco got to know
during his career at Ferreira. This wine is a field blend from 50-yearold vines at two vineyards near in Foz Coa—Quinta Castelo Melhor
facing northeast and Quinta do Custódio facing north. Soares Franco
ferments it in stainless steel without added yeast, and then ages it
in new French oak barriques for two years. It carries the tart, purple
berry flavors of Portuguese varieties on the bristle of schist tannins.
The texture of the fruit is supple, layered under French oak. That oak
aging has polished the tannins and made the wine approachable,
even though the structure is tight.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Quinta de Castelo Melhor EN 222 -5150-146 V. N. Foz Côa,
Portugal
Contact:
Maria Pica
Email:
duorum@duorum.pt
Phone:
+351 268 339 910
Website:
www.duorum.pt
US Importer:
Winebow Inc.
Contact:
Frank Paredes
US Address:
75 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Montvale, NJ 07645
Email:
f_paredes@winebow.com
Phone:
201.445.0620
41
Producer:
QUINTA DO PORTAL
Wine Name:
RESERVA
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (40%), TINTA RORIZ
(45%), TOURIGA FRANCA (15%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
2,620 CASES
Winemaker:
PAULO COUTINHO
“A modern Douro red, this presents the purple fruit of the region’s
distinct grapes with a robe of new oak. The plump fruit is soft, round
and ready, while the earthiness and umami schist of the tannins lends
the wine finesse and detail. Let this open in a decanter and the scent
of esteva develops, along with roses and a woodland coolness. Paulo
Coutinho blends this wine from Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional And
Franca grown at three vineyards in the Cima Corgo.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
EN 323 Celeirós do Douro 5060 Sabrosa, Portugal
Contact:
Pedro Branco
Email:
pmbranco@quintadoportal.pt
Phone:
+351 225 512 028
Website:
www.quintadoportal.com
US Importer:
M Imports, LLC
Contact:
Mark Macedonio
US Address:
102 Fairfield Beach Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824
Email:
mark@mimportsusa.com
Phone:
214.505.0616
42
Producer:
FOLIAS DE BACO
Wine Name:
OLHO NO PÉ GRANDE RESERVA RED
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
MIXED OF NATIVE VARIETALS
Region:
DOURO
Production:
3,550 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
TIAGO SAMPAIO
“A selection from three vineyards in the Cima Corgo at 1,600 to 1,950
feet, all around 70 years old with mixed vines, this is fermented
in stainless steel without added yeast, then aged in French oak
barriques (25 percent new). The relatively coolness of the vineyards
and the relatively light extraction allows the old-vine spiciness to
shine in a wine that could grow nowhere but the Douro. Intriguingly
red and black, shifting from roses to tar and back to strawberry, this
is plump, generous, expansive and youthfully dynamic. A great 2008,
which is a great vintage for Douro reds.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Rua Antonio Candido, 7 – 5070-029 Alijo, Portugal
Contact:
Tiago Sampaio
Email:
info@foliasdebaco.com
Phone:
+351 960 487 850
Website:
www.foliasdebaco.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
43
Producer:
QUINTA DO NOVAL
Wine Name:
RED WINE
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
Touriga Nacional (50%), Touriga
Franca (40%), Tinto Cão (10%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
1,500 CASES
Winemaker:
ANTÓNIO AGRELLOS
“An historic vineyard site combines with an exceptional season to
offer this sophisticated take on Douro schist. António Agrellos worked
with Christian Seely on the replanting of the grand, whitewashed
terraces of Noval, where the vines are now 17 years old. Touriga
Nacional played a major role in that replanting, providing new material
for Agrellos to develop a table wine program. Touriga Nacional makes
up half of this blend, the balance from Touriga Franca and Tinta Cão.
He ferments the wine in stainless steel, and then ages it in French
oak barriques (20 percent new). Though black and reduced when
first opened, it reveals brighter notes of fruit as it takes on air. The
structure of the wine is huge, filled with schist tannins, and yet it’s
fine, floral and zesty, perfumed with warm spice.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Avenida Diogo Leite, 254 | 4400-111 V.N. Gaia, Portugal
Contact:
Rute Monteiro
Email:
rute@quintadonoval.pt
Phone:
+351 223 770 270
Website:
www.quintadonoval.com
US Importer:
Vintus
Contact:
Alex Michas
US Address:
42 Memorial Plaza, Ste. 210, Pleasantville, NY 10570
Email:
info@vintuswines.com
Phone:
914.769.3000
44
Producer:
QUINTA DA SEQUEIRA
Wine Name:
RESERVA RED
Vintage:
2008
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL, TOURIGA FRANCA, TINTA
RORIZ, TINTA AMARELA, TINTA BARROCA
Region:
DOURO
Production:
7,750 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
MÁRIO CARDOSO
“This vineyard, established at the end of the 19th century in Vila Nova
de Foz Coa, is now run by the fifth generation of the founding family,
Maria da Graça and her husband, Mário Cardoso. Their 37 acres of vines
include some of the original plantings, now more than 100 years old.
