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Adegga Wine Market 2011 and tasting @ Sala Premium

Adegga Wine Market is what you can not miss if you live in Lisbon or surroundings, or if you are not afraid to travel when you know that what you are going to taste it is totally worth it.

 

We are talking about Adegga Adegga Wine Market, a tasting where you can taste all the wines before buying and this edition 2011 has taken place in the Theatre Alberto of Lisbon last 1st of December, and not only that, it is also a meeting place between wine producers and wine lovers together with international professionals.

 

The origin of Adegga Wine Market is the web and online community Adegga, which was created 5 years ago, and where a lot of people taste, shares their tasting notes and  experiences. Something that undoubtedly should exist in every corner of the planet. And in addition I had the pleasure of getting to know more his creator and friend (i can say now) André Riberinho in the European Wine Bloggers Conference 2011. (And other two founders are André Cid Proença and Emidio Santos).

 

This edition 2011 of Adegga Wine Market has been the third edition of the tasting, and just the day before André was telling us that they had received 2500 bottles of wine and they had confirmed 35 wine producers. (The first year they confirmed 13 wine producers). Another information to standing out is that this year approximately 900 visitors came aprox, almost doubling the number of last year. Certainly it is an event not to miss and with more success year after year

 

If you like to taste with calm, It is better to go punctually in the first hour, at 2 p.m., to do it more relaxed. Something what I realized to the instant it is, that Adegga is a great family, beginning with the workers and friends preparing with meticulous dedication and conscientiousness every detail, and ending with the members of the community online and wine-producing participants.

 

The beginning of the day took place with an advance of the tasting of the sala Premium, that few privileged had the honor of opening the bottles and taste them before the event was opening its doors the public.

 

For the first time in Adegga’s history,

it was inaugurated the sala Premium, a room where some unique and old bottles could be tasted, of very special wines offered by big and recognized Portuguese warehouses, and to a price, as the same André described ¨unexpensive ¨, only for 20eur!! And you could reserve an hour to taste the wines, together with other 15 persons, in shifts of 15 pax. and the wonders of the kingdom were the following wines:

A.A. Ferreira Porto Garrafeira 1863
  • A unique Port Wine, and not only unique for being pre-filoxeric, but in addition it comes from the effort and dedication of a woman who contributed to what the Douro is today, Doña Antonia Adelaida Ferreira, the ¨Grande Dame ¨ of the Douro.

  • Its color attracted very much my attention, a pale golden – pink one with greenish rim. In the nose with gently spicy  touch, fine pastry and even magdalenas. What more surprised me in mouth is its freshness, and a sweet and complex touch, that I found in many old cognacs or brandies. A jewel, which still has more life of which many of us we´ll see in this world.

  • As I was indicated when I tasted it, very possibly some of the grapes for this Port came from Quinta do Vesúvio, a vineyard originally of 400 has and recognized throughout the world as one of the most incredible areas of vineyard of the Douro. In 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio was bought by the Symington family (that also possess W. & J. Graham, Warre, Dow’s Port, Quarles Harris, Quinta do Vesuvio, and Smith Woodhouse).

  • Not that to say, that tasting a wine of this age and more being a Port, thrills even the most insensitive person.


Agrellos 40 years (bottled in 1988)

  • Agrellos was presenting a wonderful and brilliant amber color worthy of a good old tawny, with golden rim of old gold and slightly orange; very intense and complex aroma, finding almonds and honey, which they repeat in mouth together with a surprising touch of dates.

  • Another wine-bomb, with excellent acidity, which has crossed a long way to end in Adegga, showing us its virtues and long history. With this wine I started getting hungry.

Graham´s Colheita 1969 Special Edition

  • Before tasting this Graham Port, I was already looking at it nicely, because it has been the first Lodge in Vina Nova de Gaia that I have visited and I´ve been learning about its history and I have tasted recently their other Ports and wines. Thanks to Gustavo Devesas!

  • This Port is a product of a special and limited edition of only 6 casks of 1969, we´ll call it the ¨sexy vintage¨ without doing any more comments about it, of which only 712 numbered bottles were made, so we can already count one less.

