Wines (36 View)

Organic

91 points Wine Advocate
The varietal 2024 Muros Antigos Alvarinho is their entry-level Alvarinho, linked to Melgaço, from slopes where there's more granite and less alluvial elements, silt and clay, higher altitude vineyards and shallower soils. In drier years, the vines suffer more, but that's not the case in 2024. This has some austerity and a vibrant palate, serious, still elegant, floral and perfumed, varietal with restraint. It comes in at 12.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.14 and 5.9 grams of acidity, which means harmony and balance.

Organic

60% Loureiro, 30% Avesso, 10% Arinto
From all native Portuguese grapes, the prevalent grape in this blend is Loureiro. António and Sara vinify their wines by parcel rather than by varietal, which means this Vinho Verde is a direct product of the vineyard from which it came. Biotite, the cuvé’s namesake, is the dominant mineral present in the soils of this vineyard, lending a racy mineral quality to this wine. Grapes are handpicked and pressed in a pneumatic press while cold. Fermentation begins using only natural yeasts in stainless steel vats, after which the wine is aged in steel. Tart and racy with beautiful aromatics. Lovely texture from the lees and a dry crisp finish. Still wine, no effervescence. 12.5% abv

Organic / Natural

95 points Wine Advocate
The old-vine white 2021 Vinhas Velhas Branco was produced with the fruit from some 15 small plots of old vines aged between 60 and 130 years of age and planted with a myriad of old varieties (S??ria, Bical, Fern??o Pires, Encruzado, Arinto, Cerceal and Malvasia Fina) on slopes with granite soils. It's inspired by the natural vinification of some Burgundy wines. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter barrels for 12 months and a further 10 months in stainless steel. It has moderate ripeness and alcohol (12%) with a pH of 3.33 and 5.29 grams of acidity. It has an incredible nose that is nuanced, complex, elegant and changing, with notes of herbs, wild flowers and earth. It has a very tasty and saline palate that is subtle with great purity of flavors, clean and precise. It reminds me of some whites from Ganevat. 7,900 bottles produced. As always, it was bottled with full malolactic, unfiltered and unfined. It was bottled in April 2023.

Organic / Natural

93 points Wine Advocate
The old-vine red 2021 Vinhas Velhas Tinto comes from different plots of mixed varieties, 75% of them Baga, Jaen and Tinta Amarela and the rest some 20 old varieties, some almost lost, Marufo, Tinta Pinheira, Negro Mouro, Tinta Carvalha, Bastardo, Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet and many others. The fermentation was inspired by Henri Jayer, a cold soak and a soft vinification, he calls an infusion. It matured in 225-, 400-, 500- and 600-liter oak barrels for 18 months. It has 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.69 and 6.01 grams of acidity. Madeira told me that the search is "for a wine with intense flavors, depth, mineral, fresh and with salivating saltiness, a wine for the table." In 2021, the wines have lower alcohol, and somehow, this wine feels a little more marked by the oak despite the fact that the oak was all used. It has fine tannins and good freshness, very tasty flavors and a fine thread. 7,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2023.

António Madeira is one of the leading quality producers in Dão despite being quite young in the regions. He came back from France and established his operation in Dão in 2010. He has seven hectares of vines spread over 20 different plots, five of them old—50 to 130 years of age—in the villages of Santa Marinha, São Martinho, Paços da Serra, Vales and Vodra e Pinhanços. He works biodynamically but has no certification. The wines are all fermented with indigenous yeasts, with no oenological products and minimal sulfur. He now produces 60,000 bottles—up from 30,000—since he enlarged the winery in 2021, and he grew with entry-level wines from purchased wines. This is the first time his wines have been tasted and reviewed by The Wine Advocate, and it was certainly the coup de coeur in this article. The vintage seems to have a big impact in the quality of the wines, and the ones from 2021 were clearly better than the ones from 2020 and 2022.

