TN: Some Portuguese disappointments

In late 2021 an online Portuguese wine shop approached me and asked if I was interested on a tasting sample case. Why not? thought I. I replied by telling which kinds of wines I liked and which I didn’t and I’m not going to write any glowing reviews if I don’t like the wine. I was told that they were going to send an interesting selection of different wines throughout the country which would be to my pleasing.

Well, these are the wines I got.

Instead of having these wines to myself (which, as an afterthought, would’ve been a chore rather than a fun task), I decided to have a small blind tasting to my wino friends with these bottles. Sharing is caring and so forth.

While some wines were a bit divisive - some people enjoyed some wines more whereas I was more critical about them, while other wines weren’t considered as good as I thought they were - the overall consensus was that these wines weren’t of particularly great quality. None of them prompted anyone in the attendance to order any of the wines from the wine shop (from which many of us have ordered wine in the past), so I find it hard to write any positive words on most of these wines.

Fortunately a few wines were actually pretty good and I wouldn’t mind drinking them again in the future. Still, I was left pretty disappointed by the overall quality of the wines - especially when I know the shop in question has tons of superb Portuguese wines in their selection! And I don’t mean expensive flagship wines, cult rarities, Vintage Ports or anything like that, but just terrific everyday reds and whites in the range of 10-20€. Had these wines been interesting and of great quality, I would’ve had no problems once again returning to blogging about wines, but with these wines I just didn’t want to even bother - I just wrote these short summaries in CT and that’s all.

Such a shame, really, because I myself love Portuguese wines and I’m always interested in tasting anything new. I really wouldn’t want to write anything negative, but I’d rather tell directly how I thought about wines instead of trying to come up with friendly euphemisms just to tell people these wines suck without saying it out loud myself.

Finally, what kind of name is blend.pt for a wine? Who gives that kind of name to a wine? Have they ever heard of search engine optimization? Why even give such a name to a wine when the www.blend.pt website is for sports apparel? I’m not sure if the wine even has a website! So many questions, so little answers.

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Youthful yellow-green color. Somewhat dull and industrial nose with some plastic aromas, a little bit of perfumed hand lotion, light woolly tones, a hint of red apple and a candied, primary touch of gummi bear candies. Overall the nose doesn’t give much. The wine is somewhat understated and slightly thin on the palate with a medium body and quite restrained flavors of lavender, some crunchy white currant, light bitter notes of quince, a little bit of sappy herbal spice, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of wool. High acidity. The finish is short, somewhat dull and slightly bitter with some chemical notes of plastic or thinner, light herbal notes of lavender and a crunchy hint of apple.

Meh. A simple, somewhat thin and quite understated Alentejano white with a rather unpleasant, slightly chemical overall character. Tastes like a cheap white wine made with grapes not farmed quality in mind. People who tasted this blind commented how the wine has a vaguely Portuguese overall feel, but is so insipid in character that it could really come from anywhere. At just 5,43€ the wine isn’t expensive, but it still doesn’t manage to deliver for the price. (67 pts.)

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Slightly translucent blackish-red color with a subtle, youthful blueish hue. The nose feels youthful with aromas of ripe blackberries, some cherries, light licorice notes, a little bit of sweet blueberry, light peppery tones and a disjointed hint of oaky wood spice. The wine feels dry and juicy with a medium body and rather linear and somewhat thin flavors of fresh blackberries, peppery spice, some licorice, light stony mineral notes and a tart hint of crunchy crowberries. The wine is high in acidity with quite gently grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry and slightly grippy with crunchy medium-long flavors of peppery spice and dry oaky wood spice, some crowberries, a little bit of brambly blackberry and a hint of fresh blueberry.

A rather simple but also somewhat decent little Portuguese red. Overall the wine feels a bit simple, linear and slightly thin, but at least it comes across as enjoyably dry, high in acidity and balanced. However, the oak influence seems a bit disjointed here and it seems to grow in intensity as the wine opens up with air, making me think the wine must be fermented and/or aged with oak chips or staves - at this price point I don’t expect the wine to see any new oak barrels, but oak adjuncts are always a possibility, and to me this wine feels like a guilty party. All in all, this is really not a wine I’d ever buy for myself, but if one needs to have a lot of some inexpensive and inoffensive red for a large party, this is something that might fit the bill at its current price of 5,43€. (81 pts.)

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Youthful yellow-green color. Somewhat sappy and slightly vegetal, greenish nose, reminding me a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of rhubarb stalk, some peachy stone fruit, light pineapple notes, a little bit of perfumed lychee, a hint of passion fruit and a primary, almost candied touch of banana. The wine is youthful, dry and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with the mildest touch of CO2 prickle on the tongue. Rather linear flavors of crunchy quince and plantain or almost unripe banana, some sappy herbal tones, a little bit of rhubarb, light tart notes of passion fruit and a hint of white peach. High acidity. The medium-long finish is lively, fresh and quite acid-driven with crisp, youthful flavors of tart green apples and crunchy quince, some sappy herbal tones, a little bit of almost leafy vegetal greenness and a touch of passion fruit.

