Ruby colour. The frisky red-fruits nose is really inviting, but that's all you get; no oak is to be found or needed. This is a young wine, a bit firm in the mid-palate, not without finesse but with a lot of fruit. You can enjoy it now or forget it for a few years.
The amber tawny colour is a delight to admire, along with its complex bouquet of spice, jam, nuts and hints of orange. The rich palate with concentrated flavours of Fig Newton, raisin, toffee and roasted nuts lead to a long, mellow, spice-laden finish. A pleasure to sip, particularly at a cool cellar temperature.
A colheita ("harvest" in Portuguese) is an unblended port wine from a single vintage (much like a vintage port) but aged in barrels like a tawny. Ready to be drunk when it is released, it can also be kept many more years. This one is over 50 years old and shows a beautiful fawn colour with golden/amber reflections. Very complex nose of mild tobacco, hazelnuts, toffee and dried fruits. Unctuous, caressing the palate, it is equally fresh, rich and fat. Extremely long, its taste lasts for minutes. A real treat.
Lively and medium-bodied with concentrated plum and berry flavours, mineral and leather notes, grippy tannins and fresh on the juicy finish. A great match with lamb, but fresh enough to pair with seafood stew. Luis Pato is commonly considered to be the country’s strongest advocate for the Baga grape which, in addition to making delicious red wines, is used to produce tasty red sparkling wines with a high cool factor.
Distinctively elegant and full-flavoured blend of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro, with plenty of bright acidity to back it all up. Red plum, mineral, currant and raspberry are accented by spice and liquorice. Some of the most interesting and best-value wines in the world are coming from the Dão.
A Colheita is a single Vintage Tawny Port, which by law must age a minimum of 7 years in wood before being released to the marketplace. This wine over-delivers for the price, especially considering it is a full-sized bottle. The brick red colour leads to a combination of prunes, dried raspberry, dried flowers, spice and hazelnut. Smooth and well balanced with a long aftertaste.
If you’re looking for something different from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, try this wine. Made from the Arinto grapes, it has a nose that reminded me of an aged Hunter Valley Sémillon — slightly oily with an apple purée note. The flavour is dry, lemony and resiny with a long finish.