Portuguese Wine

Debra of 67Wine.com | This still Vinho Verde white has ripe tropical fruits on the nose and on the palate. It shows great freshness, with generous depth,  mouth coating texture, lively acidity, minerality saline and an energetic finish.  Pair with shellfish, white fish, poultry, salads and cheeses.

92 Points Wine Advocate | The Soalheiro Alvarinho is one of the top Alvarinho's in Portugal and is widely regarded as a benchmark for the region.

Soalheiro Alvarinho has a bright, lemon-yellow colour. This wine is distinguished by its fresh and elegant fragrance, revealing the aromatic complexity of Alvarinho variety.

The flavour has intense tropical and mineral notes that balance perfectly with the acidity and moderate alcohol content.

The so-called unoaked "classic," as it is colloquially known, is dry (2.5 grams of residual sugar and seven grams of total acidity) and comes in at 12.7% alcohol. As much as I liked the Granit this report, this is the winner to me in this price range. Firmer and more concentrated on the finish, it seems to evoke the essence of Alvarinho, while always showing off fine acidity.

At a rather nice price (even though it has ticked up a bit), at least compared to upper-level Vinhos Verdes these days, this is still a bargain. It's a solid wine that combines elegance, persistence and aging ability. It has enough stuffing to pair with food, but this is so fresh and pure, I mostly love to drink it on its own. Sit on the porch and knock this back on a sultry summer evening.

67 Wine Petit Somm Series® is a project created by our buyer, Oscar Garcia Moncada. The entire lineup of wines provide our customers and wine lovers with a hand-picked selection of wines of great quality and value. The artwork on the labels represent some of the most iconic neighborhoods in NYC, as well as some of our favorite international cities.

This Vinho Verde is deliciously fun to drink! Tropical and citrus notes combine perfectly to a refreshing off-dry finish.

Raspberry pink in color, with a slight prickle of fizz that emphasises its bouquet of red fruits (strawberries) and tropical fruits (banana). It the mouth it is lively and fresh, intense in flavor and well balanced, the overall impression being of lightness and freshness, with an elegant finish.

A fresh, semi-sparkling wine, displaying the best qualities of the Vinho Verde region in northwest Portugal. With a lush green landscape, Vinho Verde may literally mean “green wine” but it translates to “young wine.” Gazela is indeed meant to be drunk young, and is an extremely versatile pairing for all types of cuisine. Winemaker Description.

Creamy citrus oil, lime and yellow apple notes are nicely spiced and detailed with saline mineral and floral underpinnings through the long finish. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Filipa Pato and William Wouters farm their 30 acres of vines in Bairrada using biodynamic principles, harvesting the fruit for this wine on the early side, then fermenting and aging it in amphorae.

Its complex and layered, with zesty flavors of raspberry and strawberry, rhubarb and Rosa rugosa. 

Winemaker Description

An exceptionally fine old tawny blend, aged for 10 years in oak casks. Elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking. A superb dessert wine, particularly with dishes made with chocolate, coffee or almonds, Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny may also be served at the end of the meal in the same way as Vintage Port.

Expert Ratings

93 Points Robert Parker | It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. The Ten Year Old Tawny is a personal favorite, as well as the best bargain among these ports.

93 Points James Suckling | Beautiful sweet berries with walnut, toffee and caramel undertones on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with medium sweetness and a chocolate and toffee aftertaste. A richer style of 10-year-old and delicious. Drink now.

91 Points Wine Spectator | This has a nice racy edge to the mix of slightly dried red cherry and raspberry fruit, backed by red tea and singed vanilla. Shows good tension from start to finish. Drink now. 500 cases imported.

90 Points Wine Enthusiast | This ivery complete aged tawny has all the right nuts and fruit characters that show a Port that still looks back to its fruity origins. The style is ripe, full and sweet, a mellow wine that only hints at the spirit behind it.

Winemaker Description 

Bin 27 shares the heritage and style of the great Fonseca Vintage Ports, as well as much of their depth and character. However it is bottled when ready to drink and can be served by the glass directly from the bottle. Blended for consistency of character and quintessentially Fonseca in style, this reserve blend provides reliable and affordable value. 

Deep youthful ruby colour. Intense rich fruity nose crammed with pure blackberry, cassis, cherry and plum aromas interwoven with notes of spice. The palate full bodied and round, with a smooth velvety texture balanced by firm mouth filling tannins. The juicy black fruit flavours linger into the rich luscious finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Selected from the lighter Porto of each year, these wines are chosen for ageing in small oak casks to develop their style. Sandemans Original Fine Tawny has the fruit and style of great Porto - but with an added finesse.