This was a simple, linear and surprisingly light effort for a Douro white. I’ve grown to expect Douro whites to be bold, tropical and weighty, but this turned out to be light in body and alcohol, high in acidity and veering more towards herbal and almost vegetal greenness rather than the tropical end of the spectrum. Nothing particularly bad here, this was just a very simple and uninspiring everyday white that seemed to offer very little of anything. Priced according to its quality at just 7,08€. (77 pts.)

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  • 2017 Quinta da Capela Douro blend.pt - Portugal, Douro (9.11.2021)
    A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Amarela, sourced from Baixo-Corgo. 13,5% alcohol.

Brooding, very dark and almost completely opaque black cherry color. Youthful, fruit-forward nose with aromas of ripe dark fruits, some savory spices, a little bit of fresh black cherry, light inky tones, a boozy hint of alcohol and a pungent touch of peppery spice. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and rather linear on the palate with bright but also a bit light flavors of crunchy dark berries, some slightly woody - possibly stemmy - notes, a little bit of tart chokeberry, light inky tones, an extracted hint of bitterness and a touch of alcohol warmth. The wine is enjoyably firm and sinewy, thanks to its moderately high acidity and rather grippy tannins, but also slightly thin and lacking in intensity. The finish is fresh, somewhat grippy and medium in length with a bit light flavors of crunchy dark berries, some sour cherry bitterness, light inky tones, a little bit of dry and slightly stemmy woody character and a hint of astringent chokeberry.

A rather linear, slightly underwhelming and quite generic but also enjoyably structured and firm Douro red. Doesn’t offer much depth or character, but nevertheless works as a decent everyday red. This is also a rather reliable choice for its price (7,74€), if one is looking for an affordable and stylistically quite traditional buffet wine for occasions that call for a more serious food wine rather than a simple and easy drinking wine. However, Douro geeks don’t need to bother; this feels like a simple, underwhelming red wine made from grapes that are farmed quantity - not quality - in mind. (83 pts.)

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Pale, very neutral whitish-green color. Very youthful, fragrant and quite primary nose with pretty straightforward but also rather intense aromas of ripe pear and even some candied pear drop tones, some perfumed floral notes and fragrant hand lotion nuances, a little bit of grapey fruit and a zesty hint of citrus fruits. The wine is crisp, zippy and very slightly prickly on the palate with a light body and crunchy flavors of Granny Smith apple and tart, lemony citrus fruits, some floral notes, a little bit of ripe grapey fruit, light steely mineral nuances, a hint of chalky bitterness and a candied primary touch of pear drops. The acidity feels rather high - it feels higher at first, due to the boost that the CO2 gives, but drops a little when the fizz fades. The finish is quite long, steely and mouth-cleansing with dry flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some perfumed floral notes, a little bit of fresh grapey fruit and a hint of Granny Smith apple.

A nice, fresh and zippy little Vinho Verde. The “Reserva” in the name feels like a little bit of exaggeration, since this doesn’t feel a particularly ambitious effort for a Vinho Verde, but instead just a typical, simple and refreshing little wine the region is known for - the only atypical characteristic here is that the wine is a varietal Loureiro wine, as normally these simple VVs are blends of multiple different local varieties. All in all, a nice, linear and enjoyably mineral everyday white. I can imagine it could be a notch better if left to age long enough so that the primary pear drop notes fade, but otherwise this is most likely at its best in its youth. Excellent value at mere 3,90€. (85 pts.)

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  • 2019 Quinta Valle Madruga Grande Reserva - Portugal, Trás-os-Montes (9.11.2021)
    A special bottling of Valle Madruga’s Reserva Branco, produced only in exceptional vintages. A blend of Gouveio, Viosinho, Malvasia Fina and Fernão Pires. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels. 13% alcohol.

Quite deep and moderately concentrated yellow-green color. Quite rich and expressive nose with ripe yet not overtly sweet-toned aromas of clover honey, some melon notes of cantaloupe or honeydew melon, light fragrant notes of exotic spices, a sappy hint of herbal spice and a touch of creamy oak. The wine feels juicy and somewhat concentrated yet relatively light and airy on the palate with a medium body and ripe yet dry flavors of peach, some apple cobbler, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of honeysuckle, a hint of dried aromatic herbs and a touch of savory wood spice. Moderately high acidity lends good sense of balance to the wine. The finish is lively, ripe and subtly oily with a slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of honeysuckle, spicy red apple, some nectarine, a little bit of cantaloupe, light creamy oak tones, a hint of beeswax and a touch of savory wood spice.

