Leichte Weisslichkeiten aus Lusitanien

Über die letzten Wochen habe ich einige zur Leichtigkeit neigende weisse Portugiesen verkostet ... und natürlich getrunken. Folgend nun eine kleine und für meine Verhältnisse ungewohnt kurze (glücklicherweise) Zusammenfassung ... 

Quinta de Sant'Ana Pinot Noir 2014, Lisboa

With today's post my absolutely non-disturbing Pinot-dependency is getting more and more obvious! I really must be totally Pinot-driven! Well, to most of you this won't be real news. Anyway, but who on earth is drinking Pinot Noir from a wine country with such a rich and diverse bounty of grape varietals like Portugal??? This, or something like this, must have been on the mind of the clerk in a rather well known wine shop in Lisbon a couple of weeks ago when I explicitly asked for all Portugese Pinot Noirs they have. Perhaps he even had something a bit more "graphic" on his mind. Well, I surely would have deserved such thoughts. Ok, let's stop this Pinot-induced-paranoia and conclude with another filling anyway … Today's Pinot Noir is my third from Portugal in total. The first one was the remarkable Casal Sta. Maria Pinot Noir 2011 a bit north-west of Lisbon. And there was Niepoort's slightly tricky Projectos Pinot Noir 2011 from Douro region. Today, I am back in Lisboa. Round about 30 minutes north of the Portugese capital the Quinta da Sant'Ana produces an assessable range of wines made from quasi locals like Verdelho, Alvarinho or Touriga Nacional as well as "aliens" like Merlot, Pinot Noir and Riesling since the year 2004. The grapes for my Pinot Noir were culitvated on steep slopy calcareous-clay soils in a quite cool hill region just about 12km from the Atlantic Ocean. The grapes were hand-picked, partly crushed by traditional foot treading in Lagares and macerated before allowing natural yeasts to begin the fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The subsequent one year ageing took place in used French barriques. And here we go. Pinot No. 3 from Portugal ...

Casal Sta. Maria Pinot Noir 2011, Lisboa

Ich bin schwer der Annahme verfallen, dass die wenigsten von uns, sofern wir es überhaupt soweit schaffen sollten, nicht die Absicht hegen mit 96 Jahren ein Weingut gründen zu wollen bzw. ein Weingut aus dem Dornröschenschlaf erwecken zu wollen. So, oder in etwa so, hat es sich im Jahr 2006 zugetragen, als Baron Bodo von Bruemmer die Adega Casal Santa Maria gründete. Von Bruemmer ist 1911 als Nachfahre deutscher Aristokraten im russischen Zarenreich zur Welt gekommen, nach der Oktoberrevolution in Deutschland und vornehmlich der Schweiz aufgewachsen und aus gesundheitlichen Gründen in den 1960er Jahren in die westlich von Lissabon gelegenen Region Colares übergesiedelt. Dort angekommen fing er zunächst an Araberpferde zu züchten. Mit großem Erfolg! Nach einer schweren (und gut überstandenen) Operation im Jahr 2006 entschloss er sich, bzw. erpendelte er sich (so wird es zumindest kolportiert), ins produzierende Wein-Business einzusteigen. Seitdem produziert er unter Mithilfe seinen Winemakers António Figueiredo aus drei kleinen Weingärten in der vom kühlenden Atlantikklima geprägten Region Colares Weine aus Ramisco, Malvasia, Arinto, Chardonnay … und natürlich Pinot Noir! Vor eingen Wochen ist von Bruemmer 105jährig von uns gegangen. Anlass genug ihm zu Ehren meinen ersten portugiesischen Pinot Noir überhaupt zu verkosten. 

Happening Now Tasting 32: António Bernardino Paulo da Silva Cazal da Azenha Tinto 2006, Colares

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:

Casal da Azenha Vinho de Mesa Branco 2008, Colares Lisboa

Looking at the photo and headline above some of you might think I really must be a wine molesting monster! I'd understand completely, if you think so! Honestly, how can I possibly dare to drink such a wine at a such virgin-like stage!? This stuff is supposed to be consume in 10, 20, 30 or whatever years ... Well I guess, I am appalled by my courage to publicly admit such a horrid sin! I am aware of the durability of grand old Antonio Bernardino Paulo da Silva wines. Having written all of that … Today I just don't care! I am highly happy with myself! Because this shit was like a metaphorical sip of the Atlantic Ocean! Intensely driven by stern, elaborate and salty (literal ones) mineral characteristics! More about that a little bit later ...

First, I'd like to introduce you to some wine related facts. This Casal da Azenha Vinho de Mesa Branco 2008 from nearly ninety year old Antonio Bernardino Paulo da Silva is a living evergreen'ish monument of Portuguese white wine. As far as I know this one is a blend made from autochthonous grape varietals like Arinto, Bical as well as Malvasia (plus a few minor shares)! The origin of this very old style blend is Colares Region directly situated on the Atlantic Ocean just west of Lisbon. The ungrafted vines are cultivated on sandy vineyards with substantial layers of lime, chalk and basalt. The aging took place in large mahogany barrels for at very least three years. Well, after all this 2008 is the current edition. Let's have a sip ...

Happening Now Tasting 7: Sociedade Agrícola do Carneiro Pactus Touriga Nacional 2008, Regional Lisboa

Hi there fellows! Once again it is time for some “Happening Now Tasting” material! This time I'd like to enter the realm of the grand variety Touriga Nacional. No doubt there are magnificent dry products from Douro, Dao and all the others. Today however, it is capital - and surroundings - time. Until 2009 all wines from this large and not so well received region were mostly named after the historical central province Extremadura. Nowadays there are a few VRs surrounding the capital city. More precisely today's wine comes from the Lisboa VR. It is a 100% short term fermented and aged (8 to 10 days resp. approx. 6 months) Touriga Nacional from approx. twelve year young vines. The vines were cultivated on clayey-calcareous soils of Quinta do Carneiro in Alenquer about 50 km north of Lisbon. Let's check it out … if it is going to make my Halloween Night!?!