I am fully (and happily) recovered from Covid as far as my senses of smell and taste are concerned, and only just beginning to crack open a few above average bottles. It’s never felt better!
This particular bottle of the 2008 white Tapada do Chaves Vinhas Velhas (old vines) was much better than my last one a few months ago. An unspecified blend of Arinto, Antão Vaz, Assario, Tamarez and Roupeiro, it was decanted for around 30 minutes and poured a healthy golden color, with a complex nose of herbs, propolis, grapefruit and sourdough. There was terrific cut to the palate and a persistence that was round and generous, somewhat displaying its 14% abv without feeling out of balance or over the top. This bottle in a terrific example of why the Alentejo, which in purely geographical and administrative terms is a vast region that covers the entire southern third of the Portuguese mainland, should be thought of as eight small, highly distinctive subregions as far as wine appellations are concerned. The peculiar acidity that comes from the wines of Portalegre makes it an oasis of winemaking, a distinct contrast to so many mediocre Alentejo whites which are stuffed with tartaric acid just to make ends meet. This is thanks to the lifesaving freshness of the S. Mamede mountain range, a humid, cool climate which stands in stark contrast to the stereotypical Alentejo flatland.
I came across this pristine bottle of 1989 Suduiraut which is drinking beautifully: typical Sauternes notes of orange marmalade, burnt caramel, quince and honey with a palate that has great acidic edge over the sweetness. It would have paired fantastically with a soft cheese like Serra da Estrela (gastronomical ecumenism…) but I had to make do with baked apples, which wasn’t all that bad. This doesn’t scratch your spiritual G spot like a great Yquem, but it’s a lovely dessert wine all the same.
