Wine Reviews Archives - Page 6 of 24 -

Quinta do Portal 10 Year White Port Review – Honey and More

When you think of port, odds are good your mind goes to that high-alcohol, intensely sweet, red wine from the Douro Valley.

But the Douro Valley makes more than fortified red wine, and also makes some stellar white ports with the same age indications you would expect from a tawny port (10, 20, 30, and 40 year).

During our visit to the Douro Valley, we were fortunate enough to try several white ports from producers and one, Quinta do Portal, had a truly exceptional 10 year white that we had to bring home with us. After a few years in our cellar, we opened it up to celebrate a birthday!

The Douro Valley in Portugal is known for creating sweet, fortified wines loved the world over. But in recent decades, producers are also using the native grapes of Portugal into creating some intense, full bodied wines.

Quinta do Tedo is one such winery that makes still wines from their grapes, and the Reserva bottle from the Savedra plot is a field blend of roughly two dozen native grapes thrown into one compelling mix.

If you like full-bodied red wines, this one is for you.

Who doesn't love a good Barolo? Intensely aromatic, powerful flavors, and pairs perfectly with some of the richest dishes on the planet.

We realized it had been years since we had opened a Barolo, so we decided to crack open an A&G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG from our cellar and see how it was developing despite being a rather young wine at approximately eight years old.

North Mountain is a beautiful little estate in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that grows some interesting Austrian varieties like Gruner Veltliner, Zweigelt, and Riesling in addition to classic wines found throughout the region.

One wine, their Zweigelt rose, hit me as the most interesting during my tasting particularly because the rose style is not one we are used to seeing for this delightful, fruity grape. Naturally, it was my favorite of the bunch and I picked up several bottles to enjoy at home later.

Most of our bottles disappeared rather quickly and well before I could take notes for a review. The last one got lost in our cellar for not one, not two, but six years from its vintage before we finally decided to open it. While we could argue that this one was slightly past its prime, we still have to admit we adore this Zweigelt rose all the same!

Pinotage is one of those grapes we can't get enough of. A bit like Pinot Noir but also a bit more robust- often with darker fruit flavors and notes of coffee and chocolate. There really is a lot of love about this one.

Neethlingshof's The Owl Post Pinotage was one such bottle that hit all the great hallmarks of this South African grape, and we drank our way through this one quickly!

If you are into lesser-known grapes the way we are, odds are good Turbiana may be new to you. This is because the grape, grown on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy, was only recognized as a unique mutation a few years ago and in the past was considered to be Verdicchio.

But Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana was unlike any Verdicchio we've ever had, and this Turbiana was one of those bottles we still talk about well after the bottle has been enjoyed to its very last drop.

If you love a good Rhone red blend the way I do, you may wonder if any other regions in the world can make a killer blend that would stand up to these famous French wines.

In South Africa, producer A.A. Badenhorst makes a pretty delicious bottle that packs a bit more of a punch than you'd expect thanks to being a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault plus Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional for good measure.

This one certainly did not leave us wanting more for complexity!

California Chardonnay can be hit or miss with us if only because we are not terribly fond of the overly oaky bottles we have tried from major producers.

Thankfully, the industry is moving away from oak bomb, buttery wines and instead incorporating oak and malolactic fermentation minimally to display an elegance that we prefer. Cameron Hughes Lot 863 is one such bottle, and, much like the Cameron Hughes Lot 896 Cabernet Sauvignon that we also got to try as part of a sample delivery from the negociant, was a winner for our palates.

Every so often we get a wine that is so fascinating it is hard to properly describe. Sometimes these are good, sometimes they are bad, but no matter what they leave us talking for a long time to come.

4kilo Motor Blanc made from the grape Prensal Blanc from the Balearic Islands of Spain was one such bottle. While we thought this one could've used a bit more in the acidity and length department, it was one we still find ourselves talking about over and over again.

We love a good Gruner Veltliner, especially when strong terroir-driven minerality becomes the star of the show. Not only are the flavors often incredible when the minerality is present, it also makes for a perfect pairing with Austrian cuisine all around.

Lauren V. Charming Gruner Veltliner from Kamptal may have been the best we've had to date, and so far has been one of our absolute favorite wines received from our Picked by Wine.com subscription.

If the intensity of a Gruner Veltliner is what you seek, this is the bottle to try. That is, if we don't beat you to buying it, first.

Quinta do Portal 10 Year White Port Review – Honey and More

Quinta do Tedo Grande Reserva Savedra 2017 Review

A & G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG 2015 Review

North Mountain Zweigelt Rose 2017 Review – A Fun Twist

Neethlingshof The Owl Post Pinotage 2020 Review

Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana 2020 Review – Impressive Find

A.A. Badenhorst Red Blend 2019 Review – Powerful Red

Cameron Hughes Lot 863 Chardonnay 2019 Review

4kilo Motor Blanc 2020 Review – A Fascinating Wine

Laurenz V. Charming Gruner Veltliner 2019 Review – A Perfect Gruner