portugal

PORTUGAL TODAY

Portugal has a curious history in the U.S.. In the early 70’s, Portuguese roses were all the rage. There have been brief periods where certain labels achieved a finite standing in the marketplace, but the category for whatever reason hasn’t really kept any kind of momentum. Often tasty and well-priced, if at times rough and tumble, we rarely (never?) have anyone come in and ask where our Portuguese wine section is. Sure we have done things extensive things with dry Duoro reds and have a fairly consistent audiences for good vinho verdes. But typically, like we said, the category only gets occasional attention.

As in all of the significant wine growing areas in Europe, however, fresh ideas are emerging that may give Portuguese wines an identity in the broader market. Mateus Nicolau de Almeida might be the one to light the torch for the category. First of all, they go out of their way to be authentic, emph.asizing indigenous varietals grown organically (certified) in specific subregions. The intent is to create wines that reflect the character of their specific subregions. To make a generalization, they all have in common a great purity of fruit, little in the way of the hand of the ‘winemaker’ to distract from the expression of the fruit, and a common denominator of a bright, fruit-driven, juicy demeanor and drinkability.

Mateus and wife Teresa come from technical backgrounds but have dove into country life with a passion. They raise their own crops and livestock, make full-flavored vinegars in one shed on the property, make olive oil and gin-like distillates. They also speak four languages. Their stated concept for their wines is that they want them to express the unique characteristics of the area from which they are sourced “even if your are drinking them on Venice Beach.”

Mateus’ father and grandfather were winemaking legends in their own right and they are connected by blood to the family that own Porto house Ramos Pinto. Clearly, the wine life was a calling and he was ambitious in learning the arts from experience in several wine producing regions and, more specifically at places like Domaine Trevallon in the south of France and Josmeyer in Alsace. Mateus met Teresa, whose father had worked at La Rioja Alta, at Chateau Cantenac Brown. This project is Duoro-specific, highlighting sub-regions within the appellation.

They chose to call the wines MNA (for Mateus Nicolau de Almeida) Trans-Duoro-Express Baixo Corgo Tinto 2021 and MNA Trans-Duoro-Express Duoro Superior 2021, put them in distinctive bottles that would be more associated with Alsace or Germany, with a very official looking seal/stamp over the cork and a fish on the label. All the wines are made the same way, destemmed, fermented and held in 4000L concrete vats for eight months with low sulphite levels. While the climate of the three subzones (we bought two of the three) is distinctly different, the soils share a commonality of shist bedrock with varying degrees of clay and sand in the loam topsoils.

The grapes are primarily from estate and rented vineyards with a small portion purchased. The main grape varieties are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Roriz, though many of the vineyards will contain a number of other varietals mixed into the field blend. There are typically ten different varietals in the blend.

The MNA Trans-Duoro-Express Baixo Corgo Tinto 2021 is from the coolest, furthest west of the three subzones. What the winery does is take the best aspect of Portuguese reds, a juicy, expressive, but light on its feet, and elevate the experience with clean winemaking and purity of fruit. The terroir shines through. The Baixo is a crisper red with an inviting nose of mulberry and red currant and a tonic like minerality. The red fruit profile comes through on the palate with fleck of the aforementioned minerality and spice notes kicking in on the finish. Medium weight and imminently quaffable, it can play casual but has the nuance reward more focused contemplation. The alcohol is a modest 12%. Only 7000 bottles produced.

The MNA Trans-Duoro-Express Duoro Superior 2021 comes from the furthest east of the subzones abutting Spain. The difference in rainfall alone is significant, with the Douro Superior getting less than one-third of the rain of Baixo. It’s a little warmer here and this one comes across a little bit weightier and more open-knit, with the fruit component a bit darker and more fleshy than the Baixo and the mineral component a bit more ‘scorched earth’ than rock. It has that same bright, quaffable demeanor that is the style of the house, and the same modest alcohols (12%).