Pale in colour and light in body this Port is superb as chilled aperitif, yet satisfying when served at the end of a meal. 

Arinto brings bright acidity and aging potential, Azal is citric and fresh and Loureiro is aromatic and delicate.

Clean, lively flavors of lime, ripe pink and yellow grapefruit. Slight effervescence. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description

Casa da Passarella is one of the oldest and most important producers in the region. It is located in the Serra da Estrela sub region of the Dao. If that sounds familiar, you are right, one of the most famous cheeses from Portugal comes from the same region and carries the Serra da Estrela DOP. The Dao is a special region, it is surrounded by mountains that not only protect it from the vagaries of the Atlantic but the harshness of the Continental climate that defines the Douro, the Masseta of Spain and Southern Portugal. The protected climate and granitic soils help shape the character of these wines. 

This Branco is a blend of Encruzado, Malvasia Fina and Gouveio. After a short pre fermentation maceration the wine is fermented in stainless steel vats and a short period of aging with regular battonage. Burgundy is the region that most people would use as a comparison for the style of wines from this region, and in this case I think it is apt. The core of acidity and structure from the Encruzado maps fairly well to white Burgundy, the battonage helps too. The flavor profile is different, as it should be, with Gouveio and Malvasia the wine has more aromatic lift, and a fun mix of orchard and stone fruits as well as hint of mountain herbs. There is a lot of wine here.

Winery Notes

This wine is a remarkable example of the Noval style. Treated exactly like a Vintage Port with only noble grape varieties from the Quinta, trodden by foot and unfiltered. Its main difference is that it is aged for five years in casks instead of the two years typical of Vintage Ports. Definitely an LBV with a difference, with fine structured tannins, great freshness and purity of fruit. It is delicious to drink today but will age beautifully in its bottle.

OUR DIFFERENCE
An unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage made only with grapes from our vineyard, trodden by foot in the Quinta do Noval "lagares".

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE

2016 was a year of extremes: a warm winter with high rainfall, at 618 mm twice as much as in an average year. After a wet spring, summer was very hot and dry, with some peaks of heat in August and September. By the end of August, the harvest looked extremely good, in excellent sanitary condition, but ripening began to slow down due to the very hot and dry conditions.

Fortunately 17 mm of much needed rain fell on 13th September, and maturation continued in ideal conditions from this point onwards. The main part of the harvest began on 19th September in dry and sunny weather, and the fruit continued to ripen throughout the harvest period. We were able to harvest each plot in ideal conditions as ripening continued.

In spite of the unusual and extreme climatic conditions of the year, the end result is of an excellent quality. The Port wines are exceptional, with excellent structure, very intense bright fruit, and aromatically very expressive.

TASTING NOTES

This 2016 LBV Unfiltered is a delicious Port, rich and complex with gorgeous notes of blackberry and blackcurrant fruits and hints of spice as well. A minty freshness and dark chocolate add to the mix. This concentrated wine presents a broad, rounded texture that leads to a long aftertaste.

Carlos Agrellos, Technical Director

GRAPE VARIETIES

Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão

Winemaker Notes

Black is a revolutionary new style of port. The bright aromatics, incredible freshness and perfect balance bring it outside the stodgy "vintage-character" category. Enjoy it any time: chilled, before dinner, after, for a seductive edge to cocktails, as an indulgence with chocolate. The custom-designed bottle is distinctive, modern yet timeless, reflecting the uniqueness of Noval Black. It is simply the most beautiful port bottle we've seen. 

Critic Notes

• 91 Jeb Dunnuck

  I always love this cuvée, which offers tons of character for a great price. Classic Noval notes of spicy red and blue fruits, orange blossom, cigar, tobacco, and candied mint emerge from the NV Black, and It's round, supple, and full-bodied on the palate, with nicely balanced sugar, a layered yet elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. 

• 90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  'Black' is a new blend produced from classic varieties that do not make it into the Quinta do Noval vintage. There are ripe blackberries, tar, smoke and orange liqueur on the nose that takes time to open. The palate is medium-bodied, very sleek on the entry, fleshy black fruits, sloe, spice and just a hint of white pepper, leading to a very focused finish.

