Quinta do Casal Branco Reserva Tinto 2022

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 Even though I consider Hamburg to be a very lively wine city with several wine events happening a bit all around, I have to confess that most of the shops existing are concentrated in a considerably small circle taking in account the dimension of this almost two million inhabitants city. 

In the area where I live there are only two wine shops which are 1,2 and 3 kilometers away. In both cases, they belong to major retailing chains, being that one of them is frankly competing with supermarkets, not really representing a good option at the time of choosing a wine. There are a couple of wine bars where you are offered a more or less independent selection but I have the feeling that it is just enough. 

When moving eastern the options reduce drastically. 

At this point I have to quickly explain that the supermarket wine supply in Germany is mainly taking in account price competition instead of focusing on quality, seldomly presenting a solid offer to people who want to explore a bit deeper the fascinating worlds that wine can offer.

This was a rather shocking reality when coming from Portugal.

Not believing that people interested in wine focus on just one specific part of the city, I have decided to organize an open wine tasting in the common room of the place where I live. I have shared it on two different social platforms and waited to see who would join and to see which kind of wines they would bring.

As a requisit I have asked every person to bring a bottle which would retail between 15€ and 25€.

Shockingly enough, most people have simply chosen not to do it, presenting mainstream wines easily accessible at most supermarkets. I have to admit that this has deeply disappointed me as well as some of the people present. The evening, though, was quite a pleasant one and I have made a couple of new acquaintances and, most important of all, people seemed happy.

My major question is why was it so?

I could easily fall into some clichés about Germans but I will avoid it. 


On my behalf, I have brought a Godello by Emilio Moro and two reds from Tejo.

The last one has managed to impress a good friend of mine who is known for being particularly sensitive at the time of trying wines. 

It has also impressed me at an event early this month promoted by Vinhos do Tejo here in Hamburg. 

Produced by one of the most iconic wineries in Tejo, this Quinta do Casal Branco Reserva allies freshness with the typical full bodied structure so typical to many wines of the region. 

In fact, as I have first tried it I have immediately felt like having oxtail stew as it would be a perfect pairing. 

Dense red fruits allied with some green and leathery notes that reveal the role of Syrah in this cuvée. When drinking it you can expect a lot of extraction and concentration with a long and pleasant ending that feeds your wish for a second one. 

Even though the wine is more than ready to be drunk now it can still profit for a couple of years as I think it will be tremendously interesting to see the development of its tertiary aromas. 

 

16,5/20
Country: Portugal
Region: Tejo
Grapes: Syrah; Touriga Franca; Castelao; Alicante Bouschet 
Winemaker: Manuel Lobo and Joana Silva Lopes
14,5%
Link: https://www.casalbranco.com/pt/produto/quinta-do-casal-branco-reserva-tinto-2021/?v=4863acf3a6f2

Location: Hamburg, Germany

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