Wine4people wine tasting-Relics by João Quintela in restaurant Via Graça

by | Dec 21, 2018 | Relics, Wine | 0 comments

We have been proposed a tasting of ancient wines, relics brought by João Quintela, from “Cellar Nectar das Avenidas”, to be held in the restaurant Via Graça, space inaugurated in 1988, whose name derives from the electric celebrate 28 that traveled the field line Ourique “via Graça”, one of the tourist icons of the city of Lisbon.

João Quintela, a very experienced man in this wine world, despite his own and very close people, think he still knows more about music than wine, to prevent some not so god wines, he brought a recital of 16 wines, being 10 in Proof.

The dinner began, with the entrees, of which a very succulent sausage balls, left us, immediately, a smile on the lips.

To accompany, the blind proof of all the wines in evidence was initiated:

White wines: 

These wines accompany a dish of fish made by chef João Bandeira, owner of this restaurant, the Via Graça, “Salmon à Bolhão Pato”, in a bed of mashed, a dish where you notice the delight of the sauce, the perfect execution of the fish and the intensity of clams. A dish that thrilled all the presents and the whites made perfect harmonization.

1-Beautiful color, clear, limpid, golden Straw, bright, “finesse”,good acidity in the aroma, still alive, honey, flowers. In the mouth,  alive,  elegant, ending balanced. It revealed to be a wine of the year 1993 and with pleasant surprise, it was a Porta da Ravessa. Good start. 
2-Behold, there comes a wine, with a more laden color, more brownish straw, less acidity, both in the aroma and in the mouth,  but equally pleasant and still pleasantly, was a Reguengos 1993. 

3-In the aroma, cooked cabbage, the reduction present. In the mouth,  surprising,  balanced,  fresh,  alive.  Gradually it will clear the reduction notes, it is very pleasant,  until it comes back down the curve of pleasure,  but it was worth it.  It was a Portalegre, an imperceptible year on the label. 

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the image of this bottle. 

4-By the shape of the bottle, the takers, throw the ladder to a Soalheiro, and their respective Alvarinho variety. João Quintela smiles, sai a Chardonnay, Douro 1986, incredibly pleasant, flavour still very alive, the color already with nuances brownish, but bright, thin, limpid, in the mouth body, pleasure, youth, the best of 3, a wine of the year 1986. Fantastic.

Let us now take to the Red wines: 

Behold, the meat dish comes, nothing less than a Wellington steak: 

to accompany this emblematic dish of chef Ramsay, this time accomplished by the chef João Bandeira: 
1- Alentejo, name and year imperceptible on the label, year1989, reveals if dead, is disqualified. 
2 – It does not look like an old wine, color still something ruby, aromatic intensity with red fruit, in the intense mouth, note if perfectly the acidity, balanced, pleasantly, I think to be a berry, given the quality and age – Serra de Aires 1982.
3 – Already too evolved, notes of oxidation too present, unpleasant in the flavour and taste, I put the side – Grão Vasco1972. 
4 – Garnet color, with slight flavour to the fruits of the grove, in the mouth, balanced, smooth and pleasant – Dão Meia Encosta Reserv 1979.
5 – João Quintela, having already tasted a few bottles of this harvest, asks for a glass of burgundy, wider. We’ll soon give you a reason to compare the two different cups.

Slight sweethearted in the flavour, some dried fruit, in the mouth, enthusiastic about the balance of tannins, but with still, some acidity, finishes elegant and fine – Monte Velho 1994.

6 – Well present still, flavour the red fruit, some dried fruit, smooth, balanced, tannins still fine, finishes elegant, still a beautiful wine-Bairrada Reserv 1988.
To finalize in Great,

Liqueur:

1 – Vibrant yellow straw color, in the large aroma salinity, in the mouth acidity well characteristic of a wood, it becomes evident to the takers that it is a wooden wine, it is pointed out given the dryness, be a Sercial or Verdelho, easy to drink, honey, some flower, a good and balanced wine – Madeira Borges Verdelho 1993.

2 – In this wine, it was not unanimous, the fact of being a wood, some doubts arose in some, the power to be an old tawny. Since the final bets pointed to a wood, the doubts were right to be, it was a tawny harvest of 1961, a more laden color, brownish, also salinity in the flavour, although in the palate, sweeter, perhaps less acidity than the wood, showed it self gradually. More balanced and more enjoyable – Porto Tawny Krohn 1961.
Final notes:

1) The restaurant Via Graça clearly exceeded the expectations, in the service, in the excellence of the dishes served and in the fabulous view, probably the best of Lisbon, being an authentic viewpoint for, the “Castle of São Jorge”, the “Bairro da Graça”, the “Praça Pombalina” and the “Cristo Rei”.

2) Very pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant with complicity between guests and staff, promoting conviviality and harmony among all present.

3) The choice of wines by João Quintela, revealed himself of great wisdom, harmonizing beautifully with the dishes served and showing us that very old wines, mostly even with very low prices, can in the future give enough pleasure to drink them and reveal tertiary aromas and flavours not present in new wines. And the passion of old wines to grow…

4) The winners for the Wine4people will be the Chardonnay 1986 (White) and the Serra de Aires 1982 (Red), wines that still visually vibrant, in the aroma and flavours stood out and better provoked the harmony among the present.

5) Very sincere thanks to João Quintela and wife Paula, for having provided us with an unforgettable night of increased passion for old wines, tasting dishes that stay in our memory and do not forget the chef João Bandeira and the restaurant Via Graça .

Wine4people, 14 December 2018

 

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