Wines of Portugal Annual Tasting, April 29/13

The Date and Time: Monday, April 29, 2013  1:30 PM to 7:30 PM

The Event: Wines of Portugal Annual Tasting

The Venue: AGO

The Target Audience: wine trade

The Availability/Catalogue: wines are mainly in stock, but a few were private orders. Others were in various distribution channels.

The Quote/Background: Many wines in the catalogue were not presented, many wines that were presented were not in the catalogue. Prices were missing, but otherwise the information included names and addresses and descriptions of the wines and wineries. Twenty companies were listed.

The Wines: I did not taste every wine, but I did try to taste the tawny ports, madeiras and muscatels.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny

-Jose Maria da Fonseca Albis 2012 [dry muscat]

-Ramos Pinto Porto 30 Years

-Churchill's Tawny Port 20 Years Old

-Esporao White Reserve 2012 Alentejo, $24 FWP

-Esporao Red Reserve 2010 Alentejo, $25  FWP

-Balcalhoa Tinto da Anfora Grande Escolha 2008 Alentejo, $46.95 Diamond

-Henriques & Henriques Fine Rich Single Harvest 1997 Madeira [tinta negra]

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Terras de Alter Telhas White 2011 Alentejo, $24.95 [viognier] Select

-Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval Tinto Regional Duriense 2009

-DaCosta 10 Years Old Port

-Burmester 10 Years Old Port

-Kopke 20 Years Old Port

-Taylor Fladgate LBV 2007

-Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny

-Quinta do Portal Moscatel Reserva 2004 Douro

-Jose Maria da Fonseca Alambre 2008 Moscatel

-Jose Maria da Fonseca Domingos Soares Franco Coleccao Privada Moscatel Roxo 2004 Alambre

-Ramos Pinto Porto 20 Years Qta Bom Retiro

-Palacio da Bacalhoa 2008

-Bacalhoa Moscatel de Setubal 2009, $16.95 Diamond

-Henriques & Henriques Sercial 10 Years Old Madeira

-Henriques & Henriques Verdelho 10 Years Old Madeira

-Henriques & Henriques Rainwater Madeira

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Quinta do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny

 

The Food: cheeses, breads, fresh fruit, plus platters of fish and chips, dates, chicken balls, and shrimp.

The Downside: I was rushed as there was a 30.50 tasting immediately before. Also, many tables could have had flyers about the wines being shown, but they didn't. Kudos to the few that did.

The Upside: a chance to speak with some visiting winemakers.

The Contact Person: dstgermaine@artscom.ca

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 87.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com