Warre's Ports, Ruby And White

The Symington family calls their Warre's label "the original British Port House."  Pulling grapes from several superb quintas - Cavadinha, Retiro, Telhada - winemaker Charles Symington's family has been at it for five generations.  The company itself was founded in the 1600s.  They recently declared 2017 as a vintage Port year, just like 2016.  It was the first such back-to-back declaration in the 130+ years the Symingtons have been in charge.

I was supplied with samples of several Warre's Ports, and they should be on your radar, especially with "Port weather" expected to arrive - at some point.  Where I live, in Southern California, it's never really "Port weather," so I drink it whenever I like.  These wines are fantastic examples of why Port is such a damn pleasure to drink.

Warre's Heritage Ruby Porto

Aged for an average of three years in used oak barrels before being blended, filtered and bottled, Warre's Heritage Ruby Porto is a beautiful Portuguese wine at a great price.  It carries 19% alcohol and sells for around $15.

This beautiful Port shows a nose of ripe, red fruit, syrup and smoke.  The palate is young and playful, boasting currant and berries with a viscous mouthfeel and a tannic structure that begs a great piece of cheese.

Warre's Fine White Porto

Warre's Fine White is produced from traditional white grape varieties grown in the Douro Valley - Arinto, Códega, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho.  The winery explains that fermentation takes place "off the skins," which they say makes for a more delicate wine.  Aging took place at lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia in a combination of oak casks and stainless steel tanks.  The white also hits 19% abv and sells for about $15.

This white Port carries a golden tint and gorgeous nose of sweet caramel and stone fruit.  The palate is sweet and fruity with almond notes and a ton of acidity.  It makes a great aperitif or dessert, and will be a fine base for a cocktail.  It even pairs well with potato dishes, cheese and guacamole.

Warre’s Warrior

The oldest mark of Port in the world, Warre's Warrior has shipped continuously since the 1750's, with the name branded on the casks.

It is made from grapes grown in quintas in the Pinhão and Rio Torto valleys.  The finest barrels are set aside by winemaker Peter Symington for aging in the lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia.

Alcohol in Warrior is a touch higher than in their Ruby, at 20% abv. It sells for  $46.

This Port wine is inky indigo in the glass.  Its nose conveys dark, ripe fruit with an overlay of leather and tobacco.  The palate is rich and dark with a firm tannic structure and a pleasantly long finish.

Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port

Warre's Otima 10 Year-Old-Tawny balances youthful fruit with a decade in seasoned wood.   All that time in oak turns the ruby hue to a brownish color and makes the palate more delicate.  Warre's also makes an Otima 20-year Port.  Otima 10 hits 20% abv and retails for $32.

The nose on this tawny Port is so full of raisins and hot caramel it can mean nothing except dessert.  The palate reaffirms that feeling, with a sweet taste which brings a little savory along for the ride.  There's enough acidity to make pairing possible, maybe with a slice of pumpkin or pecan pie.

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Portuguese Still Wine: Incredible Douro

Portuguese wine is booming and making a big comeback after a period of decline.  James Halliwell writes on Harper's UK that the growth reported by Wine Intelligence is "driven in part by a rise in tourism and economic recovery after years of financial crisis."  He writes that competition is on the upswing, wine drinkers are moving away from mainstream brands and the up-and-comers are often heavily discounted.

You probably realize that Portugal is known primarily for Port wine, a fortified wonder.  However, you may not be so familiar with the Douro region's still wines, made for the dinner table. 

The Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the great estates of the Douro Superior - the sub-region of the Douro farthest East.  It is home of some of the world's finest Ports, and is one of the region's largest estates, with 336 acres under vine.  It's owned by the Symington family, a fifth-generation Port house.  The pombal, by the way, refers to a pigeon nesting area on the property.

This treasured quinta provides the fruit for the 2015 Pombal do Vesuvio, a blend of three Portuguese grapes: 50% Touriga Nacional, 45% Touriga Franca and 5% Tinta Amarela.  The first two reportedly give backbone and rich structure to the wine, while the latter accounts for acidity and bright fruit aromas.

Winemakers Charles Symington and Pedro Correia describe the 2015 vintage as a troubling, but ultimately satisfying one.  Lots of rain bookended a very dry winter, and the summer was hot.  The vines produced a low yield, good for grape quality.  The wine hits a mere 13.5% in alcohol, was aged ten months in French oak barrels and it sells for $28.

