The Connoisseur - March 2024
A sniff of spring in the air, a whiff of wine in the nose hairs. March is a teaser month here in Portugal. A few days of sunshine here, a week of rain there. Whose ready for summer???!!! To help you forget that we’re still more than three months from the summer solstice, open your Glass Half Full Box and caress each bottle lovingly…before popping a cork and discovering more wonders of the Portuguese wine world.
Descriptions below, and if you run out, you can order more from The Cellar.
Don’t forget, you can look up past boxes in The Archive.
Quinta Várzea da Pedra, Arinto
[grape/vintage] Arinto / 2021
[region] Lisboa
A subtle nose that’s like a big swell at Nazaré. Seems pretty easygoing then you take a sip and the grape expresses its full power: creamy citrus curler with a big body of ripe orchard barreling underneath, filling the mouth and washing everything in a delicate ocean spray.
Our sommelier describes it thus: Rich citrus colour, with a delicate, mineral aroma, typical of the grape variety and influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Structured, intense in the mouth, with a smooth long finish.
Pairs well with sea food, especially fatty fish or a thick Chilean sea bass; white meats with a bit of pizazz to them like a chicken paprikash or maybe even a lamb tagine.
The Lisboa region is located just north and west of Lisbon. The region’s diverse landscape includes coastal areas, hills and valleys, which creates a variety of microclimates and soil types, producing a range of wines, including red, white, and rosé, and is known for its high-quality and innovative winemaking.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Rapariga da Quinta, Reserva Tinto
[grape/vintage] Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês, Touriga Nacional / 2021
[region] Alentejo
It’s late afternoon in a summer orchard. Fig trees, plum trees and a scattering of blackberry bushes. Heat, barely a breath of wind, the buzzing of insects, a bird chirping nearby. Ancient dolmen stones lie scattered about among the cork trees. All this is smoothly, expertly bottled up in this delicious, full-bodied blend by Luis Duarte and his family. Open, let breathe, serve slightly below room temperature, and taste the rocky soil and blue skies of the Alentejo.
Our sommelier’s thoughts: With a beautiful ruby color and good concentration, this wine has a deep and complex aroma of ripe fruit and well-integrated wood. In the mouth it is balanced, with velvety tannins in harmony with the fruit, resulting in a long and intense finish.
Pairs well with a big fat sausage off the grill, dripping in fat or a classic Alentejano cake covered in rich plum sauce. Decant and let it open up a little before serving.
The Alentejo covers a large area and is characterized by its hot, dry summers and mild winters. The vineyards are planted on rolling hills and plains, and the soils are predominantly made up of granite, schist and limestone. Its wines are known for their full-bodied flavors and rich, earthy tones.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Casa de Saima, Baga da Corga (Tonel 10)
[grape/vintage] Baga / 2021
[region] Bairrada
The heat of mid-summer lives in this juicy, old-style baga, a heat that speaks of long naps under cork trees with that lovely woozy post-lunch feeling. They made this wine with as little intervention as possible, vinifying it in open “lagares”, allowing fermentation to happen spontaneously over a week or so, then letting it sleep happily in oak barrels for 10 months. Drink it the same way: relaxed, slowly and with no plans for using heavy machinery.
Our sommelier has this to say about it: Deep ruby colour, with a well-balanced nose, elegant with matching notes of red fruits and spices with hints of pine resin. On the mouth the red fruits come to the fore in a well-balanced body with a long, smooth finish thanks to its 18 months in oak.
Pairs well with grilled prime red meats like a juicy picanha or t-bone, or a hearty game stew.
Bairrada produces wines with high acidity and tannins, often aged in oak barrels to soften the tannins and develop complex flavors. The region’s soil is predominantly clay and limestone, which helps to retain moisture and gives the wines a distinct minerality.
Check it out in The Cellar.