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A rare good white made of Arinto and Malvasia

I just experienced a recent low tide in the wine rack, but nothing is so bad that its not good. Low tide is when you discover all the leftover bottles saved for yet another occasion.

I have kept one bottle in particular which I have held high expectations– a white wine bought directly in the small cooperative in Colares. I seem to recall that the wine was made out of a tiny production counting only 3600bottles. Grapes are wonderfully old traditional’s: Arinto and Malvasia, an equal mix of both.

Bq with notes of lemon, butter, pinapple and some nutty background. The taste is almost two-phased, fresh and fruit driven on top and with a more fat and nutty basis. Its surprisingly smooth, I did not expect such international taste in the smoothness. Again, a great surprise. Locally bought, 90P

The Portugal report #1 Colares Chitas 2006

The Colares region is presently my favorite wine region to explore when in Portugal. So the first Easter wine for the blog had to be from here. Antonio Bernardina Paulo Da Silva has been around for centuries according to the Portuguese wine books. He is worth a whole study for those who share a passion for this reknowned, yet tiny wine region where old school values are kept intact.

The Colares whites are made from Malvasia fina and Arinto grapes. The wines are form the traditional sandy soils, which characterize Colares.

Colares Chitas 2006

Color: golden with greenish shine. Little nose with citrus,butter and flowers. There may an additional note which I was not able to tease out. The taste is incredible balanced, sweet hints of elderflowers, fresh and mineral.It is a dry wine with medium long finish. Delightful with a moderate alcohol level (11%), which I liked. Bought in Jumbo 12€ (never seen Colares wines here before!), 87P.

End note: Although, the end score may not be in the very high end, there are several reasons to love this wine. The romantics for it's bottle shape and label. The connoisseur for drinking Colares which is one of the only wine regions unaffected from the Phylloxera disaster, and finally for the charm of having a label with the award given gold medals in following competitions: Panama 1915, Rio de Janeiro 1923 & Yogoslavia 1980.

A well written note on Colares Ramisco by Ryan Opaz can be read Catavino

A Colares minute

Road trip into Colares wine region in December. Found lovely ramisco and malvasia wines to appear on the site.

Looking for Ramisco: Colares visited

posted by drud
Arenae Ramisco 2004

Color medium transparent with copper egdes. Huge bouquet of red cherries, dark chocolate, stone fruit, moist cellar and red meat. The taste is well structured, with notes of dark cherries and ink followed by a long finish where the tannins clear of the teeth. The well defined acidity of this wine makes me think of the characteristics of Nebbiolo. Wonderful. Locally bought at 9 €, 92P

More on Colares to come.

Christmas wine #3 Arenae Ramisco 2002

posted by drud
Yesterday's best (wine) experience was clearly the Aranae 2002 Ramisco. I had no idea that this wine also was made to drink this young. This bottle only come 50Cl and with an annualy production of 6000 bottles. I ordered the bottle mainly to satisfy my curiosity on ramisco, while preparing a mind talk on how this bottle perhaps should had been stored 40 more years before opening. After a slight sip, all prepared defense lines vanished. Aranae appears to made for drinking now, and I do sincerely recommend this wine. Notes to come..

Lisbon is full of sneaky corners, authentic cantinas, and one can not help surrending to such an atmosphere. The images posted are from Fabrica Lisboa, in Alcantara, where we had our last stop.