This Douro Valley still red is loaded with character.  The color is so dark I can barely tell it's red.  The nose is full of minerality, earth, cigars and leather.  Oh, yeah, there's a bit of dark, brambly fruit in there, too.  The palate displays the same, with some licorice thrown in as if there wasn't enough happening.  Bracing acidity and firm tannins make for a muscular drink which is begging for a nice, fatty steak.

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Dow's Port

Before the Port season slips away, here's a 2012 Vintage Port you should try.  Of course, it's always Port season for some, but the style does fit better with cooler - colder - weather and more robust meals.

Houston Porter writes on Petaluma360 that Port is just one in the family of fortified wines, which includes Madeira, Marsala, sherry and vermouth.  True Port wine comes from Portugal, although many wineries use the term to market their own bottlings.  Technically, Porter writes, to be called port the grapes must be grown, crushed, fermented and initially aged in Portugal's Douro Valley, the world’s "oldest demarcated wine region."

Port wine blossomed in the 1700s when England was at war with France and sought to replace the French wine they couldn't get anymore.  Many Port houses still have English names, like Dow.  The reds are made from grapes with names like Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional.

Port requires at least two years aging.  Ruby Ports are aged mostly in bottles, while the tawny style is aged in barrels.  Ruby generally shows more fruit flavor as a result, and tawny is a more savory wine.

Dow 2012 Late Bottled Vintage Port

Late Bottled Vintage Port is made from a single vintage of Ruby Port and gets up to six years in the barrel before being bottled and released.  Dow's says they only produce Late Bottled Vintage Port from the best of years, passing over lesser vintages.

Dow's 2012 LBV comes from the Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira vineyards.  The Symington family winemakers have tended those plots for five generations. I'm told that 2012 was a very dry year in the Douro Valley, but cooler-than-average summer temperatures helped offset the drought.  The alcohol hits a typical 19% abv level and the wine retails for $24.

I won't beat poetically around the bush.  This vintage Port (2012) is nothing short of astounding.  It's got the savory nose one expects on a tawny, but bigger, blacker, more brutish.  A heavy whiff of smoke never goes away, and the earthy aromatics stay right behind.  The palate lets the fruit shine through, sweet and sultry, with an amazing level of acidity and oh-so-firm tannins.  It's a great sip, but I'm saving the last glass to have with a steak.


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Portugal Wine: Prats + Symington Chryseia

Portugal's Douro Valley is one of the most distinctive terroirs in the wide, wide world of wine. Prats and Symington grow grapes and make wine there. The Symington family owns most of the big port houses. Bruno Prats left Bordeaux, seeking winemaking thrills in Chile, South Africa and, finally, Portugal. He partnered with the Symingtons in the late 1990s. Together, they put Bordeaux wine-making methods to grapes that are usually intended for Port in the Prats and Symington wines.

The Symingtons have two prime Douro estates, Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz. Both quintas are near the village of  Ervedosa. The different microclimates and soils of the two valleys produce different results. Roriz gets minerality from traces of tin, the remnants of old mines. The cool riverside nights also bring more aromatics. Perdiz is in the warmer Torto Valley, and offers more ripeness as a result. The grapes are largely grown in dedicated plots, rather than mixed vineyards, which is more typical for the the area.

Portuguese grapes, aah, they are exotic and wonderful. Touriga Nacional for floral aromatics, Touriga Franca for body and structure and Tinta Roriz - Tempranillo in Spain - gives a peppery flair.
Post Scriptum's Chryseia was first bottled from the 2000 vintage. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged in 400-litre French oak barrels, for 14 months. Grape distribution has 64% Touriga Franca, 28% Touriga Nacional and 8% Tinta Roriz. Winemakers Bruno Prats and Charles Symington oversee production, with the assistance of Pedro Correia and Luis Coelho. Alcohol sits at 14.3% abv and the retails price is $25.

Post Scriptum De Chryseia is inky indigo and impenetrable at its core. The nose is a wild array of blackberry, cigar boxes, leather and the whole spice rack. It has a great mouthfeel, full and rich with enough tannic structure to handle prime rib, yet not so much that it ruins the sip. That dark fruit is lip-smacking good on the palate and it carries along a savory saddlebag of spices, which linger long on the finish.

