LCBO & YOU (AND ME) - CHRISTOPHERS' SPRING SIPS

I hope you are all well. It can be a challenge to emerge into the light of Spring, with this fog of Covid hanging over our heads!

I have been busy with launching my own series of ‘Virtual Wine Tastings’ - I have a planned Arc of Flavours focus on the grape Garnacha aka Grenache! May 15th 8pm. There are a few spots left!

A few weeks ago I was asked by the LCBO to host a tasting of 6 pre-selected wines Spring Sipping Wines. Wines to take you on an adventure in flavour, to different regions and a few different wine styles…rosé and rosé sparkling included. See the link to the LCBO YouTube Live Recording.

But…I decided that I would introduce my own Christopher Sealy - Arc of Flavours - Sipping Wines for you that could be found in the LCBO. Yes, the LCBO, one of ‘the’ largest retailers of wine in the world. It is sort of like buying records from the old HMV or SAM the Record Man - commercial interests are definitely driving factors in what is placed on the shelves. Though every now-and-then you can find some hidden gems in the rare groove or urban music section of the store, just like going through the Vintages Section. I prefer, and almost always shop at the 49 Spadina and Front Street LCBO. There is a greater and deeper selection of wines. Wines that many industry and wine professional enjoy and are happy to promote. The LCBO can be useful at times. If you know how to shop!

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Fattoria Nanni ‘Arsicci’ Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2018. Le Marche. Italy.

Verdicchio is one of Italy’s most noble and age worthy white wines. The region has history of great wine making notably in the world of white wines. This part of the Italian peninsula over-looks the Adriatic Sea. Vineyards at various elevations on limestone, clay and granitic slopes are exposed to the sun and sea, making for a sun kissed lemon, citrus, apple and gently herbal toned wines. There is a certain mid palate weight to the wine. Saline and mineral with a touch of fruit ripeness that seems slightly creamy, like nectar. This is a great aperitif wine and an easy going sipper with weekday meals. Let’s try something other than Pinot Grigio. Which is fine, but variety is the spice of life!

I somehow misplaced my receipt. The wine is approx $25-27 in the 49 Spadina LCBO. Limited bottles remain. There is also a higher end Verdicchio from another producer Garofoli ‘Podium’. I believe retails for $25-30 and is an excellent wine for the price with elegance and complex flavours.

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Lavradores de Feitoria Branco ( Blend of Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Siria) 2019. Douro.

Lavradores de Feitoria is a co-operative winery in the Douro Valley, Portugal. They continue improve in quality and complexity with each vintage. I did have an opportunity to visit this producer a few years ago. The wines caught my on the LCBO shelves and I had to taste the present, while I looked back to a wonderful past visit.

On this trip, I met with Olga Martins, a chief protagonist, in this organization. Dirk Niepoort is an influence in this project. Inspiring the many families involved in this project to form like Voltron in order to bring the power of the collective to the wine market.

A blend of grapes in this Branco : Malvasia, Gouveio, and Siria. Producing a wine that is warm in aroma with cantaloupe and melon, with pear and puree of apple. The tone of the wine is gentle and with volume. This is a light to medium bodied wine and un-oaked, in order to preserve freshness and brightness in flavour. Palate continues with melon, pear, apple with a gentle acid and mineral backbone. A pleasing entry level white wine from the Douro. I believe it retails for sub $25.

Go get some, there is plenty on the shelf!

The Garden at the HQ for Lavradores de Feitoria. I recall they mentioned this chateau was once owned by the Mateus Wine Family.

Tasting with Olga Martins (CEO, Commercial Director) and Paulo Ruao (Wine Making Director)

The Lavradores de Feitoria - Portolio of wines.

QUINTA de SAES TOURIGA NACIONAL 2016 DÃO

Álvaro Castro - QUINTA de SAES - TOURIGA NACIONAL

So yes, everyone knows me as this ‘promoter / lover’ of Portuguese wines.

You see me, I have no vested interest with the Wines of Portugal. Yes I have been very fortunate to travel to the wine regions of Portugal, top to bottom, on several occasions. What I have seen and tasted, the people I have met and spent time with on these travels are deserved of a greater spot light at the ‘World of Wine Table’. It still amazes me when I have guests, who are totally ‘colonized’ by the brands of Chardonnay and Cabernet, wonder at the quality and character of these wine of Portugal. It’s like how many guests wonder at me doing what I do in the world of hospitality with wine. Your mind and palates have been ‘colonized’! To your detriment. You get me.

Here is a bottle of wine I recently enjoyed over a period of 24 hours. Yes…if a wine has the endurance and the structure, a well made wine will show all sides of itself over this time and more. It’s like spending a week with a new friend. So this Touriga Nacional from Álvaro Castro, one of the great protagonists for quality Portuguese wines stands up to the reputation of the maker. A master of his craft and terroir.

You can google him, I have yet to meet him but have tasted many of his wines over the years.

Sweet violet floral notes, with aroma of fresh picked sun-warmed dark berries and currant still dusty from the field. Caramel apple. Underlined by chocolate and the natural sweetness of dried dates. The palate comes around with all of the above but slightly more savoury cum a soft bitter herbal note of pine and sage. Tasting the wine too cold shows a bitter angle, left to warm up to the environment reveals a gentle balance and fruit that is all pleasing but teasing.

This wine is a tremendous example of Touriga Nacional. As a benchmark for balance in aroma and palate, this wine sets the bar very high.

Note: Dão is an appellation at elevation with a continental climate and variation in soils somewhat different from the rest of Portugal. Some say this is the birthplace of Touriga Nacional.

GRAHAM'S PORT 200 YEARS CELEBRATION

Graham’s Port Bicentenary

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Graham’s Port 200 Years Celebration. The Symington Family, owner operators of the famous port house that we know as Graham’s, launched a series of Instagram Live chats with top Sommeliers the world over. I had my 30minutes of fame in a conversation with Vicky Symington, one of the newer generation of the Symington Family, and also their Manager of Brand Marketing.

