.: FIVE REASONS WINE :. > The Wines > By Region > Old World

Entre Dos Santos, Campolargo, Bairrada, 2004	10.50
The wine voted best value red in Portugal in 2005, by the Portuguese equivalent of Decanter Magazine …created by the man they voted the best wine maker in Portugal! Carlos Campolargo epitomizes the new wave of wine-making in the region; experimenting with a plethora of ‘micro cuvees’ of international varieties such as Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, sometimes blended with Baga - the workhorse grape of the Bairrada region - which until recently had to constitute the major part of any wine produced here. This cuvee has excellent fruit concentration and muscularity on the palate, with Merlot taming the tannic beast of Baga and providing warmth and plummy fruit character.

Quinta do Coa, Douro, 2006	10.00
This blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca makes you pleased that Portugal doesn’t just make port. Organically produced, the grapes come from a single vineyard close to the river Coa, tributary of the mighty Douro in the wild northern part of Portugal. A nose of blackcurrant, caramel, toffee and spice introduces a palate of crushed coffee bean, bitter chocolate and currants.

Encruzado, Quinta Dos Roques, Dao, 2005	10.50
The Encruzado grape is from the Dao region of Portugal and is capable of making high-quality white wine with the capacity to age. Light straw in hue, with an elegant bouquet of fruits and a slight touch of resin. On the palate the first impression is of freshness, but immediately you recognise the great structure and complexity of the wine. A wine to satisfy the fans young Meursault. Will gain in character with a few years in bottle.

Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Soalheiro, 2006	11.95
A very special Portugese wine, all the more exciting because the makers pioneered the Alvarinho grape and have seen it acknowledged with its own sub-region – Moncao. The father and son team of Antonia Ferreira and Joao Cerdeira have expanded slightly, they now have ten hectares and produce 4000 cases - a drop of brilliance in a sea of sameness! It has the freshness and minerality one expects from a Sauvignon enhanced with passion fruit and melon flavours, good body and fine length. Perfect with seafood.

Meandro do Vale Meao, Tinto, Douro, 2005	15.00
This wine from the famous Quinta do Vale Meão estate in the Douro Superior was placed 64th in Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines of 2007. It is made from five port grape varieties, 40% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 5% Tinta Barroca and 5% Tinta Amarela. The vineyards were originally planted by the Ferreira family (the famous Port house) in the 1870s. The plot has a significant red wine history; it was used to produce one of Portugal's top red wines, Barca Velha. The long warm summer of 2005 has given this wine an abundance of rounded ripe fruit. Dark blueberry and blackberry flavours are lightened with hints of chocolate and vanilla. The finish is long and warming, exhibiting a good balance of minerality and spice so typical of Douro reds.

Vinha da Costa, Campolargo, Bairrada, 2004	16.00
Another excellent offering from the quality obsessed Portuguese Wine Producer of 2005 according to the Portuguese equivalent of Decanter magazine. 60% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 20% Tinta Roriz blend to create an appealing, rounded, deeply perfumed and full bodied red immediately accessible without lacking detail – spice, pepper, currants in abundance.

Calda Bordaleza, Campolargo, Bairrada, 2004	17.50
Don’t be fooled by the amateurish label – this is Portuguese wine at its best from the Portuguese Wine Producer of 2005 according to the Portuguese equivalent of Decanter magazine. A stunning blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from a super hot vintage that is beautifully ripe, yet retains its freshness and balance.

Quinta do Vale Meao, Tinto, Douro, 2005	45.00
“The 2004 Tinto (Quinta do Vale Meao) is what other estates would call a reserve wine, in essence, a selection of their best lots. It is a blend of Touriga Nacional (60%), Touriga Franca (20%), Tinta Roriz (15%) and Tinta Barroca (5%). The fruit is simply delicious, red berry nuanced, sweet and wonderful. The gorgeous flavors and the lively, bright presentation add a dimension that the “Meandro” cannot come close to matching. The wine is not particularly intense, and tannins are fairly controlled, but there is a backbone and it has a certain, elegant, Burgundian feel to it. This charming, graceful wine is one of the wines in this report that I most wanted to keep drinking. That counts. Dri nk 2007-2015. Francisco Olazabal, the former president of Ferreira, owns and runs Quinta do Vale Meao with his sons, one of whom (Francisco) is the winemaker. This historic estate was founded in 1887 by Olazabal’s great-great-grandmother. The Ferreira house, of course, became Portugal’s iconic dry red wine producer” Robert Parker, 93 Points.