BOM DIA!
it was such a pleasure to have sold out on the first ever Arc of Flavours : Guidance and Conversation in wine. April 24th…
We began the arc with a tasting of 4 wines from one of my favourite wine ‘spaces’ in the world, PORTUGAL.
There is a big appetite for the tasting and exploration of wines from this rather small country. A country with a large library of grape varieties making very distinct wines on various terrains and different climates. Cool, sunny and rainy in the Atlantic North with crisp wines of Vinho Verde to the full throttle flavours of red wines from the hot dry and arid flatter landscape of Alentejo! So much to discover. We will do a Part 2, and 3 and…!
Here are pics of the 4 wines we tasted. All from avant-garde / classic producers…can I say that! Constantly perfecting their craft vintage after vintage. Collaborators and protagonists, they are, consistently making great wines. Anselmo Mendes of Vinho Verde, Alvaro de Castro of Dão, Dirk Niepoort with a Dão wine, though he makes wines all over Europe, and Antonio Maçanita of Alentejo.
Anselmo Mendes ‘Contacto’ 2019, Alvarinho. 6-7 hours skin contact, with a floral and citrus impact laced with luscious salinity. What more do you want. Dry! not sweet!, Elegant! not fizzy!
Saes by Alvaro de Castro ‘Branco Reserva’ White, full bodied, barrel ferment Encruzado, nutty, almond & honeyed apple. From altitude mountain vineyards in the Dão, representing the finer side of wines of Portugal.
Dirk Niepoort ‘Conciso’ Baga field blend with tones of dark cherry, plum and herbs, whole cluster / foot trodden in lagares - A combination of Dão old vine vineyard with much potential.
Fita Preta ‘Tinto’ by Antonio Maçanita, a blend of Aragonez and Alicante + others, presenting a classic Alentejano wine of dark plum, black currant/berry flavours with classic acid intensity and structure. Rich!