Olly Smith’s 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013

The first 50 Great Portuguese Wines’ tasting took place in 2005.  The all red selection was made by wine writer Richard Mayson who, Victor Kiam-like, was so delighted and impressed by the country’s wines that he bought Quinta do Centro in Portalegre, Alentejo, from whence one of this year’s 50 Great (Pedra Basta) hails!

Back then an advertising campaign billed Portugal’s wines as “the best-kept secret in Europe.”  By the time I came to choose my 50 Great Portuguese Wines in 2010, it had become harder to keep a lid on this secret, especially the quality of Portugal’s white wines of which I chose a record-breaking 14 as a testament to the revolution in their quality.  And the number has gone up every year since (this year standing at 19), as has the roll call of great wines coming out of Portugal – red or white.

No better time then for Olly Smith to focus on “great value” as his theme for this year’s selection.  Portugal is not only producing the world class fine wines which have so thrilled at previous 50 Great selections.  The quality of its wines has and continues to improve at every price point.  What’s more, thanks to its profusion of native grape varieties, bang for buck with bags of interest is emerging as a rare strength of Portuguese wines – one which sets it apart from much of the competition and is paying dividends in the independent retail and on trade (restaurant) sector.

But if Portugal wants to dispense with “the best-kept secret in Europe” tag altogether, it must gain more ground in the supermarkets and multiple retailers who account for such a high proportion of all wine sales.  It strikes me that those regions more closely associated with value and capable of producing volume, notably Tejo and Lisboa, still have their work cut out for them where, though focused on value, this year’s 50 Great selection of reds once again revolved around the Douro and Alentejo.  In a nutshell, Portugal needs more big value-led brands.

As for Smith’s selection he pronounced himself to be particularly charmed by the “aromatic thread” and “headlining of fruit, not oak or alcohol.” It was a particular strength of his white wine selection, while the selection of reds felt a little more solid with accomplished winemaking, but fewer highs. Here are my picks of the bunch and you’ll find the complete list at the end of this post.

My pick of the bunch

Whites

Vales de Ambrães Avesso 2012 (Vinho Verde) – classic Vinho Verde with a refreshing touch of spritz, ripe but mouthwatering and succulent melon fruit and an undertow of minerals. 13% RRP £10.00

Casa da Senra 2012 (Vinho Verde) – this 100% Loureiro shows good varietal typicity with its floral and bath salts perfume to nose and citric palate.  12% RRP £8.50

Soalheiro Alvarinho 2012 (Vinho Verde) – I reckon Soalheiro are the most successful white wine producer in the history of 50 Great – rightly so.  This is a benchmark Alvarinho from the sub-region of Melgaço e Monçao, textural with layers of peachy flavour – flesh and fuzzy skin – which unravel and tease the palate.  Long on flavour and complexity.  12.5% RRP £16.99

Filipa Pato FP 2012 (Bairrada) – I’m currently writing a feature for Imbibe magazine aimed at the restaurant trade and both Bairrada’s and the Douro’s whites have consistently been referred to as great value alternatives to Burgundy.  This is one such example – leesy and round but distinctly dry with earthy minerality.  12.5% RRP £13.85

Quinta da Raza Arinto 2012 (Vinho Verde) – exuberantly fruity with subtle florality, this has plenty of upfront charm, length too thanks to sheer juiciness – lovely punch and pull of citrus.  Rachel Higgins of Flinty Red rates this with deep fried ricotta-stuffed courgette flowers.  Yum.  £10.99

Niepoort Redoma 2011 (Douro) – a complex but pure Douro white with sweet vanillin, fennel, minerals and lovely balance, texture and harmony.  As you’d expect from Niepoort, classy.  13% RRP £18.99

Quinta de la Rosa 2011 (Douro) – more savoury than the Niepoort with green olives, brine, minerals and lees.  Very much a food wine.  13% RRP £15.00

Valle Pradinhos 2011 (Tras-os-Montes) – this highly unusual blend of Malvasia Fina, Riesling and Geuwrtztraminer also made the cut two years ago in Tom Cannavan’s 50 Great.  It has lots of appeal for lovers of Alsace wines with its floral, spicy aniseed accented lychee fruit – texture with good freshness.  Very good. 13.5% RRP £10.95

Anselmo Mendes Muros de Melgaço 2011 (Vinho Verde) – another 50 Great top white performer and another benchmark Alvarinho from the sub-region of Melgaço e Monçao – a winning varietal/regional combination!  Tighter, flintier and more citric than the Soalheiro with hints of peach and fennel going through.  Great poise and length.  13% RRP £22.30

Quinta de Saes Encruzado 2011 (Dão) – I’m thrilled that Alvaro Castro’s wines are once again being imported to the UK (by Indigo Wines).  As always, Castro’s wines are multi-layered, aromatic, textural feasts, yet feasts with levity and limpidity if that makes any sense!  Wonderful.  13% RRP £30.00

