Is it time to rediscover the wines of Portugal?

By John Schreiner

Novelty at prices you can afford: that sums up the table wines of Portugal that are beginning to show up in our market.

Why novelty? Portugal is one of the few major wine producing nations that makes its wine primarily from indigenous varieties rather than from the ubiquitous mainstream French and German grapes.

Rather than Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, you will encounter wines made from such varieties as Aragonez, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Encruzado, Malvasia Fina and dozens of others with equally unfamiliar names. The Portuguese have at least 250 different grape varieties growing in their 450,000 acres of vineyard.

As a result, the wines of Portugal have aromas and flavours that are refreshingly novel.

Because many of the wines are blends, the challenging grape names rarely appear on the front labels. The labels are more likely to feature the (also difficult) names of the producers. We need to make an effort to master some Portuguese wine lingo. What is not a challenge is the price/quality ratio. These are very good wines for the money.

Last fall, an important delegation of Portuguese winemakers styling themselves G7 or Group of Seven – five wineries operating in seven of the country’s wine regions – led tastings in Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada.

More recently, José Roseiro, the export director for a Portuguese winery called Dão Sul, led another Vancouver tasting for wines, several of which either are already listed or are soon to arrive. His is a 20-year-old company with production that it owns or represents in regions across Portugal. His Vancouver agent, Red Dog, has listings for two of the wines and stocks another three as speculative wines (meaning they can be ordered from the agent). Naturally, Red Dog would like to convert many of the others into wines that are listed or at least available in private stores.

This market certainly can use the education from Portuguese wine visitors. The diversity and quality of Portuguese wines (aside from Port) is barely understood.

Last fall, I attended a small Portuguese tasting in a private setting. The first wine was the iconic Mateus Rosé, pink sparkling wine that has been on the market for more than half a century. I was startled at the derisive laughter that greeted this wine, as though it was embarrassing to admit that this was everyone’s starter wine.

 
Well, we all had to start somewhere. Mateus was, and is, an honest wine that still tastes good and still is inexpensive.

Since the 1980s when we were all drinking Portuguese rosé, there has been tremendous investment in that country’s wineries. Viticulture has improved; wineries are modern and clean and the winemakers have up-to-date education.

As a result, Portuguese wine has much more to offer today. A lot of it remains remarkably affordable; and there also are big reds at luxury prices.

The Dão Sul wines shown by Roseiro are a splendid cross section of today’s Portuguese table wines.

The tasted began with a glass of Quinta de Cabriz Sparkling Brut White 2008 ($19.99 if available). This is a crisp and clean bubbly with a hint of green apple. 88.

Next, he offered Xadrez Vinho Verde 2010 ($11 if available), perhaps the most famous of Portuguese white wines. This is a light, low-alcohol wine that is pleasantly fruity, usually has a little effervescence and balances its green acidity with a touch of sweetness. The apple and melon flavours are delicious. 87.

 
Vinho Verde, made primarily with Loureiro and Arinto grapes, need not always be light and simple. Quinta da Lourosa Vinho Verde 2010 ($12.99 if available) is a crisp, dry aromatic white with a lemony tang. 89.

Quinta de Cabriz Colheita Seleccionada Dão White 2010 ($13.99) is another refreshing and relatively light wine. Blended with four different grapes, it has flavours of apple, melon and citrus and lively acidity. 89.

Quinta de Cabriz  Encruzado White 2009 ($17.99 and listed) is made with the Encruzado grape, one of the country’s leading white varieties. Its very pronounce-ability is perhaps why this is a named varietal. Half the wine in the blend was barrel-fermented, achieving a greater degree of complexity. The flavours show notes of lemon, oak, minerals and smokiness. 90.

Quinta de Cabriz Colheita Seleccionada Dão Red 2008 ($13.99). This red is deliberately made to be soft and approachable. Its charm comes from its red and black cherry flavours and the hint of spice on the finish. 90.

Quinta do Encontro Red 2007 ($14.99). Smartly packaged, this red is a rare example of a wine in which a French variety plays a role. It is a blend of Merlot and Baga grapes. It delivers delicious flavours of cherry, chocolate and spice on a spin of ripe tannins. 90.

Cortello Touriga Nacional 2008 ($11.99 and listed). This dark, generous unwooded red has almost jammy flavours of black cherry, mocha and licorice. 88.

Palestro Douro D.O.C. 2008 ($13.99). A blend of three varieties, this wine also was fermented and aged in stainless steel. There is a lot of primary fruit on the nose and the palate, including plum and cranberry. 88.

 
Cabriz Reserva 2008 ($25 if available). A blend of three indigenous grapes, this wine had nine months in French oak. This is again a delicious wine, with vanilla aromas, flavours of blackberries and lingonberries, finishing firmly but not harshly. 89.

Quinta das Tecedeiras Reserva 2008 ($45). This is a big, brooding, concentrated red with flavours of black currants and chocolate. It has a lingering, spicy finish. 91.

Conde de Santar 2007 ($80). This wine makes a statement that Portugal produces some pretty special reds. This is a concentrated, chewy wine with aromas of berries and with flavours of currants and chocolates. 93.

goodgrog@shaw.ca