The flavor of oak in wine of Algarve
Discover the of Algarve wines revealing the of oak flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
More information on of Algarve flavors
Algarve ('the Algarve' to most English speakers) is the southernmost wine region of Portugal, and the far southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula. It is more widely known for its beaches and thriving tourist industry than its wines. Although a small quantity of fresh-styled white wines are made here, the wines of the Algarve are predominantly red, and made from classic Portuguese varieties like Castelão and Touriga Nacional, as well as more international varieties like Syrah.
The region's wines are produced largely by a by a small number of upscale co-operatives, although the fashion for independent producers is catching on quickly.
Traditionally Algarve wines have been high in Alcohol, the result of a Warm, maritime Climate – just 125 miles (200km) separates Algarve's easternmost Vineyards (in Tavita) from Tangiers, on the North coast of Africa. The region is seperated from the Alentejo plain and the colder north by the Monchique mountains creating an warmer macroclimate for viniculture.
The Vitis vinifera vine thrives here in the Algarve climate, which is as well suited to the vine's long-term needs as it is to the short-term needs of humans. The same Bright sunshine, warm air and sea breeze which brings tourists here in their droves is precisely what grape vines require to give prolific yields and fruit with sky-high potential alcohol.
But while the human contingent here is happily self-irrigating, and retreats to air-conditioned comfort at night, the vines are left outside to swelter in the warm night air.
Although seemingly perfect, these climatic conditions serve to accelerate the vine growing season, bringing the grapes to their juicy, Sweet potential before they have had a chance to develop much depth of flavor. They also trade their natural acids for sugars as they ripen, so by the end of the season their juice is full of sugar (potential alcohol) and little else. Thus the type of wine traditionally associated with the Algarve is highly potent, lacking in the refreshing acidity which would come in so handy here, and tastes slightly 'baked' – the result of all those hot nights.
Other flavors in the same category
News on wine flavors
Andrew Jefford: ‘A wine’s visual cues shout, stamp, whistle and roar’
Disconcerting: I couldn’t forget this bottle for days afterwards. Still can’t. Back in August, wine critic Lin Liu MW (together with her partner Philippe Lejeune of Château de Chambert in Cahors) came to dinner, en route to a short holiday in Provence. One of the bottles Lin brought for us to try together was the 2018 Les Rocheuses, Parcelles No 5 et 6, from Château Le Rey in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. It came in a slope-shouldered bottle, not a classic Bordeaux bottle. We tried it with some R ...
Lilian Bérillon: vine supplier to the stars
You don’t need a state-of-the-art winery to make wine. You don’t need rows of pristine oak barrels. One thing you do need to make good wine is good vines. Have you ever asked yourself where all these vines come from? How do they find their way into the ground? It used to be easy. In the past, winemakers simply took cuttings from their vineyards, propagated them, and planted them in the ground. But phylloxera put a stop to that. What was a simple process acquired layers of complexity: winemakers ...
Whisky aged in native oak
Whisky is emphatically a product of place. The flavours in the glass conjure images of the spirit’s origin, from an Islay malt’s distinctive peat smoke to the exotic perfume of a Japanese blend. Traditionally, however, that local accent is lost when spirit is filled into cask. The vast majority of Scotch malts and blends, for example, are matured in oak sourced from thousands of miles away, and previously used to age bourbon or Sherry. Some whiskies might venture into more exotic territory. Thin ...