80% Aragonez, 20% Alicante Bouschet. Vines planted in 2002. Tended in sandy and loam soil at 250 m (820 ft) elevation.

Dark garnet tinged purple. On the nose, lush blueberry, plum and red cherry aromas, overlaid with slate mineral. On the palate, a core of red cherry and blueberry fruit is wrapped with hints of fresh tobacco, black pepper and spice. Plush and refreshing all at once.

The fruit for Aplanta comes from a community vineyard, creating a liquid link between the person enjoying this wine and the beautiful story of Aldeia da Luz and its people. Emblematic of the style of the area, this wine is proof that “it takes a village!” Aplanta is also part of the "Vinos Regionales" collection by Vinos del Atlantico. This special collection celebrates the natural beauty of each region in its purest form without manipulation. The wines are balanced, ready to drink, yet they are full of soul and character. The mission of this regional collection is to preserve the land, its people, and their traditions.

Organic / Natural / Orange Wine

100% Loureiro
This Loureiro is sourced from Rui Paiva, nephew and neighbor of our friend, Prof. Fernando Paiva, in the nearby town of Lixa. Upon arrival at the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and moved to the stainless-steel tanks to start the fermentation at 15ºC. At this point 500gm/kg of ground chestnut flowers are added and mixed into the mass. These grapes were kept with pellicular maceration for 4 weeks, then pressed and returned to stainless-steel tank to undergo malolactic fermentation. In February it is blended and bottled with the addition of 10% of another Loureiro which was vinified in amphora and had a skin-contact maceration for 4 weeks. At bottling 25mg/l of SO2 is added.

70/30 blend of Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira, aged for 15 months in new French oak. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. Far more elegant and graceful than the regular Tinto, this is equally powerful but not as jammy, not as dense and far fresher. Here, the fruit is expressed better. There is still intensity of flavor, without the same heaviness, without the same stolid demeanor. It's tightly wound and beautifully balanced. This is nicely done.

With flavors of dried figs, apricots and crushed hazlenuts, this tawny port -- a blend of mostly old vintages with a few more recent annums blended in to liven things up a bit -- manages to purport richness on the palate, but with a fresh, fine finish that feels deliciously bright instead of weighty. We love this with a post-meal plate of salty, nutty cheeses and nuts, or served slightly chilled for a pre-dinner appetite rev. -- PJ

Silky and plush, this tawny sees about 3 years of barrel aging in small oak casks, giving it a rich, amber hue and deliciously decadent notes of butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, and dried fig. For port-lovers, this a great every-day sipper for the price -- a little bit of luxury in the middle of the week! -- PJ

Young, grapey and robust. Its flavors are dominated by raisin, plum and chocolate. Simple, straightforward and delicious, with a moderate grip. - WS84

Dessert Wine

100% Verdelho
Painstaking manual viticulture on pure basalt
Gentle pressing followed by fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless
Primary alcoholic suspended at about 85 g/L residual sugar with the addition of neutral grape spirit
Aged in used French oak casks for 12 years before bottling
18% ABV
Lajido is the local name for volcanic rock

Organic

Touriga Franca, Tincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Syrah
VINEYARD
This red is made from their estate fruit in Vidigueria and is a blend of Syrah, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet.
SOIL
A mix of granite and limestone rich soils.
VITICULTURE
Organic and regenerative farming. Harvests are done by hand and at night.
VINIFICATION
The wine is fermented spontaneously with 30% whole cluster and gentle extractions.
AGING
The wine ages in old French oak for 12 months before blending and spending an additional 12 months in stainless steel.
NOTES
2020 is the first harvest after changing to regenerative organic farming.