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Locations Wine: P Is For Portugal

Locations is an experiment of place for winemaker Dave Phinney, of Orin Swift fame. It's his attempt at making wine a country-wide effort, although I don't really agree with the philosophy of blending wine across a nation. Specific locations are important because of what they are, where they are, why they are. Can't deny.

These wines are labeled only with a big letter or two, depicting the place of origin - F for France, P for Portugal, I for Italy, TX for Texas. Yes, he sources grapes from Texas. The wines are bottled at the Locations headquarters in Spain.

P is for Portugal. Phinney’s Portuguese effort is a "blend of Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, and Touriga Franca sourced primarily from the northern region of Douro, with the remainder coming from the Alentejo region to the south."

The old vines of the northern Douro Valley are sheltered from the impact of the Atlantic Ocean by the Serra do Marão mountain range, and very little rain falls on the "steep, rocky slopes." As a result, the grapes are concentrated and aromas and flavors are huge and expressive. The southern grapes are by nature fruity and fresh. Phinney says the blend allows for a silky, layered wine that hits a big 15% abv and is aged in French and American oak.

The wine is dark and juicy, with black currant and black raspberry aromas, but the nose has a distinct savory side to it, with cedar, olives, smoke and sassafras. Chocolate and meat also play into the olfactory delight. The palate brings a textbook darkness, with earth for miles and miles and miles. It's just about pitch black, and that's okay, because I've got a flashlight. There is a heavy note of oak spice, a tongue-teasing acidity and a tannic structure that wants to exert its influence over meat, make that steak, make that ribeye.


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Wine In Tennessee

From the archives: Tennessee's entry into Wine Country, Grinder's Switch Winery.

Portuguese Wines With Food

Portugal’s grapes and wines are fascinating.  They seem so foreign to the rest of the wine world - hard to understand, but easy to like.

Wines of Portugal served up a luncheon and education hour recently for a group of wine writers, educators and sommeliers in Los Angeles, to which I was happy to be invited. We congregated in the back area at Republique and got schooled by the speaker, Evan Goldstein, below.

The Master Sommelier opened with remarks about a few of the 300 grape varieties that are indigenous to Portugal, and some of the difficulty of wrapping one’s American head around them. He said it's not easy teaching folks about Portuguese wines. "Grapes that people can't pronounce and a language that sounds like a bunch of drunk Russians arguing," he said, "make a rather hazy platform for wine education."

The idea of serving lunch items with the wines, Goldstein said, was to put the wines in the context in which they want to be shown - with food. The wine expert offered some tips on pairing wine with food, and he says it boils down to three key elements.

First, Goldstein says protein is not always the star. Especially in restaurants, you may find several commanding flavors in the side dishes that beg to be addressed by the wine. 

Second, he emphasizes the cooking impact. Is the food grilled? Smoked? Blackened? He says all of these cooking styles can overwhelm a wine. 

Third, is there a sauce? If so, that's the key to a wine pairing. A wine you would match with plain pasta is very different from the one you’d match with a marinara sauce that goes into it.

Goldstein gave us the chance to mix and match with the lunch, which was served in three, two-stage courses, perfect Portuguese pairings prepared by Walter Manzke and Eric Bost of Republique and Telmo Faria of San Francisco's Uma Casa.

Before we sat, a wonderful aperitif wine was poured, the Esporão Verdelho, Alentejo 2015.  The wine makes a great opener, with a mineral-driven citrus nose and flavors of grapefruit and lemon in a crisp, fresh acidity. The 13.5% abv wine was made entirely from the Verdelho grape, grown in the Alentejo region, in the south-central part of Portugal. It was declared the best wine of the year in that country, the first time a white wine had ever won the honor.


Each lunch course was paired with four wines, from which we were to select the one that best fit the dish, according to our palates. This, Goldstein assured us, meant that there were no wrong answers.

First Course

Hamachi Crudo Gazpacho, Mustard Seed Oil  

The Sogrape Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015 was the best with fish, fins down.

Sopa de Funcho, Chilled Fennel Soup; Dungeness Crab, Corn Salad  

As I suspected, the easiest sipper was the best with the soup, the Terras d’Alter Reserva Branco, Alentejo, 2014.

Second Course

Spinach Cavatelli, Forest Mushrooms 

I would have preferred a white wine with mushroom, I always do. Of the three reds, the best fit was probably the Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto, Alentejo, 2011.

Arroz de Pato, Morel Mushroom and Duck Confit Risotto; Seared Duck Breast, Red Wine Cherry Sauce  

All three reds did fine with this one, great in fact.  