Esporão Reserva 2011 (Alentejo) – a longstanding Alentejo white pick of the bunch and in fine fettle – rich, spicy with a good dash of vanillin oak but positively pixillated with piquant, zesty citrus notes. 14.5% RRP £12.00-£14.00

Adega Regional de Colares Arenae 2010 (Lisboa) – this tiny, traditional region cows under the constant threat of property development, but this is the 3^rd Colares’ wine to make the 50 Great cut in 4 years, so let’s hope its precious few remaining coastal vineyards survive. This is one of Smith’s edgiest selections – bone dry, it will appeal to lovers of fino sherry with its firm acidity, salt and ozone flavours.  Bring on the salted almonds.  12% £9.00

Reds

Joao Portugal Ramos Marquês de Borba 2011 (Alentejo) – exemplary stuff as you’d expect from Joao Portugal Ramos – dark fruits, bright palate, smooth tannins.  Ticks all the boxes.  14% RRP £8.99-£9.99

Fita Preta Sexy 2011 (Alentejo) – as the name and bright pink label suggests, this goes all out to impress.  It ain’t subtle but it’s well done with rich but penetrating fruit and silky soft tannins.  14.5% RRP £13.00

Alvaro Castro PAPE 2010 (Dão) – lively small berries and wild fruits of the forest animate this full-bodied slightly smoky wine; bony tannins lend fine support and bode well for ageing this wine, though it’s broachable now.  13%  RRP £28.00

Wine & Soul Manoella 2010 (Douro) – the new baby red from Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Serodio Borges has all the components I enjoy about Douro reds – juicy black cocoa dusted fruits (the oak present but in check), a pronounced thread of schistous minerality and ripe but present tannins.  Well-focused, elegant wine.  14% RRP £16.50

Quinta Nova Colheita 2010 ( Douro) – I’m a fan of pulling back on the oak or disregarding it altogether and, as this vibrant, wild berry fruited red shows, you don’t need it.  Great Douro wild fruit and minerality; 2010 freshness and approachability.   13% A very good buy at £11.99

 JP Ramos F’OZ 2011 (Alentejo) – again exemplary winemaking from Joao Portugal Ramos, here with more savoury balsamic nuances.  Good. £9.99

Poeira 2010 (Douro) – my red wine of the tasting is a Top 50 regular and a favourite Douro red.  As always, Poeira is finely honed and elegant, with succulent cinnamon-edged black cherryfruit, the finest-grained tannins and a schistous mineral undertow.  Very sleek yet fresh.  13.5% RRP £TBC

Niepoort Vertente 2009 (Douro) – a rumbustious wine from a rumbustious vintage with plenty of texture to it layers of flowers, cracked black pepper and fruit.  13.5%  RRP £16.99-£18.99

Quinta do Centro Duas Pedras 2011 (Alentejo) –  a little reductive but nonetheless this blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Viognier has plenty of appeal for Southern Rhone lovers with its peppery palate and exotic hints of orange peel.  Fleshy but juicy with good acid integration.  Very good.  My favourite Alentejo red of the tasting.  14.5% RRP £11.49

Quinta do Crasto Crasto Superior 2010 (Douro) – all crushed sweet ripe raspberries and black pepper, this is attractively marked with the freshness of the vintage.  14.2% RRP £14.00

Quinta dos Roques 2010 (Dão) – with crunchily fresh berry fruits and a gravelly minerality, this wears its Dão credentials on its sleeve.  Lovely elegant, interesting yet approachable drinking.  13.5% RRP £11.99-12.99

Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval 2009 (Douro) – the 2007 vintage made the cut for my 50 great and this remains a classy entry level wine from this famous Port estate.  It shows creamy black berry and cherry fruit, herbal hints and sweet cinnamon wed to fine-grained tannins.  £15.49

CH by Chocapalha 2009 (Lisboa) – probably the best Touriga Nacional I’ve tasted from Lisboa and indeed Portugal.  The variety can be a little exuberant on its own but with the region’s signature freshness, this is an elevated expression with lifted floral notes which are beautifully integrated into the fabric of this juicy red and black berry fruited wine.  Lovely oak integration too.  Very fine.  14% RRP £27.95

Quinta de la Rosa Reserve 2010 (Douro) – This estate always produces vividly fruity Douro reds and this is no exception with its crunchily fresh black cherry – succulent and juicy and classic Douro thrust of schistous, slaty minerality.  14.5% RRP £30.00

Fortifieds

Henriques & Henriques Verdelho 15 Years Old NV (Madeira) – Portugal’s two finest fortifieds – Port and Madeira – have at last been allowed into the 50 Great selection process.  I’d say another sign of confidence in the country’s (table) wines. This is a very solid, well made example with savoury nam pla to nose and palate and, in the mouth, tarte tatin singed/caramelised apples on a very long, engagingly tangy palate. 10% RRP £19.99-£21.99

