A Few More Portuguese Values from a Grand Tasting at Portugalia Marketplace

In mid-October Portugalia Marketplace had three different distributors of Portuguese wine pouring on the same Saturday, and that was certainly something not to be missed.  We’ve come to expect some great values from Portugal, and expected more treasures from this particular expedition.  We  weren’t disappointed.  There were several wines which were excellent, especially at their price points.  Let’s review some of them.

2013 Monte da Ravasquiera Sauvignon Blanc – fellow wine blogger Frederick Thurber recently reviewed this wine as well (you can see that here), and he loved it.  We agree.  It’s more like a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, with stone fruit, grapefruit and clean flavors.  This is from the Alentejano, a warm and sunny area.  No grassiness at all here.  Clean finish.  This is really a very good Sauvignon Blanc, and a good value at $8.99.  We’ll buy it.

2012 Monte da Ravasquiera Reserva – this is a bit more expensive, at $18.99, but it is a classy wine and worth every penny.  made from 44% Syrah and 54% Touriga Nacional the wine is deep red/purple, with beautiful fruit.  The tannins are there but integrated and smooth.  There is some nice acid in perfect balance with everything else.  The finish is incredibly long.  I thought this was exceptional and bought some to bring home.

2013 Castello D’Alba White – this is a blend of 3 white Port grapes, all from the Douro Superior which is high in elevation, hot and gets no irrigation.  The result is a white with clean fruit and striking minerality.  There is no oak here.  There is bright acid and good balance.  Overall this is one of my favorite whites in some time, and at under $10 it is a great value.  Michael, the wine manager at Portugalia, says it is one of his favorites as well.  I bought multiple bottles of this.

2010 Tom Baton Douro – this red sees new oak, and it is a red grape party with a lot of varietals in the mix.  Dark purple/red in color, the oak is prominent,as you would expect from new barrels, and the tannins are noticeable.  A long, long finish wraps up the experience.  This is a very good wine that will only get better with additional bottle time.  At $12.99 it is yet another example of a wine that is way more complex and elegant than the price would indicate.

There’s a smattering of what we sampled, and probably our favorite values of the day.  Portugal continues to surprise, so we’ll continue the journey.

A votre sante!

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