These are kind of ‘party reds’, fresh, fruit driven, vibrant and easy to drink. They can play solo but have the versatility to play with a wide range of dishes from poultry to fish to finger foods, but with enough backbone to stand up to grilled meats, a classic plate of cured meats or linguisa. You can throw a little chill on them when the weather gets a little warmer. Like we said, this takes that juicy demeanor that we associate with Portuguese reds and elevates the experience through cleaner, more precise and terroir focused winemaking. They didn’t reinvent the wheel, they just a great job of taking the definitive Portugal ‘style’ to a higher level by “being what they are…better.”

TASTY BARGAIN SUMMER QUAFFERS FROM PORTUGAL

We aren’t going to write one of our epic tales here. There aren’t any rock star winemakers, famous vineyards, or legendary reviews here. We’re just going to say a few words about a couple of low-priced, delicious quaffers for holiday weekends and summer in general. When it comes to delightful, bright casual quaffers, the Portuguese are a great source.

Muralhas de Moncao has been a regular player for quite some time. Their newest release, the Muralhas de Moncao Vinho Verde Moncao e Melgaco 2021 is everything you could ask for in a casual summer sipper. Bright nose of tropical fruit and floral notes, lifted presentation of white stone fruits and spices, a little impression of fizz, this is clean, refreshing, but also has enough body to engage serious wine folk. A blend of 85% Alvarinho (we have also sold their varietal Alvarinho) and 15% Trajadura, 12.5% ABV, it doesn’t pretend to be a wine to contemplate but it serves its purpose well.

What we had not seen, and which was a welcome addition to this easy drinking lineup, was the Muralhas de Moncao Vinho Verde Rose Moncao e Melgaco 2021. An inviting rosy pink, this has the some kind of QQ (‘quaffabilty quotient’) as its white Vinho Verde stablemate, fresh, lively, light on its feet, but the flavor profile suggests more strawberry and fresh melon. A blend of Alvarelhao, Pedral, and Vinhao, all indigenous red grapes. With an ABV of 11%, it is a great choice chilled for warm day outdoors. A faint impression of sweetness it has the cut to be food friendly as well.

BEYOND VINHO VERDE

Most people that are familiar with Portuguese Vinho Verde see it as a delightful but typically simple quaff to accompany appropriate seafood preparations. But not all Vinho Verdes are created equal. Some producers take the wine a bit more seriously. Soalheiro has been a favorite of ours for a long time because, well, there’s just more to it as a rule. They make more than one expression of the genre, but our usual favorite is the one made from straight Alvarinho (the Portuguese name for Albarino). Yeah, it costs a little more than your typical ‘$10 or less’ versions, but there’s much more going on in the glass.

What we had never seen before is this version, Soalheiro Alvarinho Vinho Verde Primeiras Vinhas 2019. The story is that Soalheiro was a pioneer in the creation of Alvarinho wine in Melgaço. In the nineteen seventies (1974 to be exact), a passion for winemaking led João António Cerdeira, with the support of his father, António Esteves Ferreira, to plant the first Alvarinho vines and to create the first brand of Alvarinho in Melgaço in 1982, and one of the first Alvarinho brands in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. This area is located in northern Portugal, not terribly far south of Spain’s Raixas Bias region where Albarino thrives.

This particular bottling, which is grown organically and harvested by hand, comes from those original Alvarinho vines planted some 40 years ago (‘primeras vinhas’ means ‘first vines’). It also got a significant and rather exapnsive review from Decanter Magazine, “With two wines in our top 50 ‘Best In Show’of a great grape variety, though, resembles that of a great actor: the ability to subsume its own personality inside that of the place (or the character) it is representing or portraying. Compare this (our first ever Best In Show Vinho Verde) with its Galician peer, and you will see a clear difference. This Portuguese wine is much quieter aromatically — but haunting and tenacious, with hints of linden blossom and wet stone. It’s concentrated, cool, sheer, tongue-freshening … yet tenacious once again, with the presence and force of character which typifies its Moncao e Melgaco origins. That impression of a cool, wet granite landscape somehow conveyed by the wine lingers all the way through the long finish. .. 97 Points.”

