The flavor of wet asphalt in wine of Vinho de Portugal
Discover the of Vinho de Portugal wines revealing the of wet asphalt flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Portugal has undergone something of a wine revolution over the past two decades, modernizing its winemaking technologies, styles and attitudes. This archetypal Old World country has Long been famous for its fortified wines (Port and Madeira) and its light, tangy Vinho Verde. But it is now attracting much attention for its New wave of Rich, ripe table wines, especially the reds of the Douro Valley.
Portugal's place in the wine world is arguably more about its cork production than its wine, but that largely depends on which period of history you choose.
In the 18th century, when England's supply of French wine was threatened by deteriorating international relations, the Portuguese Vineyard proved more than capable of Filling the void. It was only in the 20th century, when international demand for Portuguese wines dwindled to almost nothing, that Portugal took the lead in world cork production. In the 21st century, the Portuguese cork industry is struggling (due to the increasing popularity of plastic stoppers and metal screw caps), but the country's wines are on the rise again, led by the Dry reds of the Douro and Dao.
Portugal's many grape varieties and their countless regional synonyms are the bane of ampelographers.
Some are endemic to Portugal (e. g. Touriga Nacional), while others are shared with neighboring Spain (e. g.
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...
When I started my nomadic winemaking project, in 2018 at Niepoort Vinhos in Portugal’s Douro region, I had no idea how large a part Spain would go on to play – I certainly never intended to make it the locus of my project. So how did it happen? Yes, there was an element of chance and taking opportunities where they arose. But also, among the talented winemakers to whom I pitched collaborations, I sensed an openness and a readiness to collaborate which seemed particular to Spain. Held in June las ...
For those unfamiliar with the Vino de Pago qualification, it was created in Spain in 2003 to certify singular estates (pagos) as Protected Denominations of Origin. While not a requisite, it’s generally implemented by individual wineries looking to gain protected status for a single vineyard site within their domain. This is the case for Abadía Retuerta which is an estate of 700ha, of which 180ha is planted to vine. While located within the Duero Valley, the site resides within the borders of Sar ...