Time for me to contribute - many thanks to our favorite WB Portugal ambassador, Tomas Costa, for the tip on this one.
1999 Viuva Gomes Tinto, Colares, Portugal (11% alc.)
On the nose raspberries, dried cherries, tobacco, some St.-Joseph-like minerality - blood and iron. On the palate, the wine is highly structured, with a fresh red-fruited core of tart strawberry pit, red currants, and grippy but elegant tannins. Very interesting and unique, the oxidative notes intermingle with fruit notes and mineral notes. This kept developing in the glass and probably needs multiple hours in the decanter to show its best. I tasted with a 1 hr decant. I couldn’t find how long this has aged in the barrel before bottling, but I guess quite a few years, in a similar vein to Lopez de Heredia’s. In my mind, this is a tarter, more mineral, cooler (as in cooler climate) Barbaresco. Incredibly elegant and structured, great tartness, high acidity, mineral streak, perhaps a menage a trois between Lopez de Heredia’s Tondonia Reserva, a structured chalky-soil Barbaresco, and a cool-year, mineral-driven St.-Joseph, all with some age on it. Perhaps not so much Barbaresco and more St-Joseph, depending on how much aeration the wine sees and how much it opens up. I’m still tasting it and keep changing my mind with every sip. Wow!
Equally thanks to Tomás (you should be charging a management fee really ), we had this 1997 Tapada de Coelheiros in the glass yesterday.
At first fairly reticent, some time in the glass released heaps of black fruit, bayleaf, fresh herbs, bayleaf and something meaty. I sniffed the leftovers tonight and somehow found some coconut cream in there as well…
The ‘98 we had tried previously was a bit richer and more immediately open. I guess that was a warmer vintage?
Overall though, very happy with this wine and looking forward to trying its sibling from 96! And the label is just awesome:
Every vintage is warm in Alentejo, where thermometers invariably hit 45-50 Celsius in the summer. I was wondering if the 1998 you had was the Garrafeira. Those wines see longer elevage and possibly more rigorous sorting. If your 1996 is Garrafeira, you’re in for a treat: it is many critics’ absolute favorite Coelheiros, and Revista de Vinhos’ recent vertical tasting confirmed this.
I love the labels too! The images are of traditional Arraiolos rugs, close to where Herdade de Coelheiros is located. I’m not nearly as fond of their newer labels.
Putting this TN post here rather than as a separate thread . . . 2019 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Branco, Douro, Portugal
Pale but true gold with maybe (just my imagination?) slight tinge of pink. The nose as usual for me is mute. First taste is fruit and mineral. Lemon and apple, perhaps some tropical as well. Mineral and stone and chalk. Lingering chalk on the finish. Very, very nice wine! Pleasant drinking alone and also went well with tonight’s goat cheese-dominant weekly cheese plate. I scrutinized my wife for her impression of the wine, but resisted asking her directly. Somewhere mid-second glass she announced. “Nice wine!”. I agree. Highly recommended.
Luís Seabra was the former winemaker at Niepoort, and he has carried on his lower ABV philosophy in his solo projects. The Niepoort Redoma, in both colors, is 12.5%. There are certainly enough high altitude vineyards in the Douro to provide wines on the fresher side of the spectrum, particularly whites.
I just finished up an “enhanced Portugal wine touring opportunity” in a Zoom session with Dirk and Daniel Niepoort sponsored by Astor wines. Interesting background info to a traditionally (and still) Port producing family now in their 6th generation. Dirk is an interesting and opinionated guy and I enjoyed listening to him on a variety of subjects. Niepoort has been branching out to table wines, not only in the Duoro but in other wine regions in Portugal. Four wines were featured in the Zoom tasting session and I purchased two of the wines beforehand that especially interested me.
2019 Redoma Branco. A “field blend” of many varieties. The initial taste impression was foreign to me with a first read of tart citrus and berry along with mineral and stone. As this white wine warmed the fruit became rounder and more pleasing to me. A different wine, but one that might grow on me if I gave it some time.
2019 Nat’Cool Red. Maybe a nod to the natural wine movement, but also a treatment of the Bairrada Baga grape in a fresh, fruity style. Meant to be slightly chilled I think, and the first taste revealed some tart and pleasing fruit – cranberry, raspberry, but also an almost discordant taste of what I will euphemistacally call “earth”. This is a new wine variety for me and took some adjustment, but as I drank a couple of small glasses the flavors and overall impression of the wine grew on me.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable 90 minutes or so visiting online and tasting these wines. I look forward to the time (soon!?) when I can actually visit Portugal and some of its wine regions.
Ha! He might have had it on, Tomás, I am not sure though. One thing I am pretty sure about is that Dirk will not be planting cow horns filled with manure anytime soon. Cheers.
Ha! He might have had it on, Tomás, I am not sure though. One thing I am pretty sure about is that Dirk will not be planting cow horns filled with manure anytime soon. Cheers.
Actually, Quinta do Baixo, at least, is fully biodynamic. I’ve seen the chest full of the herbal ingredients and the box of cow horns!
Portugal was the last international trip we took before Covid. We went in the fall of 2019. Saw only a small part of the country, but I can say with certainty that the Duoro Valley is breathtakingly beautiful. Fond memories of a short cruise on the river and a port tasting followed by our daughter playing on a local playground with a boy from whatever town we were in, I forget now. We stayed at Vidago Palace (did a good tasting in their wine room with their Somm, and it has a fun golf course too if you play) and the Yeatman (great cigar room) and happily recommend both.
I still don’t know much about Portuguese wine but at least now I know more than I did before that trip. Hopefully someday can expand on that with another visit.
Again, putting a TN post here rather than as a separate thread . . .
2018 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Tinto, Douro, Portugal
Here is the red twin to the white tasted earlier. Deep magenta and crimson, the wine is a blend of several grape varieties. I am surprised at the taste, but in a positive way. It is not the brooding wine that I somewhat expected from a Portuguese red (without enough experience to justify that assumption BTW). Slightly tart but tasty fruit, Lively, with a bright taste and mouthfeel. Reminds me a bit of some pinot noir that I have tasted from Oregon, and maybe even more of Beaujolais. Some flowery stuff going on as well. Became more and more enjoyable to sip by itself and the wine held up well with our meatloaf dinner tonight. Recommended.
You should put going to Portugal with Roy Hersh on your bucket list. I went on my own in 2015,2017 and joined one of Roy’s tours in 2019. Assuming we can go this year, I will join him again this fall.
Roy’s tours are fabulous. He’s friends with many producers and will get inside tours and tastes. Even have lunch or dinner at a winemaker’s home. 100+ year old Port anyone? This year’s tours are selling out already. Many had to cancel last year and are trying to make up lost time. If you go, be prepared to exercise the liver beforehand.
In Portugal right now and thoroughly enjoying the food and experimenting with the wines, about which I know nothing! Had the 2019 soalheiro alvarinho this evening. Richly fruited and with lovely balance. Great with some prawns in garlic. Also tried the touriga nacional rose a few times this week - exactly what you’d want from a rose.
Staff all wear masks. Guests can dine inside without masks but when you stand up from the table you need to put a mask on. Need masks everywhere else inside. Need pcr test within 72 hours before arrival and complete an online locator form. Outside no need for masks anywhere.
We’re in Sagres right in the south west tip of portugal. Seems like it has its own micro climate here, never getting above 25C even in the height of summer!
), we had this 1997 Tapada de Coelheiros in the glass yesterday.
rose a few times this week - exactly what you’d want from a rose.