Third Course

Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Onion, Oven-Dried Tomato, Bacon

Wines #11 and #12, from the Douro selections, were best. An elegant pairing where the tannins seemed put to good use

Carne a Jardineira, Braised Short Rib, New Potatoes, Baby Carrots, Summer Beans, Braising Jus

All four Douros were great with this course.

The wines:

1 Aveleda Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015
 From the northwest part of the country; winemaker Manuel Soares; 11% abv
The Loueira grape gives the wines wonderful floral capacity, while the Alva Rinho grapes brings the fruit. Great acidity.

2 Sogrape Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015
Nearly all Loureira grapes, only 5% Pederna; 11% abv four months aging on the lees
The nose is chalky with muted citrus notes. Grapefruit flavors dominate with a very fresh acidity.

3 Caves Transmontanas Vértice Grande Reserva Branco, Douro 2013
Yes, a white from Douro, in the northern part of country, where Port comes from.
13.6% abv; half gouveio and half Viosinho; light oak
Muted mineral aromas of chalk and lemons, with a slight toastiness. Smooth and earthy in the mouth, full with a light citrus overlay.

4 Terras d’Alter Reserva Branco, Alentejo 2014
A five-grape blend from Alentejo, in the south central part of country.
25% Siria, 25% Arinto, 25% Verdelho, 10% Viosinho, 10% Gouveio and 5% Viognier; 13.5%; winemaker Retar Breight
A slight floral aroma precedes an elegant display of citrus. Peachy flavors are quite sippable in this full, less acidic wine.

5 Aveleda Follies Touriga Nacional, Bairrada 2011
From  north central
All Touriga Nacional grapes from the north-central area.
Winemaker Manuel Soares; 13.5% abv; one year in French oak
The nose has lots of black cherry and spices, while the palate gives dark fruit and beautiful oak notes, like cedar. Nice tannic structure.

6 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto, Barraida 2011
100% Baga grape, a winemaker’s fave;  40 year-old vines; 13% abv
A rosy perfume graces the nose, while black fruit and big minerals define the palate.

7 Cortes de Cima Tinto, Alentejo 2012
40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 35% Syrah, 15% Touriga Nacional, 10% Petit Verdot;  12 months mostly French oak; 14% abv
The aromas here are beautiful. I even included an exclamation point in my notes. Syrupy, perfumed cherry and blueberry scents lead to flavors of black and blue fruit with spices and easy tannins.

8 Wine did not arrive

9 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional, Douro 2012
100% Touriga Nacional; 14% abv; 16 months in 30% new oak
A dark, spicy nose predicts more darkness on the palate, with savory, spicy flavors and very nice tannins.

10 Sogrape Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Tinto, Douro 2013
Kitchen sink composition: 50% Touriga Franca, 25% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinto Roriz (again, Tempranillo), 5% Tinta Cao, 5% Touriga Fêmea and 5% "other;" 13.5%; 12-18 months in French oak
Violet and dark fruit on the nose, with a palate that’s fruity and savory, yet breezy.

11 Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Tinto, Douro 2013
43% Touriga Nacional, 37% Touriga Franca and 20% traditional Douro grapes; 14% abv
Beautiful floral accents join the minerals on the nose. Flavors of black and blue fruit are draped with a savory aspect and a great acidity.

12 Prats & Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia, Douro 2013
50% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 11% Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. The rest, who knows? 14 months French oak; 13.8%
This wine has an easy, rosy nose that is muted and light, but the earthy minerals make a strong showing on the palate. Savory and tannic.


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Private Tasting Event Brings Portugal To L.A.

A tasting of Portuguese wines by Esporão took place in almost speakeasy fashion, at a private residence in Los Angeles. Esporão sales manager Pedro Lopez Vieira and winemaker David Baverstock (pictured) were on hand to describe the wines and their terroir to a casual crowd. It was so casual, I was advised that note-taking might be frowned upon. I did it as surreptitiously as I could, scribbling very small on the business cards of the two representatives.

Herdade do Esporão was founded in 1267 in the southern part of Portugal, across the country east of Lisbon. Portions of the estate built in the 1400s were laughingly referred to as "the new parts." Most of the grapes come from the estate, but they do grab a few from more northern areas of the country when needed.

