My
tongue's voyage to explore wine-growing regions with hyper autochthonous
and scarcely existing
grape varietals is about to come to an end. The origins of my final wine are the sandy
dunes of Sintra in Colares region north-west of Lisbon. The home to the
legendary and nowadays super scare Ramisco grape! Only a very few hectares of
those sinkholed pre-phylloxera vines are left in Colares. Why sinkholed, and
why where those vines able to survive? Well, sinkholed because all vines in
this region of the Extremadura need protection from the salty winds which are
constantly „crashing“ in from the neighboring Atlantic. And survived? Jus because of
the sandy soils and cliff'y terrain on Sintra's coast which prevented the phylloxera
bug from spreading. So, let's recap: Today I will have wine from very old vines, which was
produced by António Bernardino Paulo da Silva, a respectfully well
aged vintner, which is "ultimately" - at least at the moment - a downright infant! The frequent absorbers of my blog might be aware of such ill guided practices in case of António Bernardino Paulo da Silva wines. So, let’s
have a first sip of toady’s “Happening Now Tasting” wine:
8:12
pm (popped
and poured – scary darey)
Colour:
crimson - perhaps slightly purple'ish (core) - red with certain
tranparency and airy-liquid viscosity, hardly any sund-dyed cola-like
discolourations on the rim
Nose:
dark leather, marzipan, coal, green tobacco, perhaps stronger hints
of cow manure, plenty of pitch-black … black currant berries and a
strange and definitely imagined convergance of bitumen and honey; so
far really shockingly complex and downright „mental“ - extremely
juvenile
Taste:
sheer acid attack, heavily refined tannins with subtle pithiness
without being killer rough; hyper fresh and strikingly light-lean
body; besides that an already rather fruit-driven character from
vital red currant berries and some dark cherries; additional to the
fruit some leather, quite a lot tart coca beans, evo-eager diffuse
herbal aromas and tons of iodine oceanic saltiness; right now
extremely diffcult, repelling ... hyper young! Exciting!
10:24
pm (oh boy, still some academic session tonight)
Nose:
mostly steady, coal or charcoal – not quite sure – seems to gain
nasal territory, some earthiness as well, the herbal touch (primarily
fresh cut lovage and parsley) is getting stronger, too
Taste:
still quite a bi...y, actually mostly shut, more and more salty and
iodine, acid is biting tremedously, diffuse herbal touch is getting
more elaborate however equally diffuse, somehow even the fruit seems
to get brighter, warmer and even a bit deliquescent (!?) at the
moment … I don't no … wounderfully weird wine
9:39
pm (the day after … and 40 preoccupying burgs
on the tongue older)
Nose:
fruit seems to evolve at the moment, still pitch black black currant,
but much more vital than yesterday; a bit more peppery and perhaps
even ethereal spice combinded with distinct fragrances of beef soup;
surely more open than yesterday
Taste:
rejoice the acid is getting a hint more gentle and integrative –
still very lively without being too demanding; the fruit seems more
soft, ripe, warmer, sweet (cornflake'ish sweetnes) and overall far
more open, the herbal touch appears very much the same – perhaps a
bit more peppery, its iodine saltiness seems to be a bit in retreat;
more lukewarm character with plenty remaining sternness … faceing
an interesting (and postitive) direction
10:28
pm (24 hours and 49 minutes later)
Nose:
overall a bit more brown and slightly limp, the
beef-soup-roast-sauce-melange kinda thing seems rather steady and a
bit more peppery, the black currant substantially in retreat; green
tobacco, dried moss and dusty sniffing dark chocolate seem to evolve
Taste:
Yesterday's overall impression seem far more persistent on the palate
than in the nose; perhaps a little bit cooler and less cornflakes
sweet'ish; acid seems much more gentle now, tannins are still very
„vital“ indeed; getting better and better (I guess)
10:12
pm (another almost 24 hours later)
Nose:
very much the same, moss and green tobacco seem to fade a lil, the
beef (soup) and other evolving animal'istic odours seem to be stable,
pitch black currant is still pretty strong
Taste:
here too, very similar impressions; perhaps the fruit is getting a
bit darker and hints of diffuse animal-like flavours might evolve
(let't check tomorrow); still very fresh and vital concerning many
aspects …
9:
48 pm (final day)
No
substantial changes at all! Hence - enough blather about this one.
Downright beautifully shifty and decent **** character wien with
potential for more in the decades ahead!
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