You can bet this wine would have been an email for us given the wine’s remarkable expression in the glass, review and price ($26.98). Simply put, there wasn’t enough juice for that. Limited, grab this striking white while you can.

PORTUGAL FOR THE PEOPLE

Portugal in general is still a work in progress as far as quality. It is substantially better than it was a couple of decades ago and we are finding a few things to get excited about. We have sold our share of highly-rated, high-priced elite dry reds from ambitious projects in the Douro, and we understand that is where many vintners feel they need to be to get respect in the international markets. But there are a lot of big reds with big scores vying to get attention from all over the wine world, so are such Portuguese versions really making a contribution to broadening the selection?

Over time, our biggest knock on Portuguese wines has been winemaking. You’ve got sunshine, a hospitable climate, but far too many things we see suffer from over-cropping and marginal vinification. Again, things are way better than they used to be and there is an overall rise in quality. But to us, the most enjoyable finds from Portugal are the ones that taste, well, Portuguese.

In a place where most of the wines are varietal blends, there is a definitely spicy, expressive character that is evident in the best examples of the reds. ‘International styling’, which some Portuguese producers are shooting for, means to us that they are dumbing down some of the joyous character that the most compelling Portuguese reds have to conform to a perceived style target.

We much prefer the boisterous, spicy, almost wild fruit components that distinguish the great little Portuguese wines from the rank and file, more commercial styles. We are pretty selective about what we present but we found another little nugget to add to our short list.

The Duquesa Maria Alentejo Superior 2017 hails from one of the southernmost growing regions in Portugal. As is the custom, this is a blend of 40% Aragonez (what they call Tempranillo in this part of the country), 30% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Touriga Nacional and 10% Trincadeira grown here in limestone soils.

It’s quite warm here so ripeness is not usually a problem. The grapes are destemmed and then see a couple of days of cold-soaking before being fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel after which about half of the juice goes into used French and American oak for six months.

The color is dark and fairly saturated (something that can be attributed in part to the Alicante Bouchet), there’s a rush of sweet, honest dark cherry and plum fruit with some spice, earth, and mineral flecks. Direct and easy-going, yet with a certain flair that is very Portuguese, this is that candidate for grillin’ and quaffin’. There is ample weight to stand up to a variety of foods but there is that breezy flavor interest that shows what Portugal seems to be able to do with ease. It isn’t necessarily meant to be ‘contemplated’ but rather consumed with a certain relish and it performs well for a pretty low fare.

MORE VALUE ‘TINTOS’ FROM PORTUGAL

Portugal has had some bright moments in this market over the years. There was a period in the early 70s where the fizzy rosés in funny bottles were all the rage. In the 90s, there was flash popularity with certain casual reds, in particular ‘periquitas’ from Jose Maria da Fonseca. Later on we did a lot with the emerging series of gutsy, well priced dry reds from Portuguese Port houses starting with Quinta do Crasto. We have recently had some good runs with crisp, easy vinho verdes.

But while a number of Portuguese wines have had their day, there hasn’t been any consistency to the category in terms of consumer demand. Still, while Portugal has yet to reach the kind of market saturation the quality and value of the genre in general should merit, we still keep finding remarkably expressive, well made, well priced individual efforts that not only should find fans but eventually elevate the category as a whole. Here are a couple of recent finds from a new importer that has taken the challenge of nudging Portugal into the mainstream.

The Quinta Dos Capuchos comes from an area northwest of Lisbon. Long and narrow running along the Atlantic Ocean, there is plenty of wind to mediate the temperature and in some vintages it is maybe a little too cool. This producer is situated in an area that is a little further inland and protected by hills and mountains. Grapes do well here and traditional winemaking here dates back centuries, orchestrated by monks initially ‘Capuchos’ is Portuguese for ‘Capucins’).

The soils are clay and limestone, with plenty of dense stone, on slopes no less. That makes working the vineyard a bit of a chore. But this unique microclimate delivers a ripe juicy character-filled red made from Castelao, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Syrah. The grapes are hand-harvested and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. A non-vintage blend, this is plush, punchy, and packed with lively dark red fruits and flavors that remind one of grenadine with a little pepper and spice. Ample and surprisingly versatile, this is a fruit-driven, easy drinker at a great price. Portugal is really good at producing engaging reds at almost silly low prices provided you can find the right ones. This one got our attention.