Producer Description 

Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 99 Points | A bird of a different feather, this shows remarkable purity for the vintage, along with a rippling tension that sets it completely apart. Delivers a mix of cassis, plum sauce and açaí berry compote on the fruit side, along with bramble, salted licorice, cast iron and bittersweet chocolate notes filling in throughout. Massively structured, too, and there's even a flash of violet at the very end—which takes a while to get to. A special wine. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2040 through 2070.

Decanter 99 Points | Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.

Vinous 99 Points | The 2020 Nacional was picked from 1 to 22 September, a relatively short harvest. It has a magnificent, exquisitely defined bouquet with a purity that bowls you over, perhaps even more intense than the 2019 Nacional tasted alongside. The palate is extraordinarily pure and intense, slightly viscous in texture, with layers of cassis, black cherries, blood orange and a dab of spice. Seamless on the finish. This is a worthy follow-up to the stellar 2019 Nacional. The two will fight between themselves for supremacy. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.

Winemaker Description 

Deep chestnut with golden highlights. Bouquet of dried fruits, spices, honey and candied fruit. Sweet, soft and complex, with a long aftertaste of roasted dried fruits.

Winemaker Description

Brilliant appearance with a dark purple rim and concentrated depth of colour. The aroma is fine and subdued with only a hint of primary dark fruits and some spice. The true potential and style of this wine really comes together on the palate with wonderful integration of dark fruits with a grainy tannic structure, pairing volume with amazing balance and elegance and an impressive finish. In conclusion, the primary fruit on the palate is appealing at this stage, but it's the balanced tannic structure which indicates great ageing potential for the future. 

This is unoaked and comes in at 11% alcohol. The purity and the modest ripeness both allow the freshness to have a more prominent place. This is a lot of fun to drink.

Light in colour. Aroma of red fruits, some spice and a mineral undertone. Fresh, truly enticing and full of precision.

Winemaker Description

Dow's Fine White is made from selected white grapes (principally Malvasia Fina and Gouveio – better known as Verdelho). The wine is fermented at cool temperatures to retain the natural character of the fruit. It mostly ages in wood, taking on a golden color and a rich, nutty complexity.

A certain amount of wine is not wood-aged and is blended in to add freshness and fruit character. Serve chilled as an aperitif accompanied by a bowl of salted almonds. 

Winemaker Description

10 Years" indicates an average age – this Aged Tawny Port is a blend of older wines, which offer complexity and younger wines, which bring fresh fruit flavors and vibrancy. During their long maturing period in oak casks, Aged Tawnies undergo subtle color changes: the deep red hue which characterizes Port's youth gradually gives way to a paler reddish amber color. Dow's is known for its characteristically drier house style.

This 10 Year has a full, nutty bouquet with citrus and vanilla accents on the palate and a soft lingering finish. 

Winemaker Description

A bright golden-yellow colour. An intense and elegant nose, with aromas of tropical fruit perfectly intertwined with notes of vanilla and a hint of honey. In the mouth, it is fresh, balanced and appealing. A sweet, distinct, and well-balanced wine.

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 88 Points |  The buttery notes give this a rich allure, with ripe pear, lemon curd and crème brûlée flavors. Offers a fresh finish, with accents of salted almond. Drink now. 700 cases imported.

Winemaker Description

An appealing golden colour, with an amber rim. Elegant and complex, it shows aromas of spice, with prevailing notes of dried fruit and elegant hints of wood and honey. Smooth and round on the palate, it shows complexity amidst intense flavours of dried fruit. An excellent finish. 

Expert Review

Decanter 95 Points | Kopke is the oldest of all the Port wine houses having been established in 1638. They produce outstanding tawnies (and aged whites) at all levels, up to and including a new 50 Year Old Tawny. Pale orange -amber in colour, this is gently toasted on the nose with lovely fresh citrus and dried fruit and smooth, savoury complexity on the finish.

Winemaker Description

Deep ruby core with vivid ruby rim. The nose is very fine and multi-layered, with rich strawberry jam aromas, herbal notes, and fresh scents of cedarwood. There is also a discrete dimension, a luxurious redolence of leather and mocha coffee. In contrast, and in keeping with the Taylor house style, the palate has an attractive edge of austerity with taut tannins providing a firm grip to the long finish which delivers a surge of rich berry fruit flavor. A beautifully refined wine, poised and complete, displaying a complexity comparable with that of a mature classic vintage port. A beautiful expression of the 2018 vintage with its accent on elegance and finesse.

Excellent with fully flavored cheeses, especially blue cheeses. It is also delicious with desserts made with chocolate or berry fruits. Winemaker Description.

