Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 60

FOCUS: CENTRAL PORTUGAL
Our blind panels tasted 148 new-release wines from Central Portugal for this issue. Our critic for Portugal, Joshua Greene, rated 27 as
exceptional (90+) and 17 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

W HI T E
ALENTEJO
275164

93 | Paulo Laureano

$16

2016 Alentejo Ema's Vineyard Verdelho
(Best Buy) ^ Verdelho can capture the warmth
of the Alentejo plain with more energy than
most white varieties. Paulo Laureano farms
it in the schist soils of Vidigueira, vinifies it
in stainless-steel tanks and then ages it on
the lees for three months. At three years
old, the 2016 has developed remarkable
complexities, holding fresh notes of bee pollen, nettles, yellow plums and quince. The
aroma is intense, then the flavors are quiet
and persistent. Vitalii Dascaliuc of Maxwell
in DC pointed to the elegant way "its acidity
behaves like tannins." That structure gives it
the firmness to stand up to roast suckling pig. §
Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
274625

90 | Cortes de Cima

$22

2018 Alentejano Dois Terroirs Branco ^
Founded by a Danish-American couple who
settled in Vidigueira in 1988, and brought in
Dr. Richard Smart to help establish the vineyard, Cortes de Cima blends this wine from
verdelho, viognier and alvarinho. It's dominated up front by woody scents and wildflower perfume, which begin to merge into
a juicy and intriguing white. Acidity keeps it
firm, while the floral notes make it a pretty
match for a salmon soufflé at brunch. § Tri-Vin
Imports, New Rochelle, NY

275277

90 | Herdade do Esporão

$16

2018 Alentejano Colheita (Best Buy) ^ This
is a blend focused on antão vaz, viosinho and
alvarinho grown in the estate's schist soils,
fermented in concrete and aged on its fine
lees. That quiet leesiness edges the wine's
60

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2020

ripe golden-apple scents, though it's the pale
fruit that lasts. If you regularly spend twice
as much on a simple New World chardonnay, you might consider this as an alternative. § Now Wine Imports, Livingston, NJ
275045

88 | Herdade do Rocim

$13

2018 Alentejano Mariana (Best Buy) ^
Antão vaz forms the base of this blend from
a winery in Vidigueira. The balance is arinto
and alvarinho. It's floral and spicy, with notes
of tart peach and fresh cream, a simple white
one taster suggested as a stand-in for viognier. § Shiverick Imports, Los Angeles, CA

COLARES
275169

96 | Antonio Bernardino
Paulo da Silva

$65

2006 Colares Chitas Reserva Branco ^ Pure
Portuguese joy. There's really no way to
describe this malvasia's sunny, oceanic richness, as it keeps shifting and changing in the
glass. It reminded associate editor Corey
Warren of a funhouse mirror, an optical
illusion, "or like a tide coming in and out."
While most of the sandy vineyards on the
coast west of Lisbon have long ago gone to
beach houses, there are still a few parcels left
where the vines grow directly on the sand,
raised up on forked sticks as they begin to
fruit. It's a radical and distinctive viticulture
that yields long-lived, radical and distinctive
wines. Antonio Bernardino Paulo da Silva,
the fourth generation to produce Colares at
the family's cellar in Azenhas do Mar, made
this wine when he was 78 years old. His wine
improved the mood of everyone at the tasting, as we all began to free-associate foods
that would match its satin texture, crunchy
apple flavors and notes of grapefruit and butterscotch, almond and brioche. The wine's
salinity would cushion percebes, the goose
barnacles that grow on the underwater cliffs
of Portugal's coast. Or tiny clams in lemon
and garlic. Langoustines roasted with herbs.
Nearly anything you can think of fresh from
the sea. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ

LISBOA
274897

90 | Quinta de Chocapalha $15

2018 Lisboa Arinto (Best Buy) ^ Sandra Tavares da Silva makes this wine at her family's
estate north of Lisbon, where arinto grows in
clay-limestone soils. She ferments it in stainless steel then lets it rest on the lees for four
months. It's fleshy and juicy, with clean, ripe
peach flavors sustained by pale mineral tannins. § MundoVino/Winebow Imports, NY
274930

90 | Adega Mãe

$21

2016 Lisboa Dory Reserva ^ Anselmo
Mendes and Diogo Lopes make this wine
from an estate vineyard six miles from the
Atlantic planted to viosinho, alvarinho and
chardonnay. The blend starts off waxy, with
some funky notes of wheat germ and fresh
butter. Give it plenty of air and peppery
lemon notes come forward in a gentle rain
of citrus, making it a smoky white for salumi. §
Aidil Wines & Liquors, Newark, NJ

OBIDOS
275172

87 | Casa das Gaeiras

$14

2018 Obidos (Best Buy) ^ Gaeiras is a small
parish on the Atlantic side of Obidos, north
and a little west of Lisbon. This part of
Portugal is home to arinto, which is blended
here with chardonnay and fernão pires. The
trio come together in a bright, zesty white
with orange blossom scents. It's creamy,
salty and a little fusel-scented, built for crab. §
Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ

PA L M E L A
274881

87 | Casa Ermelinda
Freitas

$10

2018 Palmela Dona Ermelinda Branco
(Best Buy) ^ Fat and rich with apricot flavors,
this has green floral notes and soft leesiness in
the background. Chill it for creamy seafood
dishes. § Aidil Wines & Liquors, Newark, NJ

TEJO
275336

85 | Quinta do Casal Branco $9

2018 Tejo Terra de Lobos Fernão Pires &
Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) ^ Virtually clear,
this is a simple, floral white with green grape


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Wine & Spirits - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2020

Contents
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 1
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 2
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 3
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 5
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 6
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 7
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 8
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 9
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 10
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 11
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 12
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 13
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 14
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 15
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 16
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Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 18
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 19
Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 20
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Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - Cover3
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