Portugal

• Alentejo
• Bairrada
• Dao
• Douro
• Madeira
• Pico
• Ribatejo
• Vinho Verde

This is 60% Touriga Nacional and 40% Aragonez grapes.  Salmon pink in color, clear and bright.  The nose is tight but opens to show orange zest and slight cherries.  Nice slightly oily but creamy texture.  On the palate, quince, cherries and slight herbal note.  Enough acidity to put it all together.  Nice finish.  Very refreshing.  Very nice on its own, this would also work with a Margharita pizza.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a Rose from Portugal made from Touriga Nacional, Aragonêz, Tinta Caiada, Syrah, and Trincadeira.  Pink in color with some violet hues, clear and bright.  The nose is tight but opens to show strawberries and slight raspberries.  Lower acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, strawberries.  Moderate finish.  This is easy to drink.  Nice on its own, it works well with snacks like olives and nuts.  Good value in Rose.

This is a blend of 40% Antão Vaz, 40% Roupeiro, and 20% Perrum from Portugal.  Silvery/yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with peach, slight lemon and a chalk note.  Juicy texture.  Moderate acidity.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, a tasty lemon candy note with some salinity and chalk.  Good finish.  This is good on its own and will work well with lighter foods especially sea food.  Oysters would work well.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

The front label states this is a 50/50 blend of Arinto and Alvarinho.  This is a beautiful wine that seems to take Portugese whites, which are often inexpensive and lighter in style, to a more serious place.  At times, this can be a mistake with over zealous winemakers, but in this case, they pull it off admirably.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has peaches/nectarines, crushed shells, slight vanilla and spice, and a bit of lime zest.  Medium bodied.  Moderate acidity.  Silky texture.  On the palate, lemon/lime with some leaches.  A twang of lemon tartness comes thru on

This is a white blend of Antão Vaz, Viosinho, Alvarinho, Vermentino and other grapes from Portugal.  Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose features peaches, floral notes and slight orange zest.  Nice creamy texture.  On the palate lemons, salinity and minerals.  It finishes with more lemon and a slight mint note.  Long finish.  This will work on its own and also with food.  Crab salad would work well.  

This is a white blend from Portugal made from 70% Arinto, 15% Antao Vaz, and 15% Viognier.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons, toast and almonds.  Balanced acidity.  On the palate, lemons with a slight bitter almond note.  It turns to lemon hard candy on the finish.  A tart note at the end makes it very food friendly and refreshing.  This  is nice on its own but better with food.  It would be great with scallops.  

This is a white blend of Verdelho 40%, Arinto 30%, and Antão Vaz 30% from Portugal. Yellow gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with peach and honeydew. Nice creamy texture. On the palate, this has loads of peach. Balanced acidity. A bit of lemon tartness on the finish. This drinks nicely on its own and will work with lighter foods. Anything featuring peaches would work well. Drink over the next few years.

This is a white blend that is 40% Arinto, 20% Fernão Pires, 20% Roupeiro, and 20% Bical from Portugal.  Hay/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has melon, slight pineapple and peach.  Light bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, lemons and slight lime notes.  Finish has some lemon hard candy qualities.  This will work better with food.  Baked Sea Bass would work well.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a white blend from Portugal made from 60% Antão Vaz,  30% Arinto and 10% Alvarinho grapes.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is interesting with wintergreen, slight citrus and slight floral notes.  Light bodied.  Creamy texture. Good acidity.  On the palate, lemony with good acidity.  Slight mint towards the finish which is long with good acidity.  This is refreshing and nice on its own but better with food.  Seafood is a natural, perhaps grilled trout with lemon.  Drink over the next few years.  

What a treat.  This is 122 years from vintage.  McKinley was president when the grapes were grown.  The color of dark iced tea, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has Tootsie-Rolls, toffee, orange marmalade and slight bitters.  Full bodied.  Vibrant acidity.  Fresh and delicious.  On the palate, toffee, orange peel, slight coffee and slight alcohol heat.  Long, long finish.  Complex.  A contemplative experience for sure.  This could likely go another 100 years.  While it would work with a less sweet dessert, this probably is best consumed on its own to really appreciate.