A focus on granite part one: the Dão

The impact of soil type on wine is much debated.  I’m no scientist, but I was struck by the connections between the Granite Belt in Queensland, Australia (which I visited this week) and Portugal’s Dão region.

As you’ve probably guessed, granite is a common feature of both these elevated, mountainous regions.  Not just the decomposed granite soils, but also their rugged, boulder-strewn, wooded (green) landscape.  Check out my photo (above) of Peter and Therese Stark of leading Granite Belt producer, Boireanne.

It’s an acidic soil which seems to imbue wines with lovely freshness and lift – fruit is juicy, well-defined and intense.  The wines are food friendly.

What’s more, while Portuguese regions boast dozens of weird and wonderful native varieties, until very recently, Australia’s vinous landscape was more or less defined by the so-called international (i.e. leading French) varieties.  But in the Granite Belt, it’s another story – alternative grapes are something of a speciality.  In fact the region boasts a Strange Bird alternative variety wine trail!

Though Tinta Roriz or Aragones a.k.a. Tempranillo is one such strange bird, I reckon Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Jaen and Alfrocheiro might also fly (forgive the pun) given their great success in the Dão. White varieties like Encuzado, Malvasia Fina and Cerceal Branco too (see below). But for now, given the region’s strong Italian community, Italian varieties are enjoying great popularity and they look pretty promising.

I’ll write up my notes on my pick of the Granite Belt wines in Part Two of my granite focus.  Meantime, here are my notes on a bunch of recente Dão releases which have impressed:

Quinta das Maias Vinho Branco 2010

A delicate wine, subtly  fruity and fleshy with ripe golden delicious and honey scented stone fruits.  Long, persistent and well balanced, it makes its own shape (as does the next wine, which is made by the same producer but from their other estate).  Very good. 12.5%

Quinta dos Roques Branco 2010

An exciting, spicy strand of fresh, warm ginger runs through this blend of Encruzado, Malvasia Fina, Bical and Cercial, mingling seamlessly with its sweet but mouthwatering citrus flavours – pink grapefruit and orange.  Love the nutty texture too.  Tons of character.  A lovely wine.  13.5%

Quinta das Maias Malvasia Fina 2010

This single varietal wine is less expressive and lively than the first two wines.  With hints of toasted marshmallow and  incipient nuttiness,  it’s more about mouthfeel and body than fruit – a relatively neutral canvass but a good backdrop for food. I like it! 13.5%

Quinta da Falorca White 2010

A poised modern blend of Encruzado/Malvasia Fina aged in new French oak, which brings structure and richness.  In the mouth it’s zesty and focused with ripe lemon and lime zest,  pink grapefruit and a nutty edge.  Good. 13%

Quinta da Pellada Primus 2009

Álvaro de Castro is perhaps best known for his red wines but I love his whites too and this lively, complex field blend, principally Encruzado with Cercial and Terrantez, is no exception.  It shows sweet mandarin and grapefruit.  Herbal accents, an underlying stony minerality and touch of pithy tannin anchor the fruit well. Lovely, lively and long.  Dances over the palate.

Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha White 2010

This Encruzado/Cerceal Branco blend sits neatly between the wines reviewed on either side.  It’s slightly creamy, which gives a nice weight to the palate with good freshness to its wash of anise-edged water melon and star fruit.

Dão Sul Casa de Santar Reserva White 2010

Though it’s a not dissimilar blend on paper (Encruzado, Cerceal Branco and Bical), a Burgundian approach to the winemaking makes for a creamier, textured style with a pronounced nutty/buttery – think macademia – quality to its yellow plum fruit.  A pungent struck match edged too.  With 50% fermented and aged in stainless steel, there’s enough freshness to balance, just.  Good.

Quinta da Pellada Reserva Red 2008

The Reserva’s very deep hue and a touch of reduction on the nose and palate reinforces this red’s youthfulness, the latter its minerality too. With time in glass it reveals violets and bright, tight fruit-  fresh plums/plum skins, black berry and currant. Firm but friable (powdery) tannins offer long term support.  Terrific. Don’t broach for at least two years and will cruise through its tenth birthday.

