QUINTA DA PELLADA PART III LUNCH and TASTING in the RESTAURANT CABEÇO DAS FRAGAS

The restaurant Cabeço das Fragas-Gastronomic room-located next to the EN 338 flanked by the “Albergaria Senhora do Espinheiro-Aldeia da Serra” in the most enchanting and imposing mountain of Portugal, the Serra da Estrela, and has the chief José Magalhães and Ana Maria who manages the room it as hosts. The room is a very well decorated and welcoming space. With large windows has a breathtaking view, for the “Fragas,” said “Boulders” (Like Stones), which give name to the space.

This space dedicated to the flavors of the mountain, but recreated with great mastery by the hands of chief Magalhães, maintaining the true essence of its flavors and ingredients, but, surprising us for innovation in confection and presentation, is an experience of Tasting with touches of truly extraordinary innovation!

After a dazzling tasting of the wines still in barrels, each barrel closed in itself a mystery and each of them an enthusiasm, like the “Muleta” 2017, a wine that immediately aroused us the senses and we had the daring to predict an extraordinary potential and great future, we then tested tasting the best wines of Quinta da Pellada in the context of lunch.

The engineer Álvaro Castro and the daughter Maria, begin with the parade of proofs of some of the most characteristic wines of your house that then I describe your proof:

1 – QUINTA DE SAES ENCRUZADO 2010

• Alcohol: 13%
• Rating: 16,5

A wine with fruity aroma, quite citric, even in the mouth, good body but delicate. Good final persistence, good acidity ends up balanced.

2 – QUINTA DE SAES ENCRUZADO Extended Stage 2015

• Alcohol: 13%
• Rating: 17

Still young, slight citric aroma. In the mouth compared to the 2010, it seems to us with less body, however with beautiful mineral note and good acidity ending balanced and long.

3 – Sparkling Wine QUINTA DA PELLADA 2013

It is an experience for this House to make this sparkling. Nice without dazzle, easy to drink and with a good acidity. He didn’t compromise, to continue…

4 – JAEN 2011

• Alcohol: 13%
• Rating: 17.5

Fruity nose, elegant and with complexity. In the mouth, fresh, vibrant, but with soft tannins, finishes with elegance and with good persistence.

4 – «CARROCEL» 2014

• Alcohol: 13%
• Rating: 17

The doubt will be left to the market, given the different profile presented in relation to the usual carrocel, since the year 2014 constitutes a very difficult year given the climatic characteristics.

Very different from the usual. Soft fruity Aroma, in the mouth, balanced tannins but with little body and acidity and not very persistent. No Carrocel profile in our opinion.

4 – QUINTA DA PELLADA CASA 2013 – Old Vines

• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Rating: 17

This “CASA” wine, the parcel closest to the Solar, is very elegant in the aroma, floral, a little citric and that in the mouth presents vigorous but balanced tannins that makes it a gastronomic nectar.

4 – MULETA 2013

• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Rating: 17.5

In the nose, wild fruit, earthy notes and much complexity. Large structure, vibrant tannins, with a good acidity, mineral and spicy, finishes with freshness and persistence.
A wine different from the wines of Quinta da Pellada, more in structure than in elegance, but a large wine, from a parcel outside the Quinta da Pellada, which represents only about 300 bottles.

4 – DENTE DE OURO 2013

• Alcohol: 13.2%
• Rating: 17.5

As the “MULETA”, coming from a parcel rented by Quinta da Pellada, also about 300 bottles, the fresh and mineral aroma and wild fruit. In the mouth, more in elegance, perhaps than the crutch, but equally, structured, with tender notes and good final persistence.

4 – HM BORGES SERCIAL 15 YEARS

• Alcohol: 19%
• Rating: 17

Proven in blind proof, salinity, the fact that it is little sweet, dry, denounced to be a wood and the sercial caste.

FINAL NOTES:

• Great gastronomic room, friendliness of chef Magalhães and Ana Maria.
• The Tenderloin with rice of mushrooms were nips, tenrissima meat, very well seasoned. The pastry puffs with apples constitute a strange combination to our palate.
• The wines Muleta and Dente Gold 2013 were not consensual, with notes something shoots between the elements of the wine4people, in a healthy struggle between elegance and structure.
• It was a beautiful day, great wines and in great company.

w4p (JUL 2018)