Mercado dos Vinhos 2017 (22/10/2017)
Portugal in the cup
This event, which is made up of small producers, year after year, is increasingly accepted by the public, since on the days we visited it was full, with new people, interested and increasingly with a desire to know the wines produced all over the country.
Who enters the event begins by walking through a country with a richness of wines that only those who walk distracted do not know:
“ALGARVE”, synonymous with sun and beach, begins to surprise me with its wines:
“Quinta da Penina” with the blend of the Petit verdot and Syrah castes for those who like rounder wines and its petit Verdot 2009, still young and vigorous, enthused and retained the wise words of the producer in the sense that the Petit Verdot only after some years begin to soften and to be ready to drink.
Still continuing in the Algarve, the wines of the “Herdade do Barranco Longo” with its castes Alicante Bouchet and Cabernet Sauvignon, are already rounder, more domesticated and with a good relation price quality, they start to be a win bet
Continuing our tour, we arrive at “ALENTEJO”, region already considered the most appealing of Portugal in what concerns wines.
The “Serra de Minas” wines, which I can only find in the “Algarve”, to which the producer tells me that she has to change that reality, the “Herdade das Barras” wines, wines with good prices and with personality and that chocolate in the end, seem to me a good beginning on a trip.
I stall then in an unfamiliar place and there is a wine called Gaudelim from the “Herdade do Pico”, in “Mourão”, variety “Alfrocheiro”, year 2014, I taste it and I am convinced soon, this is to my liking, body, personality and great flavor, I ask the grade, 16.5 degrees, wow, I’ll buy it soon and the girl tells me: “this wine is dangerous”, I look at her, young, beautiful and wise, I say: I completely agree …
“Monte João Martins“, I take with me an adept of this house that tells me, Syrah is very good, come on. I go and taste the syrah and the alicante bouchet, wines at 13 euros, I am really surprised, vigorous wines, still young, but with great potential, my comrade was disillusioned, wine things :=(
Let’s taste “Dimas Dorinda“, I try the normal, already costs 25 euros, prices are rising, good Syrah, better than the previous one, but a bit unbalanced, the big reserve, very good, but 45 euros is too much.
Arriving at the “Herdade grande” I try the limited edition, and I consider this year the best of all the wines present in this wine market, body, personality, tasty, a great, great wine, worth the 70 euros and with only 2000 bottles.
I arrive to “Setúbal” and I’m curious about “Quinta Brejinho da Costa“, I ask what you have there to surprise us, you must think, there are some more funny, I try the “Brejinho da Costa reserve” and taste, full bodied, soft, gastronomic, a little expensive 15 euros and I ask, and what else do you have, I tryed the “Comendador Costa special reserve 2013“, variety “Baga”, 45 euros and yes sir, a great wines from “Setubal”, already ready to drink and with great gastronomic potential, is undeniable, the zone that sells the most in the country returns to give cards.
And here we come to “LISBON”, I go in and I get on with “Quinta do Porto Nogueira“, I’m going to turn the page of the good wines, I ask myself, and, behold, I taste a Sauvignon Blanc called “PAGINA“, and it was the best of this caste which I remember proving, beautiful color, structured and very pleasant.
Another curiosity, “Quinta da Nogueira reserves 2015 Lisbon“, a red based on “touriga national” with pinot noir, which surprise, soft but with personality, 17 euros and a half, I want to buy soon, I do the negotiation and we also bring a “Quinta da Escusa reserve 2015“, of the “Tejo” region for the same price and offer us the “Pagina” sauvignon blanc 2015.
We will wait for the red “pagina“, only Pinot Noir which is still in the barrel.
Already then in the “TEJO”, we are received by the “Mordomo“, wine of the “Solar dos Loendros“, a monocast “touriga nacional”, reserve 2014, bottle with 6 medals, I have to prove and the hospitality of this wine does not leave me doubtful, I take a bottle, happy with my life with one more nectar of a producer unknown to me, but it was worth it.
Then we arrived to “SANTARÉM”, “Gerações em Sintonia“, silver and gold, balanced wines, tasty, 4 and 6 euros, the best in their price category in my opinion in the Wine Market and off course, I buy one of each.
It appears the “DOURO”, the wines “Vieira de Sousa“, the great reserve a great wine, 15.5 degrees, with full-bodied, spicy, tasty, it worth the 18 euros they asked for it.
And here is the “Quinta de Lubazim” and “Quinta de Espinho“, quality, yes, but the same as many other “Douro” wines, soft and round but lacking something.
The trip is already long and we arrived to “TRÁS OS MONTES”, tired but happy 🙂 and I see one of the champions of a longing blind test, the “Palácio dos Távoras“, we taste the wine and it continues sophisticated in its 25 euros, expensive, but for some appetizing occasions.
Ok, let’s drink a liqueur to soften the soul already very rich in tannins, I look for a “Madeira” and scratch, not one to sample, a little disappointment, we go to the Port wines, we look for “Quinta do Couquinho Maria Adelaide vintage 2011“, 30 euros and pleasant, and we have the “Vieira de Sousa“, we have already finished the 10 years, we only have this 8 euros fine tawny and tasted and what a surprise, but what a nectar at this price, goes a bottle.
End of trip, next year there’s more, we enjoyed it very much.
M.B. (OUT 2017)