Brutalis 2014

 As I start writing this post two of my work colleagues are writing the WSET 3 exam. 

I have also tried  to write it twice but failed both times, only managing to approve the practical part, meaning that the only thing I can really do is drinking. But with distinction.

If on my first attempt I was basically not prepared at all and it was only obvious that I would fail, on the second one I was almost sure I would pass. But I did not. 

Sometimes I wonder whether it was a mistake to write it in German or whether the reason of it all was just my general incompetence. 

What I know is that two weeks before the exam I was already dreaming about maps of South Africa and its different wine regions or the specificities of Australia's weather. And what about Chile? Which subregion is it most adequate to produce a premium Carmenère?  

Talking to one of my colleagues he was complaining about the importance of some of the contents we have to learn. One of the teachers has also said that part of the contents taught were not particularly relevant for the German market and that we always had to have in mind that this was a study program based in the UK and most of the aspects were focused on their concrete market.

Even though I agree that some of the things I have tried to learn seemed rather distant to my reality, I have also came across tremendously fascinating wines from all around the world which have opened my palate.  

It has also made me value the unique character of most Portuguese wines. Just like this Brutalis. 

Produced by Caves Vidigal, which is internationally known for Porta 6, this was a wine that I was quite thrilled about as I have came across several positive critics in the last times.

The presentation text on the back label is quite a provokative one even though I have to state that I find it quite promising when they have written "A wine for those moments when we are tired of everything and won't have "more of the same" ".

Opening the wine to celebrate the fact that the colleagues have gone through the exam (no matter what the final result may be, and yes a day has passed since I first started writing this post), I was immediately surprised by how fresh it still presented itself in the glass.

Deep red, with very present tannins and fresh acidity, it did not seem at any moment to be already 12 years old. Dominated by red cherries, with some mediterranean herbs and light tobacco notes it also made me remind of some of the wild wines that you can often find in Alentejo and Tejo and that are the perfect match for the various stews that you can find around.

This is, somehow, a wine that combines both finesse and authenticity, bringing to your glass a true experience that can open new worlds to your gastronomic experience.

In a more personal level, this wine has transported me to some kind of déjà-vú, flooding me with memories of moments shared with people that I dearly miss.

Wine, just like books, has the capacity of making you break the barriers of physics and make you travel in time and space without leaving the place where you are.

 

 

16,5/20
Country: Portugal
Region: Lisbon
Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet
Winemaker: António Ventura
14%
Link:www.porta6.com