Instagram Link to the recorded conversation below

Christopher Sealy Graham’s 200 Years

Wednesday 13th of May, we debuted, talked, and tasted through a few of their new port wines to an IG Live audience. I had a tremendous amount of fun in this laid back approach to talking and tasting wine.

We introduced a wine which was initially exported to the UK market last year. This was the Graham’s Blend No.5 White Port (meio-seco). This wine is quite exuberant with orange, peach, apricot and muscat notes. The concept behind this product is a port wine blended with freshness in mind to be used for the popular Porto Tonico. Porto Tonico, a cocktail that combines White Port with Tonic. This cocktail has become a massive sensation in Portugal over the last few years and one might consider this cocktail as the equivalent to the Italian - Aperol Spritz. I had mine, actually two in the IG demonstration, one with a cucumber soda and the other with a blood orange soda. A leaf of lemon balm and some mint picked from the garden garnished both of them and we were off to a nice chat about port, my story in wine and the love I foster for Wines of Portugal.

We then introduced the first ever Canadian appearance of their Natura Reserve Port, sourced from organic estate grown grapes. As far as ports go, some can be quite intense in that rich ‘port’, chocolate, ripe fruit flavour that some appreciate or dislike. On the other spectrum some Port wine can be thin and show only the intensity of the brandy that fortifies the wine. I would say that this was a wholesome and balanced port verging on the side of lighter rich, with ripe raspberry tones, a touch of pink peppercorn spice and playing nicely on the palate - for a younger styled port. I can certainly see this wine performing well paired with any version of chocolate with candied raspberry or strawberry.

I was also given a cute bottle of their 1990 Single Harvest Tawny Port - Lodge Edition. Delicious and so precious…in a good way. It will be a great addition to the 1972 Single Harvest Tawny Port I received as I was voted #1 Sommelier from Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants (Magazine) of 2019.

DOURO. Part 1. / Niepoort Vinhos.

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O GAVETO / NIEPOORT VINHOS / CHRISTOPHER SEALY

NIEPOORT Vinhos - A NIGHT IN PORTO

Dinner at the restaurant O'GAVETO. Notes from a Trip November 2016

Looking at our schedule of wine makers, winery visits and dinners, I was excited that I would have the opportunity to revisit some producers I had already met on previous occasions. This third time would allow me the opportunity to truly synthesize and close 'a' chapter on what these wineries meant for Portugal. Of course there were a few producers I had never heard of and of course there was several among the few that I was very excited finally get the real low down. One of these producers was Niepoort Vinhos.. Niepoort, doesn't sound very Portuguese does it. Hear me out, Niepoort sounds un-Portuguese, only in name. Dirk Niepoort is a winemaker and an innovator that has pushed the envelope and the creative potential of the wines of Douro and the Wines of Portugal. Now let the record stand...Dirk Niepoort, the current winemaker for the Niepoort house, is the 5th generation of wine makers, the house has been family run since 1842, and have employed 5 generations of the Noguiera Family of Master Blenders over the last 50years. Everything about this house is #tradition but with a contemporary profile and flavour of the wines...! Though in the same breath I have to say that the wines are very Portuguese. So much that they stretch the imagination as far as the grapes will allow. 

Sitting at dinner with Paulo Silva (Sales and Marketing) and José Teles (General Manager) I was in for a truly immersive dinner and tasting at a world famous seafood restaurant O Gaveto, in Porto.

First a word on the restaurant O Gaveto...the quality of fish and seafood here is managed by two brothers Joâo and José Pinheiro. Located in one of the biggest and most important fishing ports, the Matosinhos which is also happens to be a suburb of the greater city of Porto. The Pinheiro family has been serving up the freshest fish since 1984 and with some of the fish coming from a proprietary farm that the family operates ensuring consistency and quality. This is the first choice restaurant of any Douro wine producer and should not be missed if you visit the lovely city of Porto. As a child of West Indian parents, I've had the luxury of tasting the freshest fish of the Caribbean at home in Canada and at the source in Barbados...direct from the sea. As well one of my earliest wine trips took me to Santorini and a night of dining on fish literally plucked from a holding container in the sea at table side, I can say that O'Gaveto might have eclipsed all of my previous experiences with fresh seafood. 

As I sit here writing and thinking, I ask myself how can I get straight to the point about this tasting and dinner, without the writerly flourishes that one might expect and flourishes that I am barely capable of achieving. I will attempt to revisit the tasting, and dinner as I have in my notes.

Dirk Niepoort is a man of ideas, In 1987 he started to make table wines in the Douro and wanted to exploit the potential and the synergy of Table Wines in Portugal. In 2002 he joined the group Douro Boys, which included Val de Meâo, Vale de Maria amongst a few, that intended to market and push the boundaries and more importantly the perceptions of what Douro table wines would be...call them the Barolo Boys of Portugal...modern, avant-gardiste, breakers of tradition but the guardians of heritage. Later in 2012 he would expand his horizons by joining the Baga Friends of Bairrada. Baga Friends - a group of like minded friends and associates looking to improve on the grape Baga. Baga a noble and fierce grape making wines that have been compared to Barolo and also has the capacity to make traditional sparkling wines not unlike that of Pinot Noir in France.

Niepoort is a collaborator, a protagonist and an artist. 

“Niepoort is an artist, not thinking of the ‘consumer’ and he does what he believes. ”

— José Teles, General Manager. Niepoort Wines

He now makes wine in other regions of Portugal, in particular the Dão and Vinho Verde. The Vinho Verde would be the first wine of the night as we were served our first course of dinner. 

Teppo Peixe Branco 2016 Vinho Verde. Niepoort Vinhos.

The wine is from an estate purchased in 2015, this vintage is a combination of the grapes Avesso, Trajaduro, and Azal from a vineyard- Quinta de Val Boa located in the subregion of Basto in Vinho Verde. The wine opens with bright green apple, and slight underripe pear with lemon zest. The wine has a gentle spritz, call it effervesence, which is not too distracting, supporting some soft creamy tropical white fruit flavour. A crisp and pleasant wine as an aperitif.

