Activity

Portuguese Wine Regions

Overall, this is rather modern styled however still keeps more than a tip of credibility. Very excellent for the price. (4. 99 Tesco) 11/99 Quinta da Giesta 2000 Branco, Beiras, Portugal, An interesting mix of the Malvasia Fina and Bical grapes, this Portuguese white has a delicate, fresh lemony/floral nose.

99 Majestic) 10/01 A new job started as recently as 1991, with 10 Ha of vines planted in three plots. 50% Touriga Nacional in the blend, and 50% is matured in New Allier oak. Concentrated purple/black colour, this has an excellent strength on the palate, with firm tannins and some brand-new oak character.

Portuguese Wine Regions

Moderate tannic structure, with some cherry fruit and very little else. Buy Portuguese White Wine and rich texture of the previous vintage. Could this be down to bad oaking? It is not a bad wine, it is simply extremely common and rather unappealing. (4. 99 Tesco) 02/00 Touriga Nacional/ Jaen.

On the palate this is soft and rounded, with an appealing herbiness, more cherries and a touch of blackcurrant and chocolate. Extremely nice wine: modern-day, however still genuine, and quite like a brand-new wave Southern French red in character.

Portuguese Wine Regions

99 Tesco, Thresher) 10/99 Light ruby in colour, this has a soft nose of herbs and wet stones. There is soft, ripe cherry fruit, moderate acidity, no oak and a medium concentration. A little plonkish, but for the rate this is well made.

Leafy, herby nose is followed up on the taste buds by soft red fruit (cherries) and moderate tannic structure, a few of which is no doubt contributed by a touch of new oak. Hints of spice, olives and coffee add to what is a fairly complicated, burgundy-style white wine that is nicely assembled.

Portuguese Wine Regions

The only slightly unfavorable element is that there are some old woody notes on the taste buds. It would be hard to find a much better port at this price. Great+ (9. 99 Majestic) Passadouro 1995, Douro, Portugal, Quinta do Passadouro is an estate run by Dirk Niepoort (although he doesn’t own it), and this is a red wine Id had cellared for a few years.

Really great 04/01 (Purchased a couple of years ago for 7. 99 at Odbbins) 04/01 Sandemans Vau Vintage Port 1997Sandemans has actually had a combined track record in recent decades, however indications are that they are getting back to top form.

Portuguese Wine Regions

This is a thick purple/black colour. Terrifically thick on the taste buds with masses of sweet, liqouricey plum, cherry and damson fruit and notes of tar and spice. Company, spicy tannins supply lots of structure, and although this isn’t as unapproachable as traditional classic styles would be at this phase, it’s a huge red wine that will age well for a decade approximately.

On the taste buds the oak is tough to choose out amongst the intense flavours of bitter cherries and herbs. It is a tight, still-youthful structured white wine with the prospective to age well however currently showing some herby, earthy interest. 99 Fuller’s; 1997 is 9.