Wine Fictions

Following this former post , I have decided to keep on looking for some wines that I have drunk in the past and that have left some pretty good impressions on me. This time it was this Quinta da Garrida from the Dão region. Even though it is an official Dão wine, it belongs to the sub-region of Serra da Estrela and alike the Somontes, which I have also reviewed here , there are some substantial differences from what you would expect from a traditional Dão wine. This Quinta da Garrida is a tremendously fruity wine, with scents of pomegranate and vanilla, filling our palate from the first sip. Its wooden notes give it a round feeling, complementing a perfect intensity. It still is the great wine I remembered and it was a pleasure to feel that it can keep on being a reference for me. It was a both wonderful and exciting experience to rediscover this old "friend" of mine. Parallel to this joy of rediscovery, I share one of my recent reading "discovery" which ...

If labels are an important part of the wine business, then Niepoort's ones are definitely some of the best I have seen around. Somehow, they have performed a small revolution in Portuguese wine labelling since they have hired one of the most famous Portuguese cartoonists, Luís Afonso, to do their "Diálogo" label in 2005. This Rótulo, with artwork by João Noutel ,  is not an exception.  Beautifully done graphically it works as a perfect appetizer for what is inside the bottle. The first thing that has called my attention in this wine was its intense smell of berries which later develop to some more exquisite ones like cinnamon or coffee. In the mouth it is a vigorous and fresh wine, revealing its youth and power in a well balanced structure. It is a bit softer than most wines from the Dão region but still full of character. Perfect to drink now and enjoy the still cold nights of this beginning of Spring. 16 / 20 Country: Portugal Region: Dão Grapes: Tou...

Now that Spring is trying to break through the cloudy city of Hamburg, I've decided to open this Somontes, Vinha das Dualhas from the Dão region. Strong, with intense fruit taste, it is a perfect wine for the incessant bird singing that has invaded my days, inviting for nice pasta plates and strong cheeses. Or as Robert Burns has put it: Ye flowery banks o' bonie Doon,          How can ye blume sae fair? How can ye chant, ye little birds,          And I sae fu' o' care? Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,          That sings upon the bough; Thou minds me o' the happy days,          When my fause love was true. Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,          That sings beside thy mate; For sae I sat, and sae I sang,   ...