José and Teppo Peixe at O Gaveto. Christopher Sealy

Conciso Branco 2014, Dão. Niepoort Vinhos

The label for this bottle is one of the most compelling I have seen in a while. The artist is João Noutel , like the wines of Niepoort, the labels are conceptual and quite stunning as contemporary art pieces. He has collaborated with other wineries, a few mentored by Dirk. What I did notice about the label and something I have never seen on any wine label...PERIOD, was that the hand on the wine label was that of a black man, in a suit. I thought the hand of Barack Obama, of course, as this trip was on the eve of the US Presidential Election last November.

The vineyards for this wine are located at 600-800metres above seal level, comprised of old vines Bical and Encruzado. Fermentation for this wine was in traditonal granite lagares and malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel. Initial impressions on this wine was of  lovely brioche like aroma with apple, sweet peaches, lemon and lemon curds. A wine in its youth the palate continued with nice oak integration and a rich palate dominated by bright acidity - a vinous combination of apple, white peach and pastry notes.

Conciso. Niepoort Vinhos. Christopher Sealy

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This was not the first experience with a Dão wine from the hand of Niepoort. My first experience with his wines were with DODA. I proceeded to ask our hosts about this wine. 

DoDa / (Do)uro and (Da)o. Niepoort Vinhos.

The concept was suggested by Dirks' father, Rolf,  to create the best wine in Portugal by combining the elegance and longevity of the Dao wines and the power and structure of the Douro in one wine. The collaboration would work best with his equal, the wine maker Alvaro de Castro from Quinta de Pellada in the Dão. de Castro himself a master of winemaking in the Dao. The original blend was 50/50 of each wines...being made at their respective Quinta and then blended at Niepoort in Douro. The original name as I was told was DADO, but they had to change the name, at the same time the wine falls out of any appellation law and is simply and beautiful concept wine. Currently the 2011 vintage is available in our Ontario market from Terroir Imports.  The wine is killer!

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Bical + Maria Gomes Old Vines 2013, Bairrada. Niepoort Vinhos.

This is a gem of a wine, coming in at a whopping 11% alcohol from 60 to 100 year old vines on limestone soil from the coastal region of Bairrada. The elevated acidity in these grapes allows for full fermentation and malolactic to occur in 50 - 100 year old black barrels, originally from the Mosel, Germany. Try to imagine sucking on a well chiselled diamond!

This wine is laced with layers of mineral, mineral and more mineral tones, with slight green notes of green garden herbs: celery, parsley and savoury. The nose is rather quiet in regards to fruit, though I think with time this wine will evolve towards bright and gentle white floral notes, with lean citrus undertones.... I mean this wine is so pure and clean it was difficult to find the upfront pleasure of drinking it in it's youth. Personally, I would study this wine and with time re-visit and intellectually enjoy it's evolution. 

I had to ask José and Paulo about this wine and they both attested that Dirk is someone who 'learns by doing and he respects the terroir, the grapes and the identity of the wines. His collaborations with wine makers such as Telmo Rodriques of Spain, Raul Perez and other have informed his beliefs on the benefits of balance and low alcohol in wines'.

Both admit that it is quite possible that Dirk's wines are 10 years ahead of their time. All of the vineyards are currently converting to biodynamic viticulture, the concept of 'less is more' holds true is an underlying theme to the Niepoort wines. 

Bical / Maria Gomes. Niepoort Vinhos. by Christopher Sealy

Redoma 2015, Douro. Niepoort Vinhos.

This wine is sourced from an 85 year old vineyard at 600-800 metres above sea level on schist and granite soils in the Cima Corgo. A classic field blend primarily composed of Rabigato, Codéga di Lorinho, Viosinho amongst the few. Here is a wine of upfront pleasure and richness from the floral and bright fruit of lemon, peach and apple with distinct mineral highlights. The must is fermented in oak with 8 months of ageing and the wine still remains as fresh as apples and summer peaches. If you thought that elegance could not be found in the Douro, then you should try this wine.

Charme 2014, Douro. Niepoort Vinhos.

Charme is made in one of the historical Port Wine Quinta in the Niepoort portfolio of properties, the Vale de Mendiz. The grapes, mainly a field blend dominated by Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and others, are whole bunch foot trodden in classic 'lagares', with 3 days of maceration with fermentation commencing and then completed in barrel with further ageing of up to 18 months. Out of the bottle the wine leaps forth with pretty red floral notes, some wood spice moving to red apple, red cherry and field berry fruit. Overall the nose is subtle and complex moving to a palate that is gentle with fine grained tannin wrapped in a halo of spiced and slightly candied fruit of currant, strawberry and raspberry flavours. 

Rumour has it that the name 'Charme' is a play on words with Charmes-Chambertin of Burgundy. Taste the wine and see for yourself!

PROJECTOS 

Recently the Niepoort house launched the Projectos Series of wines. The Projectos vision manifests itself as limited edition of wines focused on regions and grapes of Portugal that are unique and of interest and/or are made in partnership with other like minded wine makers from within Portugal or abroad. The Projectos include the Conciso Branco and Tinto of Dao , Poerinho of Barirarda and Turris an old vine Quinta in the Douro. 

“Projectos Series aims to express the different identities in each region. ”

— Paulo Silva, Niepoort Vinhos.

Charme and Bastardo- my favourite companions of the night. Niepoort Vinhos. by Christopher Sealy

Bastardo 2010, Douro. Niepoort Vinhos. 

The grape Bastardo was relegated to the sidelines of Douro wine production because of it's inability to produce wines of colour and weight, it lacked the power to contribute to port wine blending. The Bastardo grape is related to Trousseau of the Jura in France. What Niepoort has been able to do is fashion a wine of brigthness and a légèreté of bright red cherry, with herbal and savoury notes. A nice salinity runs through the wine which is rather tart and soft in tannin. 

Conciso Tinto 2013, Dão. Niepoort Vinhos.