An enjoyably characterful and rich white wine from Trás-os-Montes that is relatively light and fresh in body, yet surprisingly bold and concentrated in character. Not the most complex or impressive Portuguese white wine out there, but nevertheless shows great character and nice depth of flavor along with good sense of balance. Thoroughly enjoyable now, but I can see this gaining additional depth and complexity over the next handful of years. Priced according to its quality at 18,05€. (91 pts.)

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Quite intense greenish-yellow color. Ripe, fragrant nose with expressive and rather tropical aromas of banana and papaya, some sweet floral notes, a little bit of assorted exotic fruits, light sweet nuances of poached pears and a vague, leesy hint of creamy richness. The wine feels ripe and somewhat concentrated but also surprisingly fresh and acid-driven on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of pineapple, some plantain, light floral notes of honeysuckle, a little bit of leesy creaminess, a hint of herbal bitterness and a touch of stony minerality. The high acidity lends good sense of structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is bright, ripe and somewhat sweet-toned with long, tropical flavors of plantain, some exotic floral nuances, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light stony mineral notes, a hint of fresh pineapple and a slightly bitter touch of pithy pomelo.

A fresh, balanced and fruity Algarve red that shows quite a bit of ripeness, but also some nice, acid-driven zip that keeps the wine from coming across as heavy, soft or too sweetly-fruited. Nothing particularly complex, but a well-made and enjoyable effort for a Vinho Regional from Algarve, all the same. Drinking really nicely right now and probably will at least keep, if not improve, for a good handful of years more. Solid value at 11,47€. (89 pts.)

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  • 2018 Herdade Barranco do Vale Castelão Reserva - Portugal, Algarve, Vinho Regional Algarve (9.11.2021)
    100% Castelão from 20-yo vineyards. Aged for 12 months on the lees. 13,5% alcohol, 0,6 g/l residual sugar, 4,68 g/l acidity, VA 0,61 g/l and pH 3,74.

Moderately translucent cherry-red color with a thin, clear rim. Ridiculously overdone, sweet and candied nose with intense aromas of pine tar-flavored candies and lifted menthol notes, followed by heady notes of cloves and vanilla extract, some figgy fruit, light wizened black cherry nuances and vague hints of very ripe dark berries. There’s some fruit here, but the exact nuances just get badly overwhelmed by the oak aromatics. The wine is soft, sweet-toned and heavily oak-driven on the palate with a medium body and lush flavors of clove-driven Christmas spices, tar-flavored candies, some vanilla, light lifted, green notes of menthol, fennel and peppermint, a little bit of overripe strawberry and a hint of licorice. The acidity feels quite modest and the relatively light tannins don’t bring much firmness to the wine. The finish is rich, sweet-toned in oak aromatics and gently grippy with rather long flavors of cloves, vanilla and other mulled wine spices, some notes of pine tar, a little bit of raspberry jam, light spicy notes of woody oak and a hint of overripe strawberry.

Ugh, this was pretty horrible for my taste. Although the wine is supposed to be a regular Vinho Regional from Algarve, this drank more like a mulled wine where somebody just forgot the sugar. The heavily overdone, sweet oak aromatics overwhelm most of the fruity characteristics and what little one can make out of the wine are so sweet-toned they feel more jammy and marmaladey than fresh and precise. Structurally the wine is found wanting. Although the wine is very youthful and primary right now, it really doesn’t seem to hold much promise for future and I doubt any amount of cellaring would make this wine any more interesting. Waste of money at 11,47€. (68 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

It’s no surprise Valle Madruga got the best score from you. I am not aware of any cheap plonk made in Trás-os-Montes: the land is expensive to farm, and you won’t make it if you’re not a quality oriented producer. Their wines should only get better now that they’ve hired Joana Pinhão to be their winemaker. The rest of the selection they sent you reminds me of the junk that often shows up for me in blind tastings for the magazine, most of it from Ribatejo, Alentejo and Algarve. There is simply no excuse to put out mediocrities like these given the sea of terrific sub-10€ wines in Portugal. I would happily pitch wines like the Niepoort Dão labels in both colors (around 7€), the Kompassus entry levels (6€) or the Quinta da Biaia entry levels (5,50€) to someone looking for the meaning of astonishing/unbelievable wine value.

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Thanks for the very detailed TNs…and also comments by Tomas. Very helpful…as I am news to Portuguese white wine.

Sharing is caring? Remind me not to make you upset before a blind tasting :rofl::rofl:

Abeit the disappointments, I also care about and appreciate the Portuguese wine TNs as there’s hardly any in these message boards here and I wouldn’t mind the insights, any insights.

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