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Wine Authorities Class: Portugal and Portuguese Wines

chris wrote this on April 4, 2009

This past Thursday (04/02) Craig, Seth, and Randy at Wine Authorities hosted a wine class on Portugal and Portuguese wines, which I attended. They did a good job of hitting all the major regions and emphasizing the unique wine laws, the various styles and categories of oporto, and were able to pair a wine with a region for the participants to taste. Seth even cooked an authentic Portuguese salted cod casserole, Bacalhau, for us to try with the wines. We sampled a total of nine wines that evening, all for sale at Wine Authorities, and what follows is a review of the wines tasted. Regardless of the rankings that I assign, which are my opinions alone, I urge you to give them a try, expand your palate, and see what Portuguese wine is all about!

The Arca Nova is from the Vinho Verde region, in the northwest of Portugal bordering Spain. It is a blend of Albarino, Loureiro, and Treixadura grapes.

Style & Quality: C+. Its hard to rate a Vinho Verde because I have never really been impressed with the style. Thin and watery but also tart. Faint traces of green apples with mineral on the finish. Think of the last sip of coke in a glass where the ice has melted and its watered down. Maybe I am being harsh with my ranking (or maybe generous depending upon your palate), but try it for yourself and see if you agree or disagree.

Value: C+. It only costs $10.99 / bottle, but I could readily name five other wines I would rather by for the same price at Wine Authorities.

Overall: C+

50% Fernão Pires and 50% Arinto grapes from the Alenquer DOC near the coast of Portugal, about 25 miles north of the capital Lisbon. Vinho Branca is simply “white wine” in Portuguese.

Style & Quality: B. Very aromatic and spicy, reminded me of a lighter version of several different styles of wine. Very spicy on the palate while at the same time being very crisp and finishing clean. Not much fruit and still on the lighter side. An interesting wine and perfect for serving in mass quantities at parties.

Value: B. At $9.99, this is one of the wines I would choose before the previous Vinho Verde. Its a fair price for the quality of wine. You will not go wrong with this wine.

Overall: B

This white wine is 100% Arinto from the Bucelas region close to Lisbon. It is a very unique wine and was served with the Portuguese Bacalhau. The Bacalhau is essentially a potato and salt cod casserole with olives and onions; salty, earthy, bordering on bland, but the wine added a nice zip of acidity that was missing form the dish. Not my cup of tea but an excellent example of wine improving the flavor of the food it is served with.

Style & Quality: B+. Very aromatic nose of peaches, tangerines, and a “spicy honey” component. Pure tangerine-grapefruit juice combination on the palate; very tart and acidic. Maybe too tart. The Portuguese do not believe in malolactic fermentation.

Value: B+. $13.99 / bottle which is a very fair price.

Overall: B+. This is the wine that you want to give to a wine lover and see if he can guess what grape the wine is made of. It is unlike any other white I have had before and while not my favorite it was good enough that I will buy another bottle just to taste the unique favors again.

40% Tinta Franca, 40% Tinta Roriz (Temperanillo), 20% Tinta Barroca from the Douro, a region best known for its Port grapes. Indeed this blend uses grapes commonly fortified into port but instead the winemakers created a dry style of wine.

Style & Quality: B-. Ripe, jammy red fruits in the nose. Hints of earth and a little funk. Says fermented with indigenous yeasts so the “funk” could be attributed to brettanomyces, a type of yeast known for imparting “barnyard” qualities to a wine. Not much fruit on the palate, dry and tannic, with a weak leathery finish. One dimensional. Might benefit from time in a decanter. Could jump into the high B’s if the tannins mellow.

Value: B. At $10.99 per bottle, a fair price for a wine that does not deliver much.

Overall: B

90% Baga, Portugal’s most unique red grape, and 10% Merlot from the Barrida DOC, known for producing quality dry red wines.

Style & Quality: A-. Deep notes of cassis and black fruits with some cedar spice on the nose. Very brooding right out of the bottle. Craig let me take the bottle home and I finished it the next night; it  definitely improved after being open for some time. At first the wine is tight and the tannins are thick and chewy but let it spend 30+ minutes in a decanter and it will open up nicely, revealing red berries and plums on the palate. Full bodied and dry. A tad thin on the finish but very enjoyable.

Value: A+. Are you kidding me? $11.99 / bottle? Tremendous value!

Overall: A

A blend of Tinta Roriz (Temeranillo), Touriga Nacional (port grapes), and Jaen that spent 18 months in oak and another 6 in the bottle before hitting the shelves. From another DOC known for its dry reds, the Dao, in the center of Portugal.

Style & Quality: B. Very exotic nose of blueberry pie and spicy apple cider. Very tannic and dry, almost leathery, and not a lot of fruit on the palate. May need time in a decanter to really open up. Hints of menthol on the finish, very unique. Too much oak.

Value: B+. $13.99 a bottle is a pretty good price for this wine, especially if time in a decanter softens the tannins. If not pair with red meats.

Overall: B+

This wine is from the Ribatejano region northeast of Lisbon and is a blend of five varieties: Touriga Nacional (the main grape used for Port), Tricadeira, Aragones, Tinta Roriz (known in Spainish as Temperanillo), and good ‘ol Cabernet Sauvignon.

Style & Quality: B+. This is a big, bold, powerful wine. Jammy fruits and oak on the nose. Powerful, deep berry fruits, cassis, lots of pepper and wood spice on the finish. Hints of green right before the finish. Very full bodied and complex. Falls apart slightly on the finish, and too much oak influence; needs a big slab of beef to really tame the tannins. Might improve if decanted.

Value: A. This is a lot of wine for only $13.50. Great value.

Overall: A-

This is a ruby port, aged in non-wooden casks and sealed against air to retain its color and fruit flavors.

Style & Quality: C. I have to admit that I am biased against ruby ports, why drink anything but tawny? The high alcohol burns the nasal passages and the back of the throat, reminds me of cherry cough syrup  with a vodka chaser. Not a fan.

Value: C. $10 for a half bottle. Eh, I just can’t get excited about it even for the price. Costs the same as their white port which is advertised as best when mixed as a cocktail. Not sure what that tells me.

Overall: C. Try it, see if you like it. If so more power to you.

Finally a tawny, but this is a “medium dry” port, which means there is less residual sugar and higher natural alcohol before fermentation. The Wine Authorities website bills the blend as “The Tintas: Roriz, Nacional, Barroca, Franca”. Well said Craig and Seth. Being a tawny it has seen time in oak casks to oxidize and gain nutty, toasty flavors.

Style & Quality: B+. Being a medium-dry port, the nose and palate emphasize the raisins, figs, and dried fruit aromas and flavors over the “sweet” caramel and toffee notes. Its very smooth across the palate with a bite on the finish. Light bodied for a port; more “oomph” and it jumps into the A’s.

Value: A-. $18.99 for a full sized 750 mL bottle. Thats quite a deal for a true oporto; just browse the port selection of Total Wine to see for yourself.

Overall: B+

Until the next wine!  -Chris

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