The Connoisseur - June 2024
So many parties. Not enough time! Summer is here and the invitations are flooding the inbox and chat groups. So, what better way to impress your hosts with your sophisticated tastes than to show up with a bottle from your latest Wine Fellas box. Or, better yet, host your own party and you don’t have to lift a finger: the wine and guests come direct to your door.
Wine 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 da Pegadinha, Loureiro
[grape/vintage] Loureiro / 2021
[region] Vinho Verde
A gentle, teasing slap on the cheek to wake you up from an afternoon nap. Now you feel fresh, alive but still a lilttle bit dreamy. That’s how we felt sipping this Loureiro varietal from Vinho Verde…we could have kept going and going.
Our sommelier describes it thus: Enticingly subtle nose with hints of lemon, tangerine and green tea. Well-balanced acidity. Sweet, fresh and creamy.
Pairs well with itself but loves a nice, flakey white fish or a linguini al vongole.
Vinho Verde is known for its light, refreshing wines, known for their low alcohol content and slight effervescence. The soil is predominantly granite, which helps to retain moisture and gives the wines a unique minerality.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Casa da Atela, Castelão Rosé
[grape/vintage] Castelão / 2021
[region] Dão
This rosé made from Castelão, that notoriously tough old bastard of a grape, is a total surprise. To the winemaker, we say, “Bravo!” and pour ourselves another glass. It teases your nose with candy and apricot and earth and an old library, then tickles your tongue with delicate fruit, bright acidity and layers of dusty, dirty tannins.
Our sommelier’s thoughts: A wine with a deep garnet color, expressive nose with notes of ripe fruit, vanilla and soft fresh resin. In the mouth, intense and full, with structure and acidity to ensure a favorable evolution in the coming years.
We suggest pairing this with grouper or snapper, cuttlefish or octopus, or just served straight up with a side of good conversation.
Tejo (until 2009 called Ribatejo), is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Portugal, the first vines here dating as far back as Roman times. The region is strongly influenced by the River Tejo which keeps the climate temperate, and along whose alluvial plains most vines are grown. White wines tend to have high acidity with floral and tropical notes; reds are aromatic with smooth tannins.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Terra d'Alter, Outeiro Tinto
[grape/vintage] Syrah, Petit Verdot / 2018
[region] Alentejo
When it’s 5º outside and the Alentejo winter is digging into your bones, what better way to dispel the blues than sitting around an open log fire and remeniscing about plum trees and cherries and blackberry bushes and a late summer heatwave. This Syrah/Petit Verdot blend bottles all that up in smooth, complex layers that let each grape express itself in a lively debate about life, the universe and everything.
Our sommelier has this to say about it: Dark ruby colour. Intense black and red fruits, plum, cherry with hints of vanilla and eucalyptus. On the palate, complex and balanced, with berries, plum, licorice and chocolate with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Pairs well with a spicy lamb curry with garlic naan, a pasta carbonara or a straight-up juicy steak and fresh cut french fries.
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.