Adega Cooperativa de Favaios Moscatel de Favaios Colheita 1980 (Douro) – my panel awarded this elegant example of a Moscatel de Douro a Gold Medal at Decanter World Wine Awards last year.  It shows classic barley sugar lift, orange peel and blossom and a nutty spine – lovely persistence and lift.  18% RRP £30.00

Família Horacio Simões Bastardo 2009 (Peninsula Setúbal) – Horacio Simões make fabulously complex Moscatel du Setubal.  Made from Bastardo, this is a wild deviation from the Setubal norm.  Smith describes this small but explosive package as “a hand grenade dipped in marmalade,” which perfectly captures the exuberant flare of flavour of this rum and raisin, nuts whole hazelnuts (almonds actually) tour de force.  It’s not subtle but it brought a great big smile to my face and who knew Bastardo could achieve such giddy-inducing heights.  My find of the tasting. 22.5% £TBC

Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port 2001 (Douro) – as you’d expect, an accomplished Port from the Symington Family stable with admirable definition and freshness to its spicy red and black fruits and ripe smooth tannins.  £27.99

Olly Smith’s 50 Great – the complete list

Whites

1.         Vales de Ambrães Avesso 2012 (Vinho Verde) – £10.00

2.         Casa da Senra 2012 (Vinho Verde) – £8.50

3.         Soalheiro Alvarinho 2012 (Vinho Verde) – £16.99

4.         Alvarinho Solar de Serrade, 2012 (Vinho Verde) – £8.00

5.         Filipa Pato FP 2012 Bairrada – £13.85

6.         Quinta da Raza Arinto 2012 Vinho Verde – £10.99

7.         Montes Ermos Reserva 2011 (Douro) – £7.99

8.         Beyra Quartz 2011(Beira Interior) – £TBC

9.         Redoma 2011 (Douro) – £18.99

10.        Quinta de la Rosa 2011 (Douro) – £15.00

11.        Pato Frio Antão Vaz 2011 (Alentejo) – £9.99

12.        Vinhas do Lasso 2010 (Lisboa) – £12.50

13.        Dona Ermelinda 2011 (Península de Setubal) – £7.00

14.        Valle Pradinhos 2011 (Tras-os-Montes) – £10.95

15.        Muros de Melgaço 2011 (Vinho Verde) – £22.30

16.        Quinta de Saes Encruzado 2011 (Dão) – £30.00

17.        Quinta dos Roques Encruzado 2011 (Dão) – £16.99

18.        Esporão Reserva 2011 (Alentejo) – £12.00-£14.00

19.        Arenae 2010 (Lisboa) – £9.00

Reds

20.        Marquês de Borba 2011 (Alentejo) – £8.99-£9.99

21.        Almeida Garrett TNT 2010 (Beira Interior) – £7.99

22.        Fita Preta Sexy 2011 (Alentejo) – £13.00

23.        Herdade da Madeira Velha Zéfyro 2009 (Alentejo) – £TBC

24.        Altano Quinta do Ataíde Reserva 2009 (Douro) – £13.50

25. Alvaro Castro PAPE 2010 (Dão) – £28.00

26. Quevedo Claudia 2009 (Douro) – £14.99

27. Wine & Soul Manoella 2010 (Douro) – £16.50

28. Quinta Nova Colheita 2010 ( Douro) – £11.99

29. JP Ramos F’OZ 2011 (Alentejo) – £9.99

30. Fita Preta Palpite 2010 (Alentejo) – £20.00

31. Poeira 2010 (Douro) – £TBC

32. Niepoort Vertente 2009 (Douro) – £16.99-£18.99

33. Trincadeira Vinhas Velhas, 2009 (Tejo) – £15.00 (No producer name provided – tbc)

34. Bacalhoa Tinto da Ânfora 2010 (Alentejo) – £8.49

35. Quinta do Centro Duas Pedras 2011 (Alentejo) – £11.49

36. Quinta do Crasto Crasto Superior 2010 (Douro) – £14.00

37. Quinta de Foz de Arouce 2009 (Beiras) – £11.99

38. Quinta dos Quatro Ventos 2009 (Douro) – £14.99

39. Aliança Bairrada Reserva 2011 (Bairrada) – £7.49

40. Quinta dos Roques 2010 (Dão) – £11.99-12.99

41. Esporão Reserva 2010 (Alentejo) – £17.99

42. Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval 2009 (Douro) – £15.49

43. Julia Kemper Touriga Nacional 2009  (Dão) – £24.99

44. CH by Chocapalha 2009 (Lisboa) – £27.95

45. Quinta de la Rosa Reserve 2010 (Douro) – £30.00

46. Quinta do Sagrado Reserva 2007 (Douro) – £30.00

Fortified

47. Verdelho 15 Years Old NV (Madeira) – £19.99-£21.99 (No producer name provided – tbc)

48. Adega Cooperativa de FavaiosMoscatel de Favaios Colheita 1980 (Douro) – £30.00

49. Família Horacio Simões Bastardo 2009 (Peninsula Setúbal) – £TBC

50. Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port 2001 (Douro) – £27.99