Another killer, label on this wine, a blend of old bush vines Baga, Jaen, Alfrocheiro and a touch of Touriga Nacional from a very ancient vineyard in the Dão. Like Voltron the wine is Part de-stemmed plus whole bunches, with the fermentation in granite lagares followed by barrel ageing and we have before us a wine of elegance and beauty. Tart red and blue fruit, with a wild mint to cola scented aroma laced with black pepper spice. The palate has earthy and gritty tannin, with more of the same fruit with light vegetal/herbal tones. This wine is beyond complex it is compelling.

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Baga 'Poeirinho' 2014, Bairrada. Niepoort Vinhos.

An unfined and unfiltered wine, a palate of black plum and black cherry, with fresh dark green savoury notes. From a cool vintage the wine is tart and bright with a cool and lean profile. 

Baga 'Poeirinho' 2013, Bairrada. Niepoort Vinhos. 

This vintage shows a touch more warmth than the 2014, with black plum, cherry over botanical flavours of cola and root, with gentle tannin and an earthy profile.

Turris 2013, Douro. Niepoort Vinhos. 

From a 130 year old single vineyard, dominated by the grape Touriga Franca, the wine is otherwise a field blend, that offers up a wine that is fresh and lifted, with dark berry fruit, floral hints, and warm spiced tone on the nose. The palate offers  pure and driven flavours of ripe dark berries, plush and pleasant with a tartness to balance and easy tannin to keep the wine pleasurable. 

The Finish. 

Well, you can imagine how fun and engaging dinner was. We finished the meal with a 1997 Colheita Port, which was the best way to finish this engagement. I was thrilled. José and Paulo were very charismatic hosts, the food was amazing, the wines were fantastic! It was an honest and meaningful encounter with wine. 

A fantastic lineup José Mourinho would be proud.

To find out more about the Niepoort Vinhos you can go to their website or download an app they have developed...yes The Niepoort Vinhos. App. 

Some of the wines form Niepoort Vinhos are imported to Toronto by Bernard Stramwasser of Le Sommelier Wines

SETÚBAL. / José Maria da Fonseca - A PORTUGUESE WINE DIARY

NOTES FROM A TRIP IN NOVEMBER 2016

It was soon time to leave the Alentejo and start the journey to the north of Portugal, though before going north there would be a visit to the house of José Maria da Fonseca. One of the longest standing wineries in all of Portugal and if it is not the first, it certainly is one of the very first wineries to export wines out of Portugal to International market.

Today the company has approximately 650 hectares under vine that can produce up to 6.9 million litres of wine. With 80% of their exports to Scandinavia, Canada, USA and Brazil and only 20% consumed domestically, da Fonseca is an example of a family run winery that has transformed itself into a well run company with deep roots in the Peninsula de Setúbal appellation. Under the wine guidance of Domingos Soares Franco, a graduate of the wine school at University of Davis in California, Domingos and da Fonseca are known as a leader in research, innovation and winery technology. On my first visit to Portugal in 2013 I had the opportunity to have lunch in the family garden with Domingos and his nephews. His nephews assist in the management of the company and it is their father António, whom I had lunch with on this recent visit, who is the CEO of the company. 

Back in 2013  I had the opportunity to taste single bottling of over 15 different Portuguese grape varieties to better understand their character and what they each bring to the blending of wines. Yes the blending of wines is an art in which the best winemakers succeed at. A mastery in the Art of Blending is the key to consistent quality for the wines of Portugal, combined with innovation and improvements in the vineyard the potential is exciting. It is certainly the case for house of da Fonseca

2013 Tasting of Single Varietal Wines representing the Grapes of Portugal.

We engaged in a rather quick fire tasting before sitting to lunch. Below are my notes on the wines tasted. 

2015 Perequita Branco. Sourced from the very first vineyard for the company, the Cova de Perequita. A blend of Verdelho, Viosinho, and Viognier. No oak, simply pure clean and fresh aroma of orchard fruit, pear with dried flowers. I would say that it was much less fruity and floral than I expected. This wine is direct, fresh and lean.

2015 Perequita Original. This wine is the original and first wine brand the first to be exported. Around 800,000 litres of this wine is made. Aged in 100 year old Mahogany barrels. Mahogany wood is preferred as it is neutral, and strong enough to be shaped into the barrel size the company prefers. The wine is a classic blend of Castelão, Trincadeira and Aragones blended producing an aroma of rather fresh ripe red berry, with gentle floral tones and on the palate moving to gentle tannin almost vegetal and earthy, leading into a soft mineral tone. The fruit on the palate is easy, fruit driven and tart. Good Value and Easy drinking. 

2014 Perequita Reserva. The Reserve is a wine that was created roughly 10 years ago, the blue print is Castelão with Touriga Nacional and Touriga France. Vines are roughly 30-40 years old. This wine was made with sheer drinking pleasure in mind, it shares the same structure profile as the 'Original' Perequita, though we go deeper and richer with black berry fruit, seemingly sweeter fruit over layers of vanilla from French oak, and certainly a fuller bodied wine. 

2014 'Domini', Tinto Douro. It was only in 1990 that da Fonseca purchased vineyards in the Douro and started making the 'Domini'. A blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinto Barroca, Touriga Frances and Tinto Roriz. I found this wine as I have with the other Douro I would taste on this trip, to be quite subtle in aroma and persistence. I feel that the wines need a lot of time, like the wines of Bordeaux. The palate seemed to reveal the future of this wine in aroma and palate evolution with dry dark berry fruit, some spice, and earthy tannin and texture. Almost like waiting outside of the club in the line that stretches around the corner, you can feel the bass and sound emanating through the walls, you know what to expect once you get inside the doors, but you still have to wait and be patient. 

2014 José de Sousa Tinto Alentejano. The vineyards for this wine are in the heart of the Alentejo at a region called Requengos. The vineyards are cherished for their granitic soils, giving way to mineral and fresh wines despite the ripeness that vines can achieve in the heat of the growing season. So details on this wine, we stretch back to traditional methods with 10% of the wine raised in clay amphora with a grape blend of Grand Noir, Trincadeira and Aragonez. In the glass the wine displays ripe plum and berry aroma with violet floral perfume. Palate is rich and full ripe and baked dark fruit backed by firm tannin and crisp acidity. Despite all this the wine remains fresh and cool to the touch.