There's something so luscious and decadent about this fruit-forward port, but with an underlying elegance and complexity that makes it stand out from the NV crowd. Ripe black and red plums, fresh Mission figs, and plump, juicy raisins dominate the palate here, with a velvety texture that won't quit. Grab the closest bar of good dark chocolate and have at it. -- PJ

Founded in 1820, and today housed in cellars that date from 1619, this small jewel of a company is still owned by the same family, its vineyard holdings built up over time through a series of marriages with other wine-producing families. Displaying a nutty, slightly toasty nose, with flavours of hazelnuts, and orange peel. The high acidity makes the wine taste dry on the palate, with a smooth, long, and memorable finish.

#26 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

93 points Wine Spectator
Sleek and fresh, with dark plum and blackberry notes laced with singed alder and ganache. Shows nice drive through the polished finish as the fruit expands. Drink now through 2031.

What's so lovely about Dow's non-vintage tawny is how wonderfully bouyant it is. Sure, it's got the intense, concentrated, succulent, dried-fruit sweetness you expect in an after-dinner sipper, but there are lovely notes of orange citrus and almond here that keep it aloft on your palate, and nicely complement a hunk of Asiago or Fontina cheese. -- PJ

100% Touriga Na??ional. Sustainably grown vines on average 30 years old .Tended in schist rocky soil at 300-400 m (984 -1,312 ft) elevation. 30 day maceration with spontaneous wild yeast fermentation. Cold stabilized, and racked to stainless steel for 3 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Dark purple. On the nose, fresh boysenberry, blackberry, plum and blueberry are commingled with a ferrous mineral note and wild notes of beef blood, anise and rose petals. On the palate, intense and lush, but light on its feet. The blue and black fruit are framed beautifully by fresh flowers and slate-tinged mineral. Finishes long, with a whiff of white pepper.

This is an expression of Portugal?????s most well-known grape, Touriga Na??ional, that manages to be both evocative of the terroir of the Alentejo and a uniquely fresh take on the ?????king of Portugal.????? Carbonic maceration and careful attention to maintenance of acidity give this wine a beautiful duality of ripe fruit paired with floral and even juicy citrus notes. An excellent red wine for white wine lovers.

Good medium-deep red. Aromas of red fruits, tar and smoked meat. Fat, lush and sweet; flavors of black cherry and earth. Slightly fiery but persistent back end. - IWC87

Dense ruby/purple-colored, with an exotic, exuberant perfume of black fruits, flowers, incense, and licorice, this unctuously-textured, full-bodied port is one of the most concentrated of the vintage. Sweet, expansive, and succulent, this large-scaled, but remarkably well-balanced effort is surprisingly forward and accessible... - WA95

Organic

Well-rounded and harmonious with concentrated fruit flavors of peaches yellow plums, apricots and floral notes while mineral on the palate with long mouth-watering finish. 50% Encruzado, 15% Malvasia Fina, 15% Bical, 15% Cerceal Branco, 5% others (co-ferment). After harvest, some grapes undergo 24 hours of skin contact, with the remainder pressed whole-cluster into cement and steel tanks. Following spontaneous fermentation, the wine ages on its lees for six months.

Natalia Jessa is the mastermind behind Gota which has a simple yet bold objective: craft aromatically-driven, authentic fine wines of Portugal, while remaining value-conscious. Her many prior travels throughout Portuguese wine country on behalf of one of Europe’s major food markets enabled Natalia to develop invaluable relationships and gain access to some of the most exciting and as-of-yet undiscovered wineries and vineyards. She collaborates with them, as negociant, to select grapes that capture the optimal expression of a vintage. Vineyards are dry-farmed. Vines are ungrafted. To preserve fruit aromatics, winemaking utilizes ambient yeast and minimizes oak use. Adhering to tradition, wines are varietal blends and grapes are only native (no international varietals). Gota means "drop", referring to the humble origins of this project.

Organic

A blend of the native varietals Jaén and Tinta Roriz. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks and traditional, open-topped stone lagares. Most of the grapes are destemmed before fermentation. The grapes undergo seven to 28 days of skin contact. aging for 6 months in cement and used barrel. A full but restrained mouthfeel reveals delightful plum and black currant notes. Intriguing herbal, or garrigue, element coyly pokes its head out. This is a dry, easy-drinking value from Portugal that may surprise you with how much it has to offer. It surprised me!

