Portuguese Panorama

This broad selection of Portuguese wines offers a variety of styles and a price point for everyone. What I especially love about the reds is that they have almost all been aged at the winery until they were ready to drink. That is a rarity - and a treat for the consumer - these days as most wineries rush their wines out the door! 

White
88*
Herdade do Esporão 2019 Monte Velho Alentejano 14% $10
This is a unique white blend of Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, and Perrum made in a region largely focused on red wines. Only about 20% of Alentejo wines are white. What do these grapes taste like? Antão Vaz is full-bodied and tropical. Roupeiro is citrusy and acidic. Perrum you may know by a different name...it's Pedro Ximénez, a grape known for its mild acidity. 

A bright, elegant and moderately complex wine, I do not know of any other dry, white European wine on the market that is this compelling and thoroughly drinkable for only $10. Smelling and tasting of Meyer lemon, Asian pear, chamomile and crushed wheat, the attack is graceful and lightly fleshy. The lifting acidity and pleasantly drying tug on the mild, mineral-driven finish deliver excellent refreshment. 
Drink: 2021-23 

Reds
92
Carim Reguengos 2014 Garrafeira Dos Sócios Alentejo 14.5% $48
This excellent cooperative - Alentejo's largest - has over-delivered yet again with this blend of 65% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Touriga Nacional and 15% Tinta Caiada. Suave and elegant, this opens beautifully over several hours. Mulberries, blueberries, tea leaves and a hint of menthol start the experience, and the layers of flavor just keep coming. Silky tannins, moderate acidity and a generous finish deliver delightful harmony. 
Drink: 2022-24

91
Cartuxa 2016 Tinto Colheita Évora 2016 14% $25
The Cartuxa winery is run for the benefit of the Fundaçao Eugénio de Almeida, which supports local cultural and historical sites. The winery is located in the city of Évora, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Center. 

Deeply colored with a succulent, wild berry nose tinged with balsamic, this is a come-hither sort of wine. The flavors start with baked cherries then add on bottle development notes like damp cigar wrapper, cedar and leather. The full-bodied palate caresses with silky tannins then surprises with zinging acidity that jolts the palate. The modestly warm finish fades gently. Drinking well now, this should hold several years and might develop further to benefit. This is 40% Alicante Bouschet, 40% Aragonez and 20% Trincadeira.
Drink: 2021-24

91
Herdade do Esporão 2016 Reserva Alentejo 14.5% $24
Deeply colored and still youthful in appearance, this wine's nose dances between primary and tertiary notes. It also shows the lilt of volatility, but it adds complexity. Smelling of blueberries and dried mulberries, the palate is accompanied by a heavy tinge of minerality and cigar wrapper. There is a fascinating, sweaty, almost saline tone on the long finish, which also showcases profound layers of fruit, spice rack and mushroom. The finish is just a bit cloying, with some goopy glycerol hanging on the palate, despite the raging acidity and somewhat chunky but well-placed tannins. Drinking well now, this mix of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet has the legs to cellar a good while.
Drink: 2021-26 

89
Herdade de São Miguel 2017 Colheita Seleccionada Alentejo 13.5% $15
A blend of Alicante Bouschet 50%, Touriga Nacional 30%, Syrah 10% and Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, this is aged in large, 400 L oak barrels for only four months. It is a juicy, even succulent red with a tender, smoky oak influence. Captivating with succulent blueberries and tart pomegranate seeds, there's an underlying, earthy goji berry note, too. The moderate, lightly toasty finish with roasted nuts and sweet spices shows good complexity. This is drinking well now and has enough crackling acidity and pleasantly leathery tannins to allow it hold for a few more years.
Drink: 2021-23 

88
Adega de Borba 2015 Reserva Alentejo 13.5% $18
Darkly colored with a small tinge of ruby, this smells of warm savory spices, black plum skins and lush boysenberries. Lightly dusty tannins nicely support the medium body. Flavors of mulberry, blueberry and fireplace ash flood the palate. Moreish and moderately complex with integrated acidity, this blend of Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez and Castelão drinks well now and has the structure to hold nicely for a few years more. Brilliant value!
Drink: 2021-23 

87
Herdade do Esporão 2019 Monte Velho Alentejano 13.5% $10
Boasting a deep maroon color and a bold, berried nose, this youthful wine shows immediate appeal. The palate is a scatter shot of flavors: cracked black pepper, eucalyptus, blackberry, sweet cherry and anise. The ample and rounded mid-palate is framed by generous, mouth-watering acidity and broad yet soft tannins. Blueberries and violets linger on the straightforward finish. It's classy and ready to drink yet should hold for a few years. It is a blend of Aragonez 40%, Trincadeira 35%, Touriga Nacional 20% and Syrah 5%.
Drink: 2021-23