2010 'Alambre' Moscatel de Setúbal. Moscatel for me is by far the best value and one of the highest quality dessert wines out there. From a producer focused on quality and precision these wines never cease to please, even the most avid Sauterne or Tokaji connoisseur. Mind you that Moscatel is still very different. José Maria da Fonseca are specialist with Moscatel, the original Muscat of Alexandria. The Setubal displays an intense aroma of bergamot and orange, to rose petal and other floral tones, the palate remains light and elegant in its sweetness with balance. The wine is made from the free run juice from a first press and rests 5 yeas in very old oak barrel. Gentle yet sweet and one of the most balanced dessert wines I have come across. 

We then sat down to lunch with António Sr. and we had a very lively conversation that ranged from politics, to world travel and to the history and future José Maria da Fonseca as a family run company. 

ALENTEJO Part 2. / João Portugal Ramos - MY PORTUGUESE WINE DIARY.

EVORA CITY AND AN EVENING WITH JOÃO PORTUGAL RAMOS - November 2016

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Portal to the Cathédral of Évora

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Ruins of a Roman Temple

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Santo Antâo Church

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The Streets of Evora

We, I arrived in Évora City (a Unesco World Heritage City), late in the afternoon, there would be only a few hours left of sunshine before the chill of the night would begin it's slow creep. I took a walk through the quiet yet busy city. Then suddenly realizing in my instant transformation into a tourist, that this historical city was alive with its inhabitants going about their lives. Children and Teenagers coming home from school, the elders sitting and sipping coffee in the town square, and offices closing up as the restaurants and taverns prepared for evening service. Dinner was to be at 8 at the charming Luar de Janeiro Restaurant with the wines of João Portugal Ramos. It would be a very comfortable dinner and a casual tasting with the wines and the son of João Portugal Ramos, João Maria Portugal Ramos. (pictured below) 

João Maria Portugal Ramos, son of João Portugal Ramos. photo by Christopher Sealy iPhone using VSCO.

THE WINES OF JOAO PORTUGAL RAMOS OF ESTREMOZ, ALENTEJO

2015 Alvarinho Vinho Verde :  a very fresh and clean wine with classic characteristics of apple and pear with bright fruit and mineral elements on the palate.  20% of the wine is raised in barrel, giving a soft and pleasing dimension to the wine and not overpowering the lovely fruit makes Alvarinho so pleasant as an aperitif wine. 

2015 Marquês de Borba White: this wine is composed of Arinto, Antâo Vaz and a touch of Viognier. What I can say about this wine is that aromatically the wine is quite direct in character, with lovely lemon, citrus and orchard fruit tone with a touch of sweet peach and pear due to the Viognier,  only to be balanced by a very pleasing palate with nice acidity and a lemon and mineral sandwich of flavour. Well made. 

2015 Marquês de Borba Red : this wine is lead by Alicante Bouchet, Aragonez with support from Trincadeira and Touriga Nacional. As an easy drinking red, with lovely dark berry, currant and a touch of cooked fruit on the nose, which then moves direclty to the palate with like and similar elements framed by freshness and gentle tannin. Freshness and pleasing fruit is the vital and necessary key to good Alentejo wines. A great everyday drinking wine. 

2013 Vila Santa Reserva Red : Grape Varieties in this gem are Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet. Now a 1/3 component of this wine will be foot trodden in classic marble lagares with the remainder fermented in large wooden vats with ageing in American and French oak. The result is rich and ripe fruit aroma of dark berry, cassis and a perfume that is floral and fruity with a hint of sweet vanilla. On the palate there is the same velvety richness with a touch of rock rose, spice and vanilla from the elevage in barrel. By no way is this an obtuse 'big' wine. It balanced and elegant showing the skill and hand of the maker. 

2014 Dourum Colheita Douro Red : here Touriga Franca leads the show with Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. We dig deep into the richness that only the Douro can provide with ripe and sweet berry over toasted vanilla and a touch of grains de café torréfié - roasted coffee. I would say and conclude later in my trip that the wine, and others wines of the Douro, had a Bordeaux like elegance and density, but with lift and clarity of pleasing fruit that allowed the wine to be enjoyed in youth. 

FACT FILE ON JOÃO PORTUGAL RAMOS 

“The new generation (of young winemakers) can profit from the work of their parents. The big producers will maintain a consistency in quality and the small producers will add the diversity to an already growing market. ”

— João Maria Portugal Ramos

• João is known as one of, if not the most famous oenologist/ wine consultants in Portugal and is constantly engaged in projects throughout the country. The Dourum label of wines in particular is a partnership with João Maria Soares Franco the famous and important past winemaker of Barca Velha. Barca Velha is the Portuguese equivalent to Vega Sicilia in Spain or Stag's Leap in Napa. 
• In the 1990's João himself, after an illustrious career of making wines for others, purchased a property in Estremoz, Alentejo to make his own wines and then soon become one of the largest privately owned family wineries in the south.
• Currently they have a team of 6 wine makers in the group overseeing projects in other regions of Portugal.   
• João's son, João Maria has recently finished his Masters in Wine at the wine school of Montpellier and has studied at Bordeaux. He has been working with his father since 2014 and is part of the new vanguard of young wine makers in training. 

A morning walk in the public gardens at the city of Évora.

The outer wall of the city of Évora

ALENTEJO / Herdade do Esporão - A PORTUGUESE WINE DIARY - Part 2

It is fall in Alentejo, the light of the morning sun is cool, vivid and blindingly bright. Causing one to squint as one looks over the horizon. A horizon divided by sky blue and the earth shades of olive green and vines.