Bob Blumer, our host for the occasion, prepared amazing bites to pair with the wines, in the style of his televised cooking show, Surreal Gourmet. Blumer's expertise with shrimp bisque, lima bean crostini, cod cake with pink mashed potatoes and duck snow cone - duck in an edible cone - left his guests without adequate words to compliment him.

A wide array of wines were poured:

Verdelho 2014 - Crisp and tart lime, very refreshing.

Assobio 2014 - A white showing great acidity. Grapefruit leads the citrus attack.

Esporão Reserva 2010 (pictured) - This masterful white wine features indigenous Portuguese grapes - Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro - with a bit of Semillon, which the winemaker says is a tip of the hat to his Australian heritage. Alcohol is at 14% - "Higher than I like," says Baverstock, "but that is what the grapes want to do." Forty percent of the wine saw oak for six months, on the lees. It is a great oak treatment, with lovely acidity and citrus all over the place. A savory edge of salinity makes this wine irresistible.

Monte Velho 2014 - Bright red fruition just a hint of oak, produced by sticking some stavesinto the tank.

Assobio 2014 - red bright little oak

Esporão Reserva 2012 - perfumed roses and violets compete with a big show of red fruit.

Quinta dos Murcas - The grapes were stomped - they call it "foot tread" on the label. This old vine red is bold, big and dark.


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2011 Vintage Port Declaration

History

Port wine - produced in Portugal's Douro Valley - is typically a blend of several vintages of wine.  When exceptional vintages are identified, a vintage port is declared.  Winemakers usually make this determination about two years after the vintage.  Vintage port makes up only about two percent of total port production, so the wines are rather rare and usually rather expensive.

You may have seen wines made in America bearing the name "port," and that's because the US does not recognize port as a protected style.  The European Union does, however, so any European wines made in the style of port may not carry the name unless they come from the Douro Valley.

The Douro is the world's oldest official wine region, having attained that status in 1756.  It predates Bordeaux as a recognized appellation by nearly a hundred years.

Port wine is made by adding a grape spirit to the wine during fermentation.  That stops the fermentation and provides a good deal of residual sugar along with a higher alcohol content than is usually seen in wine.  Port generally registers about 20 percent alcohol.

There are over a hundred grapes permitted in the making of port, but it usually boils down to five grapes: Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz - known across the border in Spain as Tempranillo, Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional.

The Event

One of three stops across America for the five major port houses, the Los Angeles event showcasing the 2011 vintage ports was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in early June 2013.  The hotel is a pretty swanky joint, known for its Polo Lounge - as in, "I'll take my calls at the Polo Lounge."  Although it's not such a necessity since the advent of cellular technology, it must have been quite a bit of social bling to have a waiter bring the phone to your table there, back in the day.  Now, you're just another cellular idiot ruining everyone's restaurant experience.

We gathered in the hotel's Sunset Room to feast on the recently declared - and widely hailed - 2011 vintage ports.  As an added attraction, there were vertical tastings of the other declared vintages of the past decade.  Represented were The Fladgate Partnership - Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft - Quinta do Noval and Quinta da Romaneira.  Quinta, I learned, is the Portuguese word for "estate."

The 2011 Vintage Ports

The elegant booklet provided at the tasting contained a paragraph on what makes the 2011 vintage so special that it was declared.  "The 2011 harvest was preceded by a cold, wet winter, providing ground water reserves which allowed a balanced ripening of the grapes during the hot, dry summer."  The description goes on to call 2011 a "textbook viticultural year."

Croft 2011 - Five thousand cases of this wine were produced, which is down from eight thousand cases produced of the Croft 2009 Vintage Port.  Croft is known for its opulent ports, and this one follows suit, with beautiful, ripe fruit and a satiny texture.

Fonseca 2011 - The big, bold nose is quite complex.  There is massive fruit here, tinged with a savory aspect.  The black currant flavor is colored with notes of chocolate and anise.  It's wine has great tannic structure.

Quinta do Noval 2011 - Dark aromas mix with floral notes, giving a delicate feel to a powerful wine.  It's a great wine to ruminate on, if one is so disposed.

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2011 - The Touriga Nacional grapes used in the making of this rare wine - only 125 cases were made - grow on Portuguese rootstock.  Ungrafted and never affected by phylloxera, the vines are considered national treasures.  2011 is this vineyard's first declaration since 2003.  The wine has extremely dark color and an explosive nose full of dark fruit.  The tannins really reach out and grab me.

