We are celebrating one of our favourite countries in this new Mixed Case Portugal, with a tour of sparkling, white, and red wines from Vinho Verde, Douro Valley, Bairrada, and the Azores. Saúde!
MIXED CASE : PORTUGAL
Each case contains the following wines:
Aphros PAN Sparkling Rosé 2013, Lima, Vinho Verde. $28.95
Hard to be more natural than Aphros’ founder and winemaker Vasco Croft. This biodynamic, sparkling Vinhão comes from Vinho Verde’s Lima subregion, and its granitic soils. After a brief amount of skin contact, this was native fermented in stainless with 4 months on lees prior to heading to bottle for secondary ferment and 24 months on lees. It was disgorged with 2.5 g/L RS.
Maçanita Branco 2020, Douro Valley. $23.95
This Branco blends Viosinho, Códega do Larinho, and Gouveio comes mostly from the Baixo Corgo (80%), with the remainder from the Cima Corgo and from vines between 580-700m on granite and schistous soils. This was whole bunch pressed, then fermented and aged in stainless for 6 months, on lees. Subtle white blossoms, pear, green apple, green fig, lemon peel is slicked with lees, and cut with a bracing stony schistous hum that lingers long on the finish. Accessible, bright, and drinking very smartly now.
Niepoort Clos de Crappe Branco 2019, Douro Valley. $29.95
The new Clos de Crappe white is based on the same idea Dirk had for the OG Clos de Crappe (red). The wine is serendipitous based on and created around technical errors or perceived flaws, in this case reduction. This comes from a single 80-year-old vineyard planted to Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, Gouveio and Malvasia Fina, rooted in sloping granitic soils at 500m. This was whole bunch pressed and native fermented in barrique, where it remained for 9 months. Reductive this certainly is, so give it some solid airtime to let the old vines show through. Alluring darts of fragrant lemon blossom and rind, dragon fruit, mirabelle plum, pear skin rule the slick medium-bodied palate, finishing gently, with a swell of warmth. The altitude and soils keep this fresh, while the reductive feature keeps things interesting. Crack and enjoy over a few hours.
Azores Wine Company Rosé Vulcânico 2020, Azores. $23.95
This grows on the island of Pico, in the Azores archipelago, off Portugal, and its pure volcanic, black basaltic, scrabbly rocky soils. This blends 5-30+ year old Saborinho, Agronomica, Aragones, Touriga Nacional and many other co-planted varieties across 13 vineyards, sustainably grown in wee plots (2 to 6 bush trained vines per square), planted in 1991 at sea level. This is a partial saignée from António Maçanita’s Tinto Vulcânico, along with partial whole bunch, and including some cofermentation. Stainless steel preserves the crisp fruit, and no maceration created the pale peach hue. The 600-1000L stainless barrels were lain on their sides to give more lees / wine contact and texture on the palate. Bright and juicy, with wild strawberries, Rainier cherries, pink grapefruit on a marine-led, saline-dominant, light bodied palate, finishing with more quenching grapefruit pith. There’s a riffing texture that draws this to the salty finish. Smashable, characterful, and moreish.
Filipa Pato Dinâmica D.N.M.C. Baga 2020, Bairrada. $25.95
This biodynamic Baga is sourced partially from Filipa and William’s estate vineyards in Ois do Bairro, and partially from other growers in various villages in Bairrada. There’s a mix of bush vines and trellised plants with an average age of 40 years. The younger vines have been propagated by mass selection from the old vines in an effort to maintain diversity and select the best plant material available. Handpicked, fully destemmed, and fermented and raised entirely in tank this has a very gentle extraction and long (4 week) maceration, adding the fine, firm structure here. Tart blackcurrant, black raspberry, perfumed wild plum rule the slender frame, gripped with firm, long, fine tannins to a pink peppercorn, buzzing limestone finish. Enjoy this fresh, lighter red with a slight chill.
Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Tinto 2019, Douro Valley. $27.95
A field blend of six varieties planted across three subzones, Ilimitado is a soil survey of the schist-driven terroir in the Douro. This year the blend is led by Touriga Franca, and includes Tinta Roriz, Tinta Marcela, and Malvasia Preta in the mix, all sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards planted from 1960-1980, and at 400-600m. Entirely whole cluster, this was fermented 60/40 stainless vat and granite lagares with foot trodding. Opening young and grippy, with plum, wild blackberry, sarsaparilla, worn leather, blueberry on a bed of wet slate. There’s a fine buzz that textures throughout to the lingering finish.
Price:
6 bottles for $189.00 + HST, including delivery in GTA, and most larger cities in Ontario.
*prices outside of main cities may incur additional delivery charges.
Estimated delivery time is 3-10 business days.
Please note we cannot process wine orders outside of Ontario. Wine can only be ordered from, and shipped to, an address in Ontario.