Natalia Jessa is the mastermind behind Gota which has a simple yet bold objective: craft aromatically-driven, authentic fine wines of Portugal, while remaining value-conscious. Her many prior travels throughout Portuguese wine country on behalf of one of Europe’s major food markets enabled Natalia to develop invaluable relationships and gain access to some of the most exciting and as-of-yet undiscovered wineries and vineyards. She collaborates with them, as negociant, to select grapes that capture the optimal expression of a vintage. Vineyards are dry-farmed. Vines are ungrafted. To preserve fruit aromatics, winemaking utilizes ambient yeast and minimizes oak use. Adhering to tradition, wines are varietal blends and grapes are only native (no international varietals). Gota means "drop", referring to the humble origins of this project.

This is rich on the nose, with candied fruit, fruitcake, toffee and maple syrup. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with a brilliant aftertaste of fruit and caramel. Lasts for minutes on your palate. - WS92

Not as balanced as the 10-year-old. Really vibrant masses of honey, butterscotch and creme brulee flavors. Medium-bodied, very fresh, long honey and orange peel finish. - WS88

Light and fruity, with a slightly nutty character. Medium body and sweetness, with a light, silky finish. - WS81

91 points Wine Enthusiast
The wine is rich, finely textured and with solid tannins. The wine's black fruits back up the ripe texture It is going to be ready from 2024. Best Buy.

This hand-crafted wine is a blend of native Alentejo grapes Trincadeira and Aragonez plus a touch of Syrah for added body. The fruit is sourced from 1,000 ft high schist and limestone vineyards surrounding the J. Portugal Ramos Vila Santa winery. Unoaked, it is fresh and fruity while maintaining a plush mouthfeel.

This winemaker is so good at his job that the locals named the country after him! No, not really, but he is really good at his job; after all, Joao Portugal Ramos is one of Portugal’s most famous winemakers. Before he began making his own wines, he was a pioneering wine consultant for many wineries. Joao planted his own vineyards in Estremoz, Alentejo, in 1989. Since then, the area of vineyards has increased, with the aim of obtaining in each vintage a careful selection of grapes for producing exceptional wines

 His Reserva red 2021 is the perfect midweek wine for those on a budget. This medium-bodied red leans more towards full-bodied than light, even without the use of oak barrels. The wine displays typical Portuguese character with a bit of grip on the finish. If you are tired of drinking the same old Cabernet Sauvignon, give this a try!

Dark red color with hints of caramel and floral notes on the nose. This red is bursting with tremendous red berry flavors and has a surprisingly pleasant lingering finish.

Bright garnet. High-toned red and blue fruit aromas, tinged with wet stone and violets. On the palate, lush, but with bright acidity to balance the red cherry and pomegranate fruit. White pepper, slate and herbal aromas overlay the core of fruit on a juicy, fresh finish. 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Amarela, 20% Tinta Roriz, 10% Rufete, 10% Tinta Barroca, 5% Malvasia Preta, 5% Donzelinho Tinto. Sustainably farmed vineyards planted from 1960 to 1980 in schist soil at 400-600 m (1,232-1,968 ft) elevation. 30% fermented in stone lagar with foot pigeage; other 70% in vat, 100% whole cluster. Maceration – lagar for 8 days; vat for 25 days. Racked to neutral barrel for 1 year followed by 5 months in tank. 100% natural yeast fermentation (no cultivated yeasts).

Xisto Illimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Illimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.

This blend brings together the aromatic intensity of Touriga Nacional, sophisticated delicacy of Tinta Roriz (better known in Spain as Tempranillo), and the structure and elegance of Touriga Franca. Fresh red fruits on the nose persist through the palate, announcing a young, energetic wine with swirling, well-integrated tannins and a lovely, long finish. - Winery