Quinta da Romaneira 2011 - This wine shows a brambly edge on the nose and dark fruit on the palate is so concentrated it can be called bright.  It feels very fresh in the mouth.

Taylor Fladgate 2011 - Here is another very dark wine - dark in color, aroma and taste.  The winemaker calls it "textbook Taylor Fladgate."  It's an elegant quaff which finishes warm and vibrant.

Taylor Fladgate Vargellas Vinha Velha 2011 - A big and very focused wine, there is a surplus of dark fruit in the forefront and a nice, mellow finish.  It is exceptional.

Other Vintages

At the Croft table I was told that not everyone declared in 2009.  The Fladgate Partnership felt it was notable, though, and the Croft 2009 shows why.  Pungent herbal notes, leather and cedar mark the nose, while the tannins provide great structure.  The 2007 vintage has a great nose and a delicious blueberry finish, while 2003 shows a savory side to the currant flavor.

The Fonseca 2009 is almost black and displays huge fruit on the nose and palate.  A eucalyptus note shows through in the 2007 while 2003 delivers minty cherry flavors.

Taylor Fladgate's 2009 is drinking extremely well now.  It's big and powerful, with cherries and blackberries notable.  In their 2007 vintage, forest floor underlies the black currant.  Wonderful fruit defines the 2003 as well.  The Taylor Fladgate Vargellas Vinha Velha 2004 is a showboat of black cherry, cassis and chocolate, with a particularly strong finish.

Quinta do Noval 2008 shows lots of spice in its bold, savory fruit.  Their 2007 gives lovely aromas and bright, fresh fruit flavors.  The 2004 vintage really has the spicy notes coming forward.  The Quinta do Noval 2003 also shows the spice, while giving a really nice, soft feel to the fruit.  Their Nacional 2003 has big fruit and even bigger minerals.

Quinta da Romaneira 2008 has a deep floral nose and a dark, sweet show of fruit.  Winemaker Christian Seely told me he is "an eccentric declarer," explaining why only his two houses declared in 2008.  Their 2007 is loaded with expressive dark fruit aromas and flavors tinted with a savory edge.  Great finish.  The 2004 vintage is mineral-laden and delicious.


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V. Sattui Vintage Port 1998

The wine tastes great, but I have a bit of a bone to pick with V. Sattui Winery over the name of this one.  Port wine comes from Portugal, much as Champagne and Burgundy come from those French regions and nowhere else.  Nobody likes it when a California winery pastes "Champagne" on their label, and similar liberties with "Port" should also be avoided.  With that mini-rant out of the way, the wine - whatever it is named - is fantastic.

This is a Port-style wine, with a neutral grape spirit added at partial fermentation.  The wine is then aged in small French oak barrels for three years before bottling.  Three Portuguese grape varieties are used in this blend: Tinta Cão, Souzão and Touriga Nacional.  The retail price is $46.

The nose is heavily laced with alcohol upon pouring, not unusual for a fortified wine.  The fruitiness comes through as blackberry and currant, but any nuance is obliterated by the spirit.  The alcohol is much easier to take on the palate, and the fruit plays forward here, too.  The flavor immediately reminds me of cassis.  This port tastes very fresh and fruity for a 14-year-old wine. The color is ruby red to the edges.  There's barely a hint of raisins when first opened, but those notes do come forth after decanting.

Sweet and bold, this 1998 Port-style wine matches beautifully with dark chocolate and pairs well with Gorgonzola cheese, too.


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Wine Country Tennessee: Grinder's Switch Winery

Tennessee's wine industry - like that of so many other American states - thrived until Prohibition killed it. Today, a rebirth is underway, with 33 wineries listed by the Tennessee Winegrowers Alliance.  Grape growers in the Volunteer State have turned to French hybrid grapes, since they are resistant to grape diseases common to humid climates.

Grinder's Switch Winery is located in Centerville, southwest of Nashville and a little south of Interstate 40.  The town is more famous as the birthplace of country music great Minnie Pearl, but Joey Chessor is working on making wine as famous in Centerville as "How-DEEE!"

Joey Chessor is the owner and winemaker for Grinder's Switch Winery.  He named the 110-acre estate after a nearby stretch of train track.  He explained to me, "Grinder's Switch is nothing more than a railroad siding on a country road.  Minnie Pearl made Grinder's Switch famous when she was alive, through funny tales about an imaginary town named Grinder's Switch.  Although the switch is about 3 or 4 miles away, we thought it was a neat name and used it for ours.  So we decided to go with the train theme for our estate labels.  Besides, my 5 year old grandson, Jack, LOVES trains."