Alentejo photo by Christopher Sealy 

Alentejo at Esporão. photo by Christopher Sealy

We, I, am in Rueguengos a subregion of the Alentejo, not far from the historical city of Evora. The landscape is familiar, I've been here before, a few years back in time, exploring the wine regions of Vidiguera and to the far north Portalegre. It is beautiful here. Raw, earth, herbs, vines and sky for miles and miles. Today the 6 of us are visiting the Herdade do Esporão. Esporão is one of the pioneering wineries of the Alentejo, pioneers in the sense that the Herdade was a creative vision of the impresario José Roquette and Joaquim Bandeira. Roquette wanted to establish a 'chateau' in the Alentejo, a winery = Herdade, that would be known for quality. In 1972 the Esporão Tower and some 250 hectares of land were acquired. Yet there was still a significant hurdle to overcome as much of this area was occupied by farmers. Farmers who in a post dictatorship era were very much against the notion of surrendering land to raise vines, the idea was ludicrous. It was only in 1980's that a shift in mentality and direction was achieved, with a co-operative plan to rebuild vineyards and restore the land that the Herdade do Esporão project was now able to gather momentum. The vision included wine, olive groves and cork production. In 1985, the first winery was built, and it is here from which I gather my thoughts and memories. 

Herdade do Esporão today produces about 15 million bottles of wine. Yes quite significant but key to understanding the potential and scale of what Alentejo and Portugal is capable of. The first brands to hit the market where the Esporão Reserve White and Red. The success of these wines was such that in the 1990's the company expanded into 3 tiers of production, which included the construction of 2 additional wineries. A second facility for white wines, a third for the top level wines and the expansion of the original home winery for the original reserve brands. The wines were present in 47 markets with 40% of consumption in Portugal and with the farmers included in the success grower contracts were re-established and Esporão was acclaimed a successful business model. The success is a combination of vision, quality and consistency which the Wines of Portugal needed in order to establish a foothold in the World Wine Market. You aren't going to find quirky, sommelier geek out wines here. You will find wines of benchmark production standards, precision that represent a necessary dimension of the Wines of Alentejo. 

David Baverstock, Chief Wine Maker presiding over the tasting. 

Sandra Alves, Wine Maker.

The core brands of Esporão. Each vintage the label of Esporão Reserve White and Red is commissioned to a noted Portuguese artist/painter. Here the work of Pedro A.H. Paixão

FACT FILE 

• Herdade = large winery/farm 
• Monte = small winery/farm 
• Quinta (a term used in the north and primarily the Douro = the classic term for a winery that was obliged to surrender 1/5, a Quinta, of the production to the monarchy. 
• Herdade do Esporão sources grapes from the entire Alentejo. Particularly from the high altitude north sub region of Portalegre down to Reguengos. 
• 7 different soil types contribute to the complexity of the wines. 
• Production is 70% Red wine and 30% White wine. 
• Red Grapes farmed : Aragonês (aka Tempranillo, Tinto Roriz as it is called in the North), Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trincadeira
• White Grapes farmed : Antão Vaz, Verdelho, Semillon (imported by David who happens to be Australian) 
• David Baverstock, Chief Wine Maker has been with Esporão since 1982. He had come to Portugal to work with Symington's in the Douro in 1980. Prior that that he had spent time in France with LaPierre in Morgon, Beaujolais and some time in Germany.   

IN THE TASTING ROOM

WHITEs

2015 Monte Velho White : a wine comprised of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Perrum offering up initial aromas of apple, pear with white orchard blossom perfume that borders on sweet yet remains bright and fresh. To taste the Branco it is rich yet tense, with green apple to dry peach and other stone fruit flavours. This is a wine with nice balance full and texture. 

2015 Verdelho : at it's origin this Verdelho comes from the island of Madeira and it exists for the simple reason that the grape was isolated on the island during the era of the vine disease Phylloxera that devastated the mainland vineyards of Europe. At present we see more frequent use, though it is quite low yielding. It was in 2001 that Esporão started to plant the Verdelho. I would say that the wine is quite unique and interesting with an aromatic intensity that is of waxy green and gold apple, fresh pear combined with citrus moving to herbal light celery and anise like tones. On the palate the wine is quite dry, very dry with some clean and crisp apple, citrus and spiced flavours, think white pepper to jasmine. Quite direct and subtle in complexity.

2015 Esporão Reserve White : the blend here is mainly Antão Vaz, Roupeiro with Arinto and several other white varieties in the mix. The wine is fermented in 60% tank and 40% new oak with a further 6 months on fine lees. The resulting wine is full, with fruity citrus to white tropical fruit aroma over subtle wood spice and vanilla. I'm finding a familiar savoury and herbed aroma. The palate gives way to richer flavours on the palate, with a touch of texture. The wine is warm with big fruit and gentle spice with a pleasant finish.    

REDs

2015 Monte Velho Red : to make the 5million bottles of this wine, 20 different farmers contribute to the blend of Aragonês, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional and Syrah. The result is quite clear, with a simple wine of cherry and red berry aroma and flavour, the fruit is fresh and not jammy better yet it is bright and clean. A very easy going wine with little cosmetics and no fuss. 

2013 Esporão Reserve Red : the perennial classic from the Herdade based on the grapes Aragonês, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouchet. This wine is a cuvée with each grape fermented separately in tank, blended then matured 12 month in barrel - some new and some used. Here we have rich fruit aroma, dark berry, black currant with spice re: saffron, vanilla, the nose remains fresh and does not move into the cooked fruit territory as one would think with the heat of Alentejo and the 'use' of barrel. The palate deepens with more dark blue and black fruit and gentle herbed tones. This wine is upfront and firm in tannin. A solid example of the craft at Esporão. 

A few other wines that are of real interest which I enjoyed over lunch are pictured below. 

The Trincadeira to which I never say never was vibrant and fresh / the Moreto is the Amphora raised wines from vessels dating back to 1848, a new project for Esporão / AB - Alicante Bouchet was a big full bodied pleasing wines, call it Grenache on steroids. 