The same tasting presented us with a rather juicy example of 100% Touriga Nacional from Alentejo on the eastern side of the country. This particular spot in upper Alentejo was abandoned for a period of time. But, the pristine beauty of this remote region lured the Atunes family to revive the estate in 2001. The Herdade do Arrepiado Touriga 2016 has a lot of the character of some of the big time (read that expensive) Touriga-dominant reserve blends from the Douro. But it doesn’t show wood notes nor the price. This reminds us a lot of some of those early, bold Douro dry reds we loved back some two decades ago.

Lots of urgent red berry, red plum, spice, and floral notes, a touch of vanilla, this is a plush, fruit-forward wine with plenty of character but the kind of lift and freshness that gives it a feel of sophistication. Again, this is a lot of wine for the money and versatile with a wide range of foods. For a lot of reasons, critics will not likely pay a lot of attention to these wines, or the category. But consumers definitely should.

SERIOUS VALUE RED? JUST SAY SUL

We spoken over the years about the South African enigma and why, after all this time, does the category only move when there is some promotion. It seems any kind of continuous market traction is fleeting. We realized the same could be said about Portugal to some extent. Sure, in the 60s and 70s everyone was drinking fizzy rosés, then there was Periquita, followed by dry Duoros sometime later. But, other than the tried and true dessert areas of Port and Madeira, there seems to be little lasting interest.

There are the occasional hits. We have done well with certain Vinho Verdes and upscale versions like those from Soalheiro. They sell and people like them. But in the end people don’t come in and ask where the Portuguese section is. Granted, historically, overall quality has been, um, sporadic. Unfamiliar varietals and regions don’t make it any easier. The Portuguese government has gotten involved in raising the quality levels overall, and the ‘hit’ ratio has definitely increased. But the prices of some of the potential ‘game changers’ severely limits their potential audience. With all due respect to Bruno Prats, wines like an $80 Chryseia aren’t likely to get a lot of new wine drinkers to take a flyer on it for the sake of learning.

For our part, the door is always open. Bring us your Alentejos, Daos, Bairradas and dry Douros and, if they excite, we will deliver the message. Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Sausao, Baga, Trincadeira,are not household names, but they can make compelling wine under the right circumstances. To carry the message, there needs to be something that those people will want to give a whirl. Something that is character-filled, delicious, and laughably inexpensive has a much better chance of turning heads towards Portugal. We have found one of those.

Heredade de Sao Miguel is owned by the Relvas family who purchased it in 1997. It is located in Alentejo, an appellation southeast of Lisbon almost to the Spanish border, and within the subregion of Redondo at the northeastern end of the appellation. The estate it self covers 175 hectares, 35 of which are planted to vines setting soils of loam and schist, with 97h/a planted to cork trees. They also dedicated part of the property to reviving and breeding of near extinct local species, the ‘Mirandela’ donkey and the ‘Garrano’ horses of Gerês.

The story isn’t complicated. The family farms sustainably and makes the wine in an efficient ‘minimalist’ facility they built in the middle of the vineyard. They state that all of the fruit in Sul (Portuguese for ‘south’) comes from the estate. These folks are all about the land and their aim with all of their wines (they make 10 different bottlings) is to showcase the unique terroir of this far-from-the-crowd region. We were presented with a number of their wines a few weeks back. We kept coming back to this one for its plush texture, unabashed purity, and honest flavors. We asked the question, “how much did you say this was?” more than once.

If there are wines that can carry the banner for Portugal and make a lasting impression, this is certainly one of them. The blend here is 50 % Aragonez (the local name for Tempranillo), 30% Alicante Bouschet, 15% Trincadeira (indigenous varietal also known as Tinta Amarela in the Douro…yeah this part can get a little complicated), and 5% good old Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is cold-soaked then vacuum pressed and fermented in stainless steel where it sees some exposure to staves plus 10% in 400L barrels. Sure we can do the geek-speak, but that is not the story here.

