Revista de Vinhos Winemaker of the Year Francisco Olazabal does the Dão: two reds from Quinta do Mondego

Scanning the brochure for this year’s Annual Portugal tasting I noticed that Douro Boy Francisco Olazabal (who makes wine at Quinta do Vale Meão and for his cousins at Quinta do Vallado) is also making wine in the Dão for Fontes da Cunha, at Quinta do Mondego.  So I made a point of tasting the wines, which Olazabal makes alongside Joana Cunha.

I chatted briefly with Olazabal last month who was in the Dão, attending Dirk Niepoort’s and Alvaro Castro’s Dado/Doda vertical tasting (which I reported here, Olazabal pictured in the foreground).  He told me that the 20ha vineyard on grantic and sandy soils is unusual because it’s located along the banks of the river that gives it its name, the Mondego River, as opposed to at higher elevation.

In common with many other Dão family-owned estates, Quinta do Mondego has recently been renovated with a view to producing quality wines under its own label.  Restructuring of the old vineyards commenced in 1996 and I suspect the reds bear little relation to the wines of yore.  As the sharp packaging suggests, they’re thoroughly modern wines with flashy fruit and supple tannins, especially the single varietal Touriga Nacional which sees 100% new French oak. 

I have to admit, they’re not my preferred style for the Dão – I’m all for elegance, but they’re very well made and a great example of how fleshy, ripe and sumptuous Dão wines can become when quality, not quantity, becomes the focus.  They’ll have no shortage of admirers!  Here are my notes. 

Fontes da Cunha Munda Touriga Nacional 2008 (Dão)

Deep purple/plum with ruby flashes to the rim.  It’s very Touriga, with a floral nose with sweet vanilla-edged raspberries.  In the mouth there’s lots to like with ripe, sweet and supple tannins, chocolate, creamy raspberry and brighter pomegranate fruit.  Just a shame it’s leaned on rather heavily by vanillin oak.  It’s early days of course, so the oak will integrate over time and, if you like your reds corpulent, this wine will seduce. 14.5%

Fontes da Cunha Quinta do Mondego 2007 (Dão)

For me, blends are a great strength in Portugal and this blend of 10% Alfrocheiro, 15% Jaen, 20% Tinta Roriz and 55% Touriga Nacional articulates the Dão more clearly.  It’s a little darker than the straight Touriga with an attractive piquancy to its fresh fruits of the forest nose, a lift of spice too.  In the mouth, it shows crushed raspberry and pomegranate fruit with succulent cherries, red and black.  The (older French) oak is less overt and the acidity fresher, while ripe but present tannins lend an attractive bit of grip and focus to the finish.  All in all, smooth, modern and fruit forward, but with some pomegrante pith and bite for interest and balance. 13.5%