Vinho vérité

Portuguese wine returns from the grave

Uncorked by Thor Iverson

If Spain is the favorite child of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is its forgotten and ignored younger brother. Spanish winemakers have modernized and organized their wine industry, resulting in an explosion of top-quality wines at all price levels. But with the exception of Port, Portugal has long needed a kick in its oenological pants.

That's finally changing, and Portugal now represents one of the leading sources for bargains in the overheated and overpriced wine world. Better yet, the great majority of Portuguese wines are made from local grape varieties, providing a tasty alternative to a dreary world where it seems as if all wines were made from chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot.

Rather than launch into a geography lesson, I'm going to let the wines speak for themselves. All of the following examples are well worth trying. Unless I note otherwise, presume that the cost is no more than $10 to $12 per bottle (and usually significantly less).

Whites

NV Caves Messias Santola Vinho Verde. Very pale straw color, and showing even more spritz than usual for vinho verde. A long, creamy finish caps off a grassy flavor that is both enticing and refreshing.

1997 Herdade do Esporão Monte Velho. Most Portuguese whites are somewhat diffuse, but not this one. Highly concentrated tangerine, plum, and apple carried by tart, salty acidity, and enough body to suggest that it can tolerate a little aging. (But will it really get much better with age? Probably not.)

1997 José Maria da Fonseca Albis. If wine were made from lemons, this is what it would taste like. Add a little lime and candied orange peel to the lemon fest and you have a simple, delicious party wine. Better than punch.

1997 Quinta da Aveleda Aveleda. A vinho verde-style white, with a tropical, fishy taste reminiscent of coastal Italian wines. I swore to a friend that I tasted herring in this wine. Thankfully he didn't have me committed.

1997 Quinta da Aveleda Grinalda. Pale yellow, all lemon and light citrus in the mouth, with a refreshingly sour finish from the acidity. With shellfish sprinkled with lemon juice, this is outstanding.

NV J.P. Vinhos J.P. There's only 30 percent moscatel in this light white, but it dominates the nose with flowers and some minerals. Tangy and delicate.

1992 José Maria da Fonseca Moscatel de Setúbal Alambre. As good as Port is, this highly individualistic dessert wine just might be its match. Deep gold, with a minty, herbal, Chartreuse-like nose and taste, finishing with candied fruit flavors. Probably not for everyone, but utterly unique in the world of wine. Expect to pay a bit more for this one.

Reds

1992 Aliança Particular Palmela. An incredible world-class wine, showing enormous quantities of succulent red cherries and strawberries in a smooth, silky package. Absolutely delicious. A touch more expensive than the other wines, but still a bargain.

1995 Aliança Particular Dão. A cedary black and red cherry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry feast with a good deal of bitter tannin. Promises to be excellent, but needs a few years.

1993 José Maria da Fonseca José de Sousa. One of the more serious Portuguese reds, with a good tannic and acidic structure underneath blueberry, strawberry, and cantaloupe flavors on the palate. There's also a distinct floral element, indicative of the wine's terroir.

1996 Sogrape Grãso Vasco Dão. Dão is one of Portugal's best wine regions, and this dusty, mandarin and red cherry-flavored wine shows why. Not unlike a cabernet franc-based wine from the Loire Valley, with a moderate dose of tannin and acidity that clamps down on the finish. Needs a year or two.

1995 Sogrape Duque de Viseu Dão. Anise, strawberry, and blackberry, in another tangy fruit punch for delicious, but early, drinking.

1995 Caves Messias Bairrada. A bit of orange color suggests this wine is maturing quickly, so drink up. Rich, jammy apple, orange, cherry, and raspberry with a developing animal character as it matures. A bit disjointed by itself, but great with red meat.

1996 Caves Messias Dão. Gamey nose, with a grapey plum and cherry flavor undercut with some chalky tannins and high acidity. Despite the tannin, a short-term wine.

1996 Caves Messias Quinta do Chachão Douro. Tight, closed, almost unyielding. With more than an hour of air, this lurid violet wine emerges on the finish with a huge burst of red fruit. Definitely needs time.

1997 Herdade do Esporão Alandra. Purple, herbal, and minty, with bright strawberry flavors and a rosé-like tartness.

1994 J.P. Vinhos Herdade de Santa Marta. Deep, with a slightly overripe quality to its brooding black cherry, blueberry, and mint flavors. Acidic and tangy, but still very tasty.

1996 Quinta da Aveleda Charamba Douro. Red cherries and peppers on the nose, with a rich fruity taste and a light dusting of tannin to hold it together. A bit angular (needs a year, maybe?), but succulent.

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Two bits of important consumer news to report this month. First, the law prohibiting beer tastings in liquor stores has finally been rescinded. For those who, like me, enjoy a good microbrew or Trappist ale almost as much as wine, this is welcome news.

Second, the civil suit brought by liquor wholesalers against Federal Express and Virtual Vineyards (a leading online wine retailer) has been thrown out of court. This is the latest in a growing string of legal defeats for greedy liquor monopolists, and it's a victory for wine drinkers who believe they shouldn't be denied access to limited-production wines simply because Big Liquor isn't getting its (substantial) cut. The battle is far from over, but this is indeed a welcome development.

Thor Iverson can be reached at tiverson@phx.com

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