Luis Pato, Vinho Regional Beiras (Bairrada), Quinta do Moinho, 2000
For emerging wine countries, twenty years is a lifetime. The same is true for a re-emerging wine country, like Portugal, where the concept of producing quality table wines was a late arrival. If you’re talking about a backwaters DOC that no one has ever heard of outside the country, which is exactly what Bairrada was, 2000 is the Medieval Ages. Luis Pato, though, was proficient enough a pioneer that his reds of that time feel fresh and eloquent and cement his image (that he’s worked hard to build) of the rebel bandleader of Bairrada. The 2000, a paragon of Baga, manages to bridge tradition and experimentation in a style similar to that of the hipster, New Wave producers that have captivated the post-COVID audience.
Only Luis was there first, a great craftsman not bogged down by dogmas. His wines may be funky sometimes, but never dirty. Here, his care in the vineyard and sensitivity in the winery bring out the sappy, juicy, sour-sweet cherry fruit character of Baga, as well as warm, joyous herbal and graphite notes. The saline, meaty, textured finish is a marvel. (Sept. 8, 2021)
Niepoort, Duoro, Tinta Amarela, 2016
DIrk Niepoort has successfully initiated more projects since he took over his family's Port business a couple of decades ago than any of his peers. Somehow, they all show a very high standard of quality and authentic character. This latest project, a varietal wine from a largely unknown Duoro red grape, is a ringer for a southern Burgundy Pinot Noir. Which is no surprise, as the Tinta Amarela has similarly thin skin, giving vignerons so much trouble that it is rarely rarely vinified by itself. The Niepoort Amarela shows an earthy, cherry/raspberry character, as Pinot often does in Southern Burgundy, with rotting forest floor notes. The finish is more austere and saltier than a Bourgogne. Worth at least a couple of few years in the cellar (Sept. 9, 2021)
Avignonesi, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Grandi Annate, 2011
I stopped buying Tuscans years ago. This was one of my last purchases, some six years ago, I believe. And it’s excellent, actually. The oak is obvious, but not blatant. It provides a backdrop of sandalwood to the spicy cherries. The wine is fragrant and nuanced with an ease of power, balancing richness and structure like a great claret, with excellent acidity running through to the fine, spicy finish. (Sept. 10, 2021)
Margalit, Cabernet Franc, Single Vineyard Binyamina, 2016
Unlike most local winemakers drawn to Cabernet Franc, Margalit's inspiration was the Californian spin on the grape, rather than the venerable Loire appellations. I don't know what that means, really. To me, the wine says "Bordeaux", which I think is where the father and son winemaking team leans to, these days. It's fuller than a Loire red and if you look for the green flavors associated with the grape, I think you'll find them in the fringes. I love how the nose combines hints of lead pencil with moist earth and spicy oak - one of the few times I actually enjoy and compliment the oak. It does grow sweeter in time, which isn't my favorite thing to happen - but despite that, this is certainly an impressive wine and I like it more than I'd expected I would. (Sept. 11, 2021)
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