The labels for Grinder's Switch wines are very retro black and white drawings of train locomotives.  I mentioned to Chessor that I remember a classic rock group named Grinderswitch, too.  He remembers them as well.  "We have couple of albums that were given to us by a customer framed and hanging on the tasting room wall."

Chessor's wines are award-winners, including the prestigious "Wines of the South" competition.  He told me that "2010 was a very long hot summer, so keep that in mind as you taste the reds.  2011 was much better as a growing season.”

Dixiana Tennessee Traminette 2011
The estate grown Traminette is new - it should be released by the time you read this.  There's an easy-drinking 12% abv number on it.  In the glass, it shows a straw color with green highlights.  Aromas of dried apricots and limes highlight the aromatic bouquet.  A very strong minerality also is present on oth the nose and the palate.  That earthy taste is joined by apricots, lime zest and grapefruit.  The acidity is razor sharp - its a powerfully refreshing sip, which demands food.  Raw oysters, calamari and lobster should pair nicely.  $16

Three Eighty Two Tennessee Chambourcin 2010
This red wine is slightly higher on the alcohol scale, although moderate at 13.3% abv.  The grapes are estate grown.  I expected a more translucent appearance from a Chamboucin, but this one is inky black.  The nose is striking - tarry blackberry fruit with vanilla notes and a hint of eucalyptus.  The aromas put me in mind of Cabernet, not Chambourcin.  It's fruit-forward on the palate, with an intriguing minerality riding close behind.  I can taste the oak influence, but it's a welcome addition, not overdone.  The tannic structure is good - toothy, but it doesn't bite.  This wine needs a pork chop or a plate of baby back ribs for full expression, but the pleasure of sipping it is not diminished in the absence of food.  $20.

Zephyr Tennessee Red Blend
This red table wine carries a lightweight 12.2% abv number, even though it's a blend of two grapes one expects to see at higher alcohol levels - Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional.  The Portuguese grape is really a surprise - there's little enough of it grown in California, so I didnt expect it from Tennessee.  It's a medium-dark wine with oak aromas plain enough and fruit that puts me in mind of Napa-meets-Port.  This wine really tastes great.  Juicy fruit and mouth-watering acidity is always a good combination.  Again, I'm wishing for a pork chop, but a steak would pair quite well.  The tannins are a little softer than in the Three Eighty two, but they are strong enough to do their work.  $20

If 2010 was an off-year for Tennessee grapes, I can't wait to taste what 2011 has to offer.


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Vidigal Douro Vinho Tinto 2005

The Christmas season of 2009 was full of hustling and bustling and running about, as most Christmas seasons are.  Denise and I took a break after visiting the Glendale Galleria - which is the perfect time for a break - and stopped to check out a wine store I had not been to before.  At 55 Degree Wine I was met with such a wide assortment of possibilities I felt a bit daunted.  After much evaluation, I managed to pick up a few bottles to take home.  This wine, Vidigal Douro, was one of them.

I felt I had been lax in exploring Portuguese wines of late, and the grapes involved - 60% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Amarela - seemed very interesting.  I was familiar with Touriga Nacional.  It's the main grape variety used in making Porto.  The Douro region is where Porto comes from, and you can taste the flavor of port in this wine.  It plays remarkably well without the sweetness of Port.  The wine's earthiness really dominates the flavor profile, so don't expect a fruit bomb with this one, at least not in the California style.  

It's a medium-bodied wine with a dark, inky color you cannot see through.  A ruby red tinge around the edge looks quite lovely.  On the nose, expect black cherry with leathery, cedar notes.  The palate shows the wine to be dry with a distinct lack of sweetness.  It strikes me as a rather prunish taste, but I certainly don't mean that to be off-putting.  The acidity is good and some backend heat dies down after 45 minutes of breathing. 

Vidigal's website lists the Douro as “not currently available in the U.S.”  Obviously, that's not quite true, and I am glad it's not.  We paired this wine with our incredible rib roast for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was a stunning hit.  It seems made for beef.

Vidigal Douro Vinho Tinto 2005

Varietal:  60% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Amarela
Appelation:  Portugal > Douro
Vintage:  2005
Alcohol Level:  14%
Price:  $14
Acquisition disclaimer:  I bought this wine.