The unfettered juice is the star, and the Herdad de Sao Miguel delivers well above its station with a mouthful of dark red fruit tinged with spice and dusty notes, relatively low acidity and modest ripe tannins. The pleasing mid-palate lots of inviting fruit and it’s very Portuguese in that it’s a delicious wine on the table alongside some grilled meats and some lively conversation. In short order, you’ll wonder where that bottle went and, at $10, there are few financial consequences. It’s a fine ambassador for Alentejo, and Portugal, and a great choice for a go-to value ‘house red’ without qualification.

Vinho Verde a Cut Above

If you have ever been to Portugal, the whole idea of Vinho Verde (literally the term means ‘green wine’) is completely ingrained in the culture. The genre essentially exists to ‘serve,’ delivering a crisp, clean, vibrant wine to drink on the patio, along the shore, or with a plate of seafood. In most of its manifestations it is typically a functional wine, made more to wash down nibbles and not necessarily to be contemplated to any great degree. All of that works fine in Portugal. But when you get back here and aren’t sitting in a café at the beach, most of the wines come off as simple, one-dimensional, and yeoman. While we love the concept of that all-purpose, crisp, vibrant white to go with all manner of fare, there has to be more.

Ambience, and the fact that most vinho verdes are laughably cheap in Portugal, do a lot to contribute to the Vinho Verde experience. It is simply ‘happy wine’ to be quaffed with gusto. On this side of the pond there needs to be some separation. Only a few examples are any more than just ‘functional white wine’. But a few rise to the next level and raise the bar for the entire genre.

Those are good enough to make people take them seriously because they not only provide that clean counterpoint to a wide variety of nibbles, but they have something to say on their own. That is a small group of wines, but those best examples take you beyond something functional and forgettable into something that has broader applications.

Some years ago we ran across Soalheiro from the northernmost point of Portugal, quite near Galicia in fact, clearly a winery that took their business a lot more seriously than most. It was evident they were working to infuse much more character in their wines. Our first experience with them was an Alvarinho (what the Portuguese call Albarino) some years ago. It was one of the best ‘Alvarinhos’ we had ever had outside of Spain.

By comparison, and we’re presuming it has something to do with the more inland vineyard location, the Portuguese model shows a little less salinity but a touch more of a floral and honeyed aspect. Absolutely delicious and lifted, the Soalheiro Alvarinho Vinho Verde 2017 functions like a deluxe version of the genre and takes it to a new level.

Wine Advocate says of this perennial winner, “The 2017 Alvarinho is dry…colloquially known as the “classico,” the flagship unoaked Alvarinho, is typically one of the finest values in Vinho Verde. It ages effortlessly. It’s concentrated and structured. Plus, with 100,000 bottles produced, there’s enough of it to make it a little easier to acquire than some specialty bottlings. Sourced from 25-year-old vines, this shows off that bit of “Soalheiro Green,” as I like to call it, then adds a big finish and a concentrated mid-palate to accompany the herbs. Ripe, fruity and surprisingly accessible this year, this shows very well from the get-go… 92 Points!”

We were also quite excited with this new (to us anyway) value offering from Soalheiro, both made and priced like other Vinho Verdes. This one is a blend of Alvarinho and Louriero grown in granite soils and harvested by hand into small crates. Cold nights, slow fermentation in stainless steel, this is a lively, crisp, perhaps more casual offering but, again, a joy in the glass. Good notes from Advocate on the Soalheiro Allo Vinho Verde 2017 as well, “This is another punch-above-your-weight wine from Vinho Verde in general and Soalheiro in particular. It’s not quite as deep as the monovarietal Alvarinho, but it has fine concentration for an inexpensive blend nonetheless. Plus, there’s that little bit extra in those other areas—flavor and aromatics. Then, there’s the acidity… 91 Points.”

The category provides an outstanding choice for aperitif and lighter cuisine (particularly shellfish) during the warmer times of the year. The Soalheiro has been a star around here for some time, the ‘Allo’ clearly destined to be one.