Quinta da Pellada Carrocel Dão 2008

This, the flagship wine which is double (new) oaked [12 months in new barrels then moved to fresh new barrels for another year] has plenty of heft.   In fact, without time in glass and preferably decanting, it’s heavily punctuated by tannin and oak.  With the benefit of air, the oak blows off, revealing a cool mineral core to its dark chocolate edged black berry and currant fruit. The clasp of ripe but powerful and sturdy tannins remains tight.  Needs time (5 years plus) and air.  Impressive but my personal preference is for the more fluid style of the Reserva.

Dão Sul Paço Cunhas de Santar Nature Red 2009

The new Nature label is for wines which hail from a single vineyard cultivated using organic and biodynamic practices.  Polished yet elegant the ruby coloured Nature Red is svelte of tannin, floral and fleshy with a bright core of cinnamon and clove kissed black cherry and earthier raspberry.  Layered and balanced in delivery it’s a very good example of the modern Dão. 13.5%

Dão Sul Casa de Santar Reserva Red 2008

Less subtle the Reserva goes all out to impress with its fruits of the forest perfume, lashings of ripe raspberry, a touch jammy even, kirsch, chocolate and sweet cinnamon.  Perhaps a little too modern for my taste, but lots to keep the hedonist happy!

Dão Sul Cabriz Reserva Red 2008

Richly fruited, corpulent even, this also seems flashier (riper) than usual, with bergamot notes to its jammy berry fruit and generous oak.  Still, there’s an underlying (and well integrated) acidity, minerality too – light under that bushel of fruit!

Quinta da Fata Touriga Nacional 2008

The 2009 didn’t show well, but fortunately the 2008 was on hand.  It’s a good example of ripe Touriga Nacional – bright in hue with bergamot infused/dark chocolate-edged black cherry/baked black cherry fruit supported  by firm but ripe tannins; good underlying freshness too.

Pedra Cancela Pedra Cancela Eco-Friendly Red 2009

Eco-Friendly sounds like a dishwasher brand and this is a solid commercial style with lots of  immediacy to its smooth palate of raspberry (puree) fruit, milk chocolate and bergamot.  Sound if a little tick box – Dão for beginners and well done I guess?

Pedra Cancela Reserva Red 2009

A chunky but structured style – ripe but firm tannins, good freshness and minerality hold its dark chocolate licked black and earthy red raspberry fruit in check.  Solid stuff – would love to see a bit of lift/ perfume.14%

Quinta das Marias Cuvée TT Reserva Red 2009

This blend of 60% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and 40% Touriga Nacional is a very deep colour, the rim still bright pink.  It’s perky on the nose too in a slightly reduced way, with a rasp of pepper, followed by wafts of oak as it opens up.  Very polished in the mouth, there’s a fair whack of oak but the density of fruit – dark berry, cherry and currant – to carry it.  Very good freshness too, which is accentuated by a touch of pine needle to the finish.  Needs time to unravel and complex up.  Promising in a flashy, ripe style.  14.5%

Quinta do Mondego Red 2008

This seems less upfront than the 2007 – more elegant, with a mineral/gravelly quality, lovely freshness and pithy tannins as much in evidence as its well defined, bright raspberry fruit.  A grounding touch of grip and slatey minerality completes the picture – very good.  14%

Quinta da Falorca T-nac Red 2007

I selected this unoaked Touriga Nacional in My 50 Great Portuguese Wines in 2010.  It’s evolving really well – phew!  Still very pretty with violets on nose and palate and a whisp of clovey smoke to its bright red fruits.  Perfumed, mineral and elegant wine, it still has plenty of go.  So who needs oak?!?

Maias 2009

A pretty, perfumed nose entices.  In the mouth it shows a nice depth of well defined red and black berry, cherry and currant fruit with a touch of clove/coal dust.  Ripe but present tannins make for a very well priced, very good example of classic Dão.

Quinta das Maias 2009

Though the nose is a touch oaky, in the mouth it’s well integrated given that there’s a greater concentration of fruit to the estate wine.  Mineral, coal dust edged black berry, cherry and ripe raspberry flesh out a firm backbone of ripe tannin. Lovely freshness teases out the finish. Nice wine with middle distance oomph.