LISBON / Fita Preta Wines - A PORTUGUESE WINE DIARY - Part 1

NOVEMBER 6TH 2016

It was a moderately warm day as I got off the overnight flight from Toronto to Lisboa aka Lisbon. I flew on Açores Airlines, a flight that was efficient and direct as well as a throwback to circa 1986 a memory of the first time I ever flew on an 'aeroplane'. A time when overnight flights meant lights out, no movies, no room to stretch your knees and getting up to the washroom meant walking to the very very back of the plane. What the flight did afford me was the chance to sleep in-flight, for the very first time ever, which meant arriving in Lisbon with enough energy to walk and explore the city before dinner!

I was to be hosted by Andrea Guimarães of ViniPortugal on a wine tour of Portugal. A number of us would arrive in Lisbon to explore Alentejo and Setubal then move north to Porto and the Douro and Vinho Verde regions. The group would be 6 in total, 3 from Toronto and 3 from Montreal. My Toronto colleagues, Josh Correa of Archive and Alessandro Pietropaolo of Bar Isabel, had arrived 4 days earlier to enjoy the many food and wine delights of Lisbon and I would later catch up with them for an apero before going to dinner. I did have the luck of meeting 2 of the 3 Montreal companions whilst waiting for our transfer to the hotel. We had been on the same flight but had not met until now. They were Simone Chévalot of famed Montreal wine bar called La Buvette chez Simone and more recently Furco and Parvis and Sommelier Philippe Boisvert of Le Club Chasse et Pêche and the recently opened Le Serpent. Our Journalist for the trip Patrick Désy from Le Journal de Montréal would join us at dinner. So with a couple of hours to spare I set off with my two new French Friends in Wine, Simone and Philippe for a walk of Lisbon. 

DINNER WITH ANTONIO MAÇANITA AND HIS WINES FROM AÇORES AND ALENTEJO 

That evening we would dine with winemaker Antonio Maçanita of Fita Preta (Alentejo) at the restaurant Cantina do Avillez-Lisbon, a casual dining environment created by Michelin starred chef José Avillez. Antonio Macanita is considered as one of the best wine makers of his current generation with projects in Alentejo, Açores and most recently in the Douro.  His projects embrace the history of viticulture and grapes of each region. It should be noted that Antonio is very much linked to each region by family relations, his father is from the Açores, his mother is from Alentejo and his sister recently joined forces to start a winery in the Douro.  Antonio is of the new generation of makers that push towards precise and clean wines, with loads of character, in a era when the wines of Portugal are appearing more frequently on the wine lists of the many fine restaurant establishments in North America. I had the opportunity of meeting Antonio on a visit to Toronto last winter and he is very much an energetic and enthusiastic character. His wines reflect his personality. On this second meeting on his home turf in Lisbon, he was even more jovial as we had grand tasting of his wines with dinner and then proceeded to visit some of his favourite wine bars post dinner and late into the night. He was assisted by his right hand man David Marques and we began an epic first night of tasting. 

THE AÇOREAN WINES OF THE AZORES WINE COMPANY by ANTONIO MAÇANITA : the Rare Grapes Series

The two main projects on offer at the moment are the Fita Preta wines of Alentejo and the Azores Wine Company of Pico Island, Açores. We started the tasting with the Azores Wines and appropriately with the 2014 and 2013 Arinto dos Açores. Arinto being a lovely and engaging white grape, this a particular clone indigenous to the Açores. The mainland Arinto is a different clone all together. I currently list the 2013 at alo Restaurant in Toronto, so it was a treat to have the 2014 side by side.

2014 Arinto dos Açores DO Pico : clean and crisp with intense and zesty lemon, apple and subtle floral notes over a briny and salt tartness with a gently herb note. This wine was still very young and taught. 

2013 Arinto dos Açores DO Pico : apple to lemons and bright bitter citrus aroma with a pronounced florality. There are subtle lactic and creamy notes indicative of the lees work in the wine but certainly pronounced and evolved after a few years in bottle. The palate translates to golden and green apple balanced with tart acidity.  

2014 Arinto dos Açores 'Sure Lie' DO Pico : This wine was composed of like elements from the previous Arinto but now with a complexity that was deeper and decidedly more focused. The apple and floral to chamomile tones are pure, quiet, yet persistent, with a lovely backbone of acid flanked by a crisp mineral flavours of orchard and citrus, and also combined with a touch of 'salt' and brine, all was in balance. In two words this wine was focused and pure. 

Patrick and Alessandro

Antonio

Andrea, David and Philippe

2010 Terrantez de Pico IG Açores from the Sao Miguel Vineyard site.
Terrantez is an indigenous white variety which is a crossing between Verdelho and Bastardo. Originally planted from a massal selected vineyard, Antonio and his team are in the midst of recovering 47 hectares of the grape for which 27 hectares are currently farmed. As per the tasting of this wine, it was waxy, lemon and lime to green apple on the nose with a fresh butter tone. The palate gave way to a pleasant earthiness layered with sweet apple and pear, viscous round and rich. 

2015 Terrantez de Pico IG Açores : The recent vintage of this wine was a clean and lean contrast to the evolved 2010. It was bright and bitter citrus on the nose with the briny to saline aroma. The palate was a mirror image of the nose with added layers of fresh citrus with savory herbal aroma. A profile I find quite often with maritime/mediterranean wines with high acid structure and tone. Only after a couple of hours do the hard edges soften to a smooth if not creamy citrus palate. 

There are two Red wines from the Açores that Antonio also included in the tasting. Both of which have been available in Toronto through the agent Le Sommelier by Bernard Stramwasser. I have worked with both wines and have actually cellared one in particular for about 7 months now. That wine is the 2014 Isabella ai Proibida  and will introduce it on our wine pairing menu in the coming days/weeks. 

