Wine Review: Monovarietal Portuguese Wines
Portugal’s most famous wines are usually blends. However, I found 3 monovarietal Portuguese wines to explore, two of which are quite rare and should excite any wine geek.
Portuguese Wines: Blends vs. Varietal Wines
Most Portuguese wines are field blends with the possibility of around 250 native varieties in the blend. They also share some varieties with Spain, particularly Galicia.
Port is usually a blend. Also, the great bargain, dry reds from the Dao and Douro are typically blends. Vinho Verde wines are blends too although some can feature Alvarinho. Sparkling Obidos wines are also mostly blends.
Of course, you can find monovarietal wines as well. In particular, Madeira’s most sought after fortified wines are often single-varietal while a lot of Beirrada reds are varietal Baga.
I’ll be honest, and say that’s the extent of my Portuguese wine experience. That’s why I pounced on these three monovarietal Portuguese wines when I found them. You can learn about each variety in the tasting notes.
Tasting Notes
2021 Luis Seabra Mono C Douro
This is 100% Castelão, also called Periquita, from a single vineyard. Castelão is a widely planted grape in Portugal, especially in the Setubal region and appellation of Palmela near Lisboa as well as Tejo and Alentejo. It can be in blends, but it’s also found as a monovarietal in these places. It’s a lot less common as a varietal wine in the Douro though. It’s often a dark, structured and rich red wine, but relatively lighter and softer than other Douro reds like Touriga Nacional.
This was vinified with native yeasts, without destemming in stainless steel and then aged in used 500l French oak for 16-18 months. Luis Seabra used to work for Niepoort, but is now making some of the most noteworthy wines coming out of Portugal today.
Medium-light purple color. The nose shows purple, blackberry fruit and violets, lavender. It carries through to the palate with medium+ acidity and a salty, minerally finish. Good length. Medium-light body. Elegant feel. 91
I’m not sure this is typical Castelão, since it’s from Douro and this producer takes a lighter approach to the grape than most wines in the region. It can be a more tannic and meaty wine, but that’s not the case here. However, I see various descriptions of the variety, so a lot depends on the winemaking and region. This one reminds me most of Bobal from Spain.
2019 Quinta Da Falorca Encruzado Reserva Dao
95% Encruzado, 5% Malvasia. Encruzado (also called Salgueirinho) makes up about 10% of the plantings in the Dao, but the region still produces more white blends with Arinto, Bical and Encruzado than varietal Encruzado. At the same time, some say it’s Portugal’s best white grape. One reason is that it takes oak and lees-aging well, making rich, full-bodied, silky textured and ageable whites. However, it needs extra attention in the field in warmer areas to make sure it keeps its acidity and in the cellar to avoid over-oxidation.
This Encruzado is only partially (11%) aged in new French oak and only for 2 months. The rest is aged in stainless steel.
Clear light golden color. Nose with a touch spice, vanilla and floral notes. Minerality. Palate is medium body. More fruit here. Silky feel. Tiny bit of heat (showing it’s a warm climate white). Salty finish. Slightly bitter but in a good way. Medium+ acidity. Long finish. It’s sort of like a warm-climate Chardonnay made in a more Old World style since it’s restrained in terms of ripeness and oak. 92
1997 Manuel José Colares (MJC) Colheita Tinto Colares
Wine Geek Alert!!! Have you ever tried the grape Ramisco? It only grows in one place: Colares, Portugal in the southern part of the Lisboa region. The vines grow in sandy soils along the coast, which is both part of its survival and demise.
Most of the vineyards here were uprooted for beachfront property. Hence, only 18 hectares of vines remain in Colares today with a bit more than half dedicated to Ramisco and most of the rest planted with Malvasia. That’s from around 3,000 hectares 100 years ago.
However, it’s the sandy soils which protected the remaining vines from phylloxera throughout the ages. It might be the only European variety never to have been grafted onto American phylloxera-resistant rootstock. On the other hand, its proximity to the ocean makes grape growing difficult with the wind, sea spray and humidity. Therefore, yields are low. Planting is also difficult because they have to dig 8m holes to reach the clay and limestone soils to stay attached, which is harder in the top layer of sand.
Added altogether, Ramisco is not an easy variety to find, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if it weren’t such a quality grape with a long history too. It produces long aging wines with plenty of tannin and acid but the wine feels light with low alcohol. Many of the examples you find today are from older vintages and old vines. Moreover, the wines retain influence from the sandy terroir by the ocean.
It is believed to have originated in France and been brought over in the 13th century. Historically, Colares was considered one of Portugal’s best wines as late as the 19th century. Now Colares and Ramisco are an endangered appellation and variety.
This one actually comes from relatively young, average 20 year old ungrafted vines. 100% Ramisco. Fermented in stainless steel. 2 weeks of maceration. Aged in neutral foudre. The producer is actually a cultural foundation based in Lisbon that bought this 22 acre property once owned by wine exporter Manuel Jose Colares (hence the name) in hopes of preserving the appellation.
A German friend said it smelled like a smoked fish he finds in Germany, something he’s never smelled before in a wine. There is some smokiness and perhaps the fish notes are the appellation’s typical ocean influence being right on the beach. Nose of mushroom. Feels lightweight on the palate, tangy, salty. Tannins mostly resolved but doesn’t lack structure. Red berry fruit. Spice. Super smooth. Low alcohol at 11%. A bit short at first though but it starts to fill out with a little more time.
I’ve never experienced this appellation and variety before, so it’s hard for me to guess where it is and where it’s going. However, at this moment there’s a good balance of tertiary notes and fruit for me. Perhaps others would prefer more fruit. Overall, something to impress wine geeks given its rarity but also unique flavor profile. It’s sort of Nebbiolo and Galician Mencia -esque with the light feel but structured red fruit profile of Nebbiolo and sea influenced Mencia, but ultimately it’s its own thing. 91