Very crisp, fruity without being sweet — 3 months ago
Medium ruby with quite a wide ruby pink rim . Fresh red cherry , touch of freshly cut herbs , rosemary , sage , orange rind , then a stony , mineral note. On the palate again fresh red cherry, touch herbal also . Fills out well , quite elegant fresh palate , some pretty gritty tannins but it’s the high acidity that is most arresting . Good length and balance with herbal, chalky , spice tinged salted cherry notes. Quite unique really , even within the context of a country as varied and diverse as Portugal. I would imagine it is at the beginning of a long life so will probably need another 5-10 years and last well a further 10-15 — 2 months ago
Pet Nat in Porto... 🦆 — 9 months ago
I cannot describe how excited I’ve been for this bottle.
From Portugal’s tiny Colares wine region, this is the famed Ramisco grape, grown in vines in the sands off the coast of Sintra. Back when phylloxera destroyed most of Europe’s grapevines, these survived as the parasite couldn’t make its way in the sands the grapevines grew in. The Portuguese crown then nationalized the wine- unique to Portugal- and used it in diplomacy as a form of soft power.
The wine starts with a roughness that smooths into a beautiful, medium bodied flavour of black cherry and blackberry. Think of a juicy California Pinot Noir that manages the punch of a Rioja.
A wine worthy of its great history.
— a month ago
Andrew Cullimore
Medium garnet , terracotta with medium terracotta rim . Quite a lot of furniture polish , balsamic spice , red fruited sous bois , herbal touches . On the palate more cherry fruit, with that slightly volatile balsamic spice and a very strong mineral , salty marine finish . Fresh acidity , medium bodied with quite gritty tannins . Very unique , really surprisingly enjoyable . Long on the palate. Obviously mature , but who know how long this can continue on for ! Now and over next 10 -15 years . — 2 days ago