Azul Portugal Tinto

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The 2011 Tinto Douro is a roughly equal blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional aged for 8 months in a mixture of new and old oak. Rather powerful for its price range, it has modest concentration and a notable touch of funk. Perhaps that will blow off. Note: See also the note for Lua Cheia’s Colleja (not imported as that label) which, I am told, is roughly the same wine (with extremely minor variations in grape blends – this has 34% Touriga Nacional, for instance, instead of 35% in the Colleja), just bottled under a different label. Oddly, the Colleja showed better, a bit fuller and more pristine. It may be that if the funk blows off here, they will be more in alignment. Azul Portugal often bottles wines under its own label that are made at its participating wineries with minor variations. These two did converge with some time, but I always had a slight preference for the Colleja.Importer: Iberia Wines & Spirits, East Hartford, CT; tel. (860) 291-8988

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

The 2008 TINTO Douro is a typical Douro blend, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Franca produced by Caves Vale do Rodo. Fragrant, earthier as it develops and gripping on the finish, it is bright and tinged with some bitter chocolate nuances at first. Its flavors come out with air, showing a bit of that ripe rhubarb and wild herb nuance I see on some Douro wines these days, but it rounds into form nicely. There is not a lot of mid-palate depth, but it drinks well, has good structure and is likely to have some capacity to hold in the cellar a reasonable time, although it will be approachable young. Drink now-2018. 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 winemakers and wineries, who actually produce the wines. As a group, these wines have two things in common: they all have fine structure and they provide a considerable amount of bang for the buck. They drink well for modest money and can easily be confused with more expensive wines. Each one is worth a look.Importer: Iberia Wines & Spirits, East Hartford, CT; tel: (860) 291-8988

The 2007 TINTO BAIRRADA is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Baga and Tinta Roriz, produced for the brand by Caves do Solar de Sao Domingos. Laced with some game nuances, it is crisp and tight on the finish and modest in the mid-palate. It has a graceful feel, but with some power on the end. For its price level, this has nice structure and considerable character. If it is your style of wine, and it won’t be everyone’s, it provides considerable value for the money. Drink now-2017. 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

The 2006 TINTO Dao is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz produced by Anselmo Mendes. In this difficult vintage, this is a pretty nice wine at this price level. Crisp, aromatic and silky, with some tannic grip on the finish, it has good flavor, but also shows some complexity as it airs out—and that tannic grip. It is typically Dao in its elegant mid-palate, but as with a lot of ‘06s, the fruit and finish do fade a bit as it airs out, causing the wine to develop a bit of a rustic nuance as the structure overtakes the fruit, despite the lovely initial impression of grace and charm. I liked it a bit less as time went on and it faded, although in fairness, in this price range, merely talking about what happens to a wine with time is a compliment. For a wine in this price range with this structure in this vintage, this has to be considered a success. 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 winemakers and wineries, who actually produce the wines. As a group, these wines have two things in common: they all have fine structure and they provide a considerable amount of bang for the buck. They drink well for modest money and can easily be confused with more expensive wines. Each one is worth a look.Importer: Iberia Wines & Spirits, East Hartford, CT; tel: (860) 291-8988