2015 Isabella a Proibida is indeed the name of the red grape involved in this wine, a Vinho di Chiero ( a scented wine) which I am quite taken to. It is a grape that is actually not fully recognized and permitted to make quality wine hence the scribble over Isabella (the forbidden) in the photo slide above. The aroma is of ripe and rich plum and currant but not jammed or wooded, with floral and pretty highlights supported by a gentle smokey herbal tint. To taste the wine dials all that back to hit you with lean and bright acid structure with some reference to toffee and toasted coffee, though only 20% of the wine sees oak on this wine. Insert garden herb and savouries. Overall an elegant and evolved wine. A highlight of the tasting and as I have recently revisited the 2014 this wine has a lot of promise for the Açores concept of Antonio's vision and wine program. 

2015 Tinto Vulcanico IG a blend of unknown indigenous varieties. At this time of the tasting we were knee deep in wine and food and it was hard to get over the din of the busy and boisterous restaurant. Nonetheless my tasting notes continue with this fresh and ripe berry red with some tobacco, toasted coffee bean, then a herbal savoury edge. The palate could be considered 'brash' for the lack of sweet or pleasurable fruit. The wine overall was tart fresh, herbal and certainly a 'sensorial experience'.

THE ALENTEJANO WINES OF FITA PRETA Vinhos

The next series of wines takes us to Alentejo with the wines from the Fita Preta Vinhos. A project that began in 2004 with his then partner David Booth (1965-2012). Antonio's philosophy with all of his wines is to 'embrace history, knowing full well that one is in the present and needing to move forward, but not without understanding the past' 

NOTE: all wines fall under the denomination of Vinho Regional Alentejano

BRANCO / WHITE

2015 Branca de Telha : is the amphora raised white wine made from the grapes of Roupeiro and Antâo Vaz. The grapes are whole bunch pressed, then filtered into 1000litre amphora, fermentation begins, and the wine continues in amphora for 28 days before being moved to stainless steel tanks. This process offers up a wine of floral to waxy fruit and earthy complexity on the nose, primarily peach and apple aroma of a semi-aromatic intensity giving way to a palate of waxy green and russet apple, with a touch of sweet stone fruit. I would call it a very approachable and user friendly amphora wine, not funky but fun enough as a primer. 

2015 Fita Preta White : a combination of Antâo Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto producing a rich and plush white wine. A wine displaying aroma of lemon and orange accented by white flowers. The palate is defined by a bright citrus, with pleasant mouthfeel and texture, almost a slight hint of tannin for a white wine that is entirely void of oak. A fun and sexy wine of good complexity. 

2015 Palpite Branco : The term Palpite stems from Portuguese expression for a 'hunch' or a gut feeling, which is applied to the best grapes from separate blocks of Arinto, Antâo Vaz that will be chosen for this top wine. The red carpet treatment for this wine is 100% barrel ferment and ageing with battonage. The 2015 version of Palpite was initiated with a combination of controlled yeast and some natural, in 1/3 new oak with more than 1 year in barrel before bottling and future release. The hunch I get is that this wine offers the 'big' white wine drinker the opportunity to experience Portugal in a 'flavour comfort moment' with a unique and different set of varieties from the Portuguese south, that isn't chardonnay. in fact I don't think I've ever had a Chardonnay from Portugal! The 2015 Branco is rich, with honeyed apple, with of course the classic vanilla like aroma that only oak provides, though a combination of peach and apricot pastry flavours is very pleasing. This wine needs time for all that power to come into balance. Otherwise it is a well made wine, though not my style.  

TINTO / RED 

2014 Fita Preta Red : a combination of Aragonez (aka Tempranillo, aka Tinto Roriz), plus Trincadeira, and Alicante Bouschet presented as the classic wine for the Fita Preta brand. Initial aroma of black and blue fruit, with ripe currant, moving to mineral toned yet modern floral and rich vanilla tones. Almost Christmas candy like with orange rind and dark cherry though remaining fresh. The palate offers up ripe black and blue fruit, nice toasted vanilla and coffee with a tell tale streak of acidity produced by the vibrant grape Trincadeira. Chill!

2015 Touriga vai Nua : a conceptual expression of Touriga Nacional with no oak influence at all. Touriga 'Nude'. The wine is fleshy and bright with red berry to apple skin - breakdown to strawberry and cotton candy, with sweet coffee cream. The palate continues this theme with lean fresh and tart structure that skips to some plum and rich red fruit and then switches back to orange, bergamot and white pepper. As you can read by the notes the pleasure factor is high on this wine and would satisfy a wide spectrum of wine lovers. 

2014 Tinto Castellão : now, Castellâo is a red grape primarily found in the Setubal and Tejo regions. Castellâo has been used to make light and fresh wines though it can be made into a full bodied and age worthy red. A close comparison might be the way the new world public looks at Merlot?!? So what Fita Preta has produces is a wine of pleasure with candy raspberry and bramble fruit dominating, with a little smoked hickory, coconut and vanilla added. It would classify this as a light to medium bodied wine with savoury notes and sour cherry and raspberry on the palate. The wine is made with 30 days of maceration / 12 month in barrel / 12 month in bottle. So yes, Antonio is taking his time to make a precise expression of this once thought of as a simple grape Castellão.

2014 Palpite Tinto : consists of the mighty Aragonez, Alicante Bouchet and Touriga Nacional. This wine aromatically is all black cherry and rich red berry fruit, layered with rich and full aroma of vanilla and spice. The beauty of full bodied reds from Alentejo when done right is that instead of going jam- jammy, the wines kick in with some great structure and acid, call it freshness. This wine will hit all the pleasure spots flavour-wise with rich ripe fruit, dark red and forest berry then slap you in the face with some food friendly acid to balance everything out. This wine is certainly the Rolls Royce of the portfolio.

Yes and that was not all we tasted that evening, though I do feel that sums up the key elements of the Antonio Maçanita Azores/Fita Preta arsenal of wines. Dinner and tasting with this energetic personality was certainly the best way to break the ice on what would be my third tour of Portugal. 

NEXT: ALENTEJO - A PORTUGUESE WINE DIARY - PART 2 WILL TAKE ME INTO THE HEART OF ALENTEJO WITH THE WINES OF ESPORÃO AND JOÃO PORTUGAL RAMOS.