The heat of the Douro Superior comes across in the black fig flavors
and the compression of this wine’s tannins, giving a sense of warmth.
Violet notes and the potent richness of red fruit more than balances
the blacker tones of all the schist tannins, creating a lasting tension.”
– Joshua Greene
Address:
Horta Do Douro5155-336 Horta Vlf, Portugal
Contact:
Mário Cardoso
Email:
wine@quintadasequeira.com
Phone:
+351 932 469 456
Website:
www.quintadasequeira.com
US Importer:
Currently seeking US importer
Contact:
US Address:
Email:
Phone:
notes:
45
Producer:
QUINTA DO SAGRADO
Wine Name:
MUTANTE
Vintage:
2007
Varietal(s):
OLD VINE VARIETALS (33%), BLEND OF
VARIETALS (31%), TINTA AMARELA (14%),
TOURIGA FRANCESA (11%), TOURIGA
NACIONAL (6%), TINTA RORIZ (5%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
12,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
JOSÉ MARIA CALEM
“When the Calem family sold their Port shipping business in 1977, they
kept this quinta just downriver from Pinhão, which had been part of
A.A. Calem since the 19th century. They renovated the terraces in the
1980s and replanted, keeping some of the old vines. José Maria Calem
ferments this wine without added yeast, and then ages it in mostly new
French oak barriques. One-third of this blend is from the old vines, which
provide complexity in layer upon layer of color and flavor. The wine’s
concentration doesn’t close it off, but seems to open up the schist tannins
and reveal the floral spice, the scents of fresh cherries and the flavors of
a range of wild berries.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua da Reboleira 7, 4050-492 Porto, Portugal
Contact:
José Maria Calem
Email:
info@quintadosagrado.pt
Phone:
+351 222 004 867
Website:
www.quintadosagrado.pt
US Importer:
Michael Skurnik Wines
Contact:
Andrew Mulligan
US Address:
575 Underhill Blvd., Suite 216, Syosset, NY 11791
Email:
amulligan@skurnikwines.com
Phone:
516.677.9300 ext 515
46
Producer:
MADEIRA WINE COMPANY
Wine Name:
BLANDY’S COLHEITA BUAL
Vintage:
1996
Varietal(s):
BUAL
Region:
MADEIRA
Production:
3,000 (500 ML) BOTTLES
Winemaker:
FRANCISCO ALBUQUERQUE
“The Blandy family has been in the Madeira trade since 1811, and
became part of the Madeira Wine Company in the 1950s. Chris Blandy
runs the firm today. Their Bual grows at vineyards in the southwestern
lowlands of Madeira, where the variety produced a short crop in
1996. Winemaker Francisco Albuquerque begins the fermentation in
stainless steel without added yeast, then stops it with the addition
of brandy; he ages the naturally sweet result in old American and
French oak barrels for 15 years. This is a Bual that glows with apricot
richness, its glorious ripeness seeming to feed the flavors rather than
to sweeten them. Meaty in its scent, heady in its smoky potency, this
could be a wine from the Stone Age, or a completely modern wine for
dinner tonight, poured to match the sharp acidity of a sheep’s cheese.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua dos Ferreiros, 191 9000-082 Funchal, Portugal
Contact:
Ricardo Tavares
Email:
rt@madeirawinecompany.com
Phone:
+351 291 740 100
Website:
www.blandys.com
US Importer:
Premium Port Wines
Contact:
Peter Scott
US Address:
280 Utah Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-4842
Email:
PeterS@premiumport.com
Phone:
415.554.9920
47
Producer:
SOGEVINUS FINE WINES
Wine Name:
BURMESTER TORDIZ 40 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT
Vintage:
NV
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL (30%), TINTA RORIZ (30%),
TOURIGA FRANCA (30%), TINTA BARROCA (10%)
Region:
DOURO
Production:
Winemaker:
CARLOS ALVES
“This shipper, established in 1750, has maintained exceptional
old Tawny stocks at their lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. Their
casks range in size from 225 to 600 liters and from ten to 60
years old. Those casks are filled with ancient Ports, blended
together to provide this shimmering 40-year-old. Within
its depths of spice you might find scents of tart apples, the
plump flesh of an orange, and the richness of butter cream.
Subtle edges of acidity and tannin give it definition, defining
deliciousness.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Avenida Diogo Leite nº 344 – 4400-111 Vila Nova de Gai,
Portugal
Contact:
Stefano Marello
Email:
stefano.marello@sogevinus.com
Phone:
+351 223 746 660
Website:
www.sogevinus.com
US Importer:
Sogevinus Fine Wines USA, Inc.
