Azul Portugal Tinto

點擊次數(shù)：3254

The 2009 TINTO PALMELA is Castelao from 30 year old vines produced for the brand by the well known winery Casa Ermelinda Freitas. Sweet and fruity, laced with powerful aromatics, this is nonetheless not at all one dimensional, showing good structure and focus, and rounding into form nicely with air. It does thin precipitously with air and lacks some mid-palate concentration, so however long it holds, drink it sooner rather than later. That is not a major quibble in this price range. Its elegance and charm will serve it well in the short to mid-term. Drink now-2016. These wines, from Wines and Winemakers by Saven, are meant to create under one brand name (Azul Portugal) a series of wines representing regions in Portugal. Hence, they have Azul Portugal Douro, Azul Portugal Alentejo, and so on. The wines are made for the brand by various wineries, with particular winemakers linked to Saven often overseeing the final results. The juice can also be bottled under the winery’s own brand—but Saven indicated to me that the exact Azul Portugal blends and treatment are generally intended to be unique to Azul Portugal. Here’s an example: the 2008 Catapereiro from Companhia das Lezirias reviewed this issue is Castelao, Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira, while the Azul Portugal Tejo wine made by Companhia das Lezirias is indicated only as Castelao and Trincadeira. Moreover, the Castelao comes from separate vineyards for the two bottlings, Saven said, and the Trincadeira, while from the same vineyard block, had different fermentations. With that trivia out of the way, focus on the important thing: as a group, these wines provide some bang for the buck.Importer: Iberia Wines & Spirits, East Hartford, CT; tel: (860) 291-8988