Last Saturday I went to Geylang Serai Community Club for a seated tasting of wines from Portugal. This CC has a newly setup wine club which organized this tasting.
We tasted 7 wines during this afternoon session. They are from Viva Vino (address: 214 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207747, Tel: 62917866, www.vivavino.com.sg), a wine company which specializes in importing wines from Portugal. Mr Nuno Miguel Covas, the marketing and sales consultant of this firm, introduced the wines to us.
We tasted 3 whites, 3 reds and a port. They are:
2010 Aveleda Casal Garcia Branco, Vinho Verde. A 'green wine' (wine known for its freshness and made to be drunk preferably within a year); is light, clean, refreshing and an easy one to sip. It shows a little fizziness in the palate (due to the presence of carbon dioxide) within its body, which lends a hand to this wine's freshness. It is light bodied, almost like having chilled water with a little alcohol in it :) It will be great for a hot afternoon, as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to starters. A participant remarked that it reminds her of soda :)
2009 Quinta d'Aveleda Vinho Verde. Another 'green wine' but with a more expressive body than the earlier white, this too reveals lightness, freshness, delicate fruit aromas and flavours. It can be enjoyed on its own or with some light bodied food. This too reveals a little fizziness when sipped.
2009 Esporao Reserva. A white from Alentejo, it reveals aromatic notes of tangerine, peach, lime and a hint of oak. The aging in oak has given it a firmer structure than the above 2 whites, which balances with the fruit flavours in the body and the refreshing acidity in holds. A well balanced wine with a lingering finish. One can enjoy this on its own, though I will prefer some food with this.
2007 Quinta do Casal Branco. An easy, entry level red from the Ribatejo region. Shows a light to medium body, reveals aromas and flavours of red and black fruits, and spicy notes though without much depth to its body. Alcohol 'heat' and spice shows in the finish; and I think slightly chilling this red will create a better balance in palate. Some light food will help in making the sips pleasurable.
2004 Alves de Sousa Caldas Reserva. This is a good red from the Douro region. The floral notes give way to reveal aromatic notes of dark cherry, tobacco and spice. The supple body reveals a good measure of fruit flavours, spice, soft and integrated tannins, and ample acidity to create a well balanced wine with lingering finish.
2007 JP Ramos Vila Santa. A red from the Alentejano region. This is a which at this moment shows harmony. Aromas of black fruits and spice balances well with the dark cherry flavours and spice revealed in the body. The texture is velvety and smooth with soft and integrated tannins lending it support. It will go great with meat dishes, though I am tempted to enjoy this with just bread and cheese (so that i can fully enjoy the wine without its harmony being affected by some strong flavoured food dish).
1998 Niepoort Colheita port. A single vintage port, the years of aging has gone to reveal a drink with pleasant dried fruits aromas and flavours. Medium bodied, smooth and with a lingering finish, one can enjoy sipping this on its own, or with some cheese, chicken or goose liver and biscuits as accompaniments.
The affable Nuno made this session an enjoyable one. All in all, it was a well spent session catching up on wines from Portugal :)
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