Expert Reviews

92 Points Wine Spectator | Shows a nice core of dark currant and fig fruit that’s been steeped with anise, alder and bittersweet cocoa. Give this a little time in a decanter or cellar for another couple of winters. Possesses the stuffing to cover slow sipping over a weekend.

Bright pale yellow citrus hue. A wine with the backbone of granite, minerality, where the aroma is dominated by fruits and flowers, including hints of lime and orange with the essential oils of their skins. the mouth attack has volume and a vibrant acidity, enhancing length and persistence. Winemaker Description. 

A full-bodied red wine with intense aromas of ripe red fruit and a hint of spice. Enjoy its smooth, velvety texture and long finish. Perfect for any occasion! Buy now and experience the unique flavor of this exquisite Portuguese wine. Winemaker Description. 

Straw color with greenish tones. The nose is fine, with citrus, green apple and mineral aromas. Excellent freshness in the mouth, light and very attractive. Winemaker Description. 

This annotated anthology presents a new perspective about the world-famous Madeira Wine, once widely praised and consumed in the United States of America. It produces the result of an in-depth research in primary 19th century American sources, through which one can see the paramount importance this wine once had in American society, from early Colonial days until the mid 1800's, when its sales started to decline due to the disease that destroyed the island's vineyards in 1852.

This book aims at reviving to the present generation a wide variety of forgotten facts and narratives concerning this product of excellence which is still made at the far-off Madeira island, and still reaches the American shores.

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Enticingly tawny offering mulled red currant and cherry fruit flavors with dried wood spice red tea and incense notes through the long and racy finish. Thoroughly delicious. Touriga Nacional Touriga Franca Tinta Cão Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

Quinta de Santa Eufemia is a Portuguese Port house whose history begins in 1864 when Bernardo Rodrigues de Carvalho acquired vineyards in the Duoro and began producing and selling Port wines. His skills and passion have been passed down from generation to generation

The wine is quickly fermented in traditional lagares (treading tanks) before being fortified. After fortification, the wine is aged for nine months in stainless steel where it is naturally decanted, the transferred to 550 liter oak barrels where it ages for a further 4 years before bottling.

It pours a brick tawny color and has aromas and flavors of red currant, plums, caramel and toffee. Great on its own, this tawny also pairs nicely with smoked ham. 

Deep dark-purple colour with a vibrant and intense ruby rim. Aromas of ripe wild berries on the nose, combined with notes of violet, black pepper and hints of eucalyptus leaf. In the mouth the rm tannins stand out, together with a vibrant and crisp acidity.

All aromas are perfectly combined, with aftertaste favours of raspberry, blackberry and apricot, ending in a long and enduring finish, so characteristic of Kopke. Winemaker Desrcription.

Winemaker Description

Typical blackcurrant and lavender aromas with traces of fennel, whose fragrance is often carried by the breeze in the vineyards at Vesúvio. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-filling ripe black fruit flavors; opulent and velvety, although with substantial volume and weighty structure. Very polished tannins provide a satisfyingly long, silky finish.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 96 Points | This is really vivid, with a beautiful range of cassis, cherry purée, boysenberry coulis and plum reduction notes unfurling across the palate while succulent licorice, warm fruitcake and enticing red and black tea.

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | One of the Douro's grandest quintas has produced a powerful, structured wine that shows concentration and density. The aromas and dark fruits speak to the Touriga Nacional in the blend, giving a Port that is destined for long-term aging. Drink from 2030. Cellar Selection.

Nat Cool is naturally "cool and funky." It represents an innovative concept initiated by Niepoort, in which various producers came together to create light and easy-to-drink wines.

In the Bairrada region they have produced the Drink Me, the first Nat Cool, where we try to showcase a different and elegant side of the Baga grape variety. An incredibly light and accessible wine which just begs to be enjoyed. Producer Description.

Winemaker Description

Rescuing and resistant, Queen Isabella has ensured since the attack of phylloxera, in the 19th century, the continuation of vineyards and wine on the islands until the present day. For many...it's not part of the customs.

This "Isabella" the Forbidden, highlights the history of the last 200 years, in an elegant, aromatic, authentic and...simple wine, like all that is good!

A fresh, elegant, spicy and saline red like few others. Ideal partner for grilled and seasoned red meat dishes. Signature of the winemaker António Maçanita.

An Isabella Forbidden and super appetizing.... Another great wine from the Azores Wine Company!