Contact:
Sandra Marques
US Address:
2421 Iorio Ct, 2nd Floor, Suite A, Union, NJ 07083
Email:
sandra.marques@sogevinus.com
Phone:
908.688.3837
48
Producer:
SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES
Wine Name:
GRAHAM’S SINGLE HARVEST TAWNY PORT
Vintage:
1969
Varietal(s):
BLEND OF TRADITIONAL DOURO GRAPE
VARIETALS
Region:
DOURO
Production:
356 CASES
Winemaker:
CHARLES SYMINGTON
“Recently, the Symington family released a 1952 Colheita, a cask-aged
Tawny from a single vintage, in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver
Jubilee. Reaching into their old stocks, they also bottled this wine,
from an earlier moment in its evolution. At 44 years of age, it is still
fresh with scents of oranges and apricot. Juicy and grand in the middle,
where the supple texture cushions the intensity of the flavors, it lasts
with refinement and a whisper of butter brickle.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Travessa Barão de Forrester No. 86 P - 4431-901 Vila
Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Contact:
Rui Ribeiro
Email:
Rui.Ribeiro@symington.com
Phone:
+351 913 779 845
Website:
www.symington.com
US Importer:
Premium Port Wines, Inc.
Contact:
Louis Charton
US Address:
280 Utah Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-4842
Email:
Louisc@premiumport.com
Phone:
415.554.9924
49
Producer:
FONSECA
Wine Name:
VINTAGE PORTO
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA NACIONAL, TOURIGA FRANCA,
TINTA BARROCA, TINTA RORIZ, TINTO CÃO,
TINTA AMARELA
Region:
DOURO
Production:
6,000 Cases
Winemaker:
DAVID GUIMARAENS
“Fonseca’s Vintage is a blend from three estate vineyards, focused on
the Cima Corgo fruit of the Pinhão Valley. David Guimaraens selects
the fruit from 15- to 80-year-old vines, ferments in granite lagares
with indigenous yeast, and then ages the wine for two years in old
oak. He bottles it without fining or filtration. The 2011 vintage played
right into Fonseca’s luscious style: “The ripening season was hot and
dry but the vineyards had plentiful reserves of ground water built
up during the previous winter,” Guimaraens reports. “This meant
that the vines were never stressed and produced a perfectly ripened
crop.” For now, it’s a tumble of deep red fruit, esteva spice and schist
pouring out of the glass. The tension seems to build out of the wine’s
fruit sweetness. As with the best of Fonseca’s vintages, it harnesses
volumes of fruit with power and grace.”
-Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Box 1311EC Santa Marinha 4401-501 Vila Nova de Gaia,
Portugal
Contact:
Ana Margarida Morgado
Email:
Ana.margarida@fonseca.pt
Phone:
+351 223 742 800
Website:
www.fonseca.pt
US Importer:
Kobrand
Contact:
Robert Bower
US Address:
1 Manhattanville Road, 4th Floor, Purchase, NY 10577
Email:
Robert.bower@qavb.com
Phone:
914.253.7700
50
Producer:
NIEPOORT VINHOS
Wine Name:
VINTAGE
Vintage:
2011
Varietal(s):
TOURIGA FRANCA, TINTA RORIZ, TINTO
CÃO, TINTA FRANCISCA, TINTA AMARELA,
SOUSÃO AND OTHER
Region:
DOURO
Production:
15,000 BOTTLES
Winemaker:
DIRK NIEPOORT AND TEAM
“Niepoort’s Vintage is a selection from four vineyards, all in the
range of 80 to 100 years old. It’s fermented without added yeast in
the circular lagares at the firm’s Adega de Vale Mendiz, then aged
in old Portuguese oak vats for two years before bottling. A product
of a remarkable season as well as of Dirk Niepoort’s dedication to
sustaining great old-vine mixed plantings of the Douro, this presents
a mille-feuille of purple fruit and schist, layer upon layer of detailed
flavor formed into a massive wine. It feels cool and comprehensive,
with seductively sexy, youthful power ready to consume time in the
decades ahead.”
– Joshua Greene
notes:
Address:
Rua Cândido do Reis, 670 – 4400-071 Vila Nova de Gaia,
Portugal
Contact:
Verena Niepoort
Email:
verena@niepoort.pt
Phone:
+ 351 223 770 770
Website:
www.niepoort-vinhos.com
US Importer:
Martine’s Wines, Inc.
Contact:
Gregory Castells
US Address:
285 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Suite Q, Novato, CA 94949
Email:
greg@mwines.com
Phone:
415.883.0400