  • The color is amber-based and reddish, as its own name indicates, It´s a ¨tawny¨ with brown reflections and a golden rim. On the nose, first aroma of sultanas and dried fruits, as figs, and also touches of caramel and toffee, very agreeable and undoubtedly coming from the oxidative ageing. On the palate It is creamy, refreshing and intense, coming back the same aromas that persist. An great Port.

Graham´s Vintage 1070 Private Cellar

  • A significant year for Symington family that acquired the firm W & J Graham in 1970, and for the first time the Symignton took responsibility of the production that same year. Soon they realized that they would not be surprised if that harvest was giving place to a Vintage, for the quality of the vintage. A Vintage Port can only be done in the exceptional years, and this is normally an average of approximately 3 times in a decade. So it is something twice special, for the meaning of that year and for being a Vintage.

  • The color is a garnet with brown rim, and aromas of roasted plums, raisins, dried figs and even cooked black cherries. In the mouth, it continues the intensity of the fruit and is very fresh, and has a polished and almost granular tannin, I would dare to say that it is one Vintage Port ready to enjoy just now and possibly in its better moment.

    Poças Colheita 1976

  • After seeing very often Poças‘s advertisement in the center of Porto, just going out of the tube stop of Sao Bento, and why not, I will tell the truth, thinking about ¨Poca-hontas¨ with my friend Caroline Henry de missinwine, and doing different jokes about, before receiving Caroline’s recommendation, who told me that Poças were doing exceptional Wines and Ports, finally I have the occasion to discover Poças’s wines with a Symbolic wine, its Colheita 1976.

  • The color was slightly orange with an amber rim, It is a Port that it has been aged in cask at least 7 years, wherefrom aromas of nuts and almonds, even some peach and dried fruits as figs and raisins, that extend intensely in the mouth, showing to be complex, elegant and persistent. A great surprise.

Niepoort Colheita 1976

  • I had the great luck of beginning to know Port wines with Niepoort, working at Vila Viniteca in Barcelona, their distributor in Spain. And I say the great luck because I know that this is not the normal way to approach Port, as Niepoort enters the new way of elaborating Portos in the Douro, with a load of immense fruit, great color and concentration together with a sublime elegance.

  • First we must remember that Colheita Port It is a Tawny Port from the same year, and aged in wood for at least 7 years before being bottled.

  • Just looking at it, It shows a great color and intensity for its age with slightly orange rim, on the nose It shows a smoky touch with very pleasent dried fruits like plums and dry sultanas, on  the mouth confirms a great concentration and a powerful body. Simply fantastic.

Villar d´Allen 20 Years

  • This Tawny 20 years of Villar d’Allen fascinated me as soon as I tasted it, and furthermore later on having discovered that a friend is behind its existence, Oscar Quevedo of Quevedo Port Winewho has contributed to the return to scene of the legendary house of  Port Villar d´AllenWe are talking about only 500 bottles made by an order of the family Allen to the family Quevedo, who asked them to do a special coupage of 20 years Port for them, and this is the fantastic result.

  • Brilliant amber color with orange rim, on the nose is promising, medium intensity, the classic dried fruits and a light touch of toffee, on the palate is very refreshing, with a vivacious entry, and a tasty way through that lasts. I reaffirm myself saying that I am in my “Tawny moment”, my kingdom for a good Tawny, though I know that my “Vintage moment”  will come. It is only a question of time.


Niepoort Robustus 1990, 1,5l

  • This is nevertheless, the first wine that Dirk Niepoort did in 1990 in the Douro, in magnum version, and that never went out to sale.

  • A red wine 22 years old and still being interesting, elegant and complex. Evolved but pleasent aromas, because it is necessary to be a ¨Robustus¨ Wine, to be after all these years in such good form.

  • By the color, we could think that it is an old Bourgogne, and on the nose we find mature fruit of plums with a light smoky and leather touch, with a marvellous acidity in the mouth. Personally I find fascinating being able to taste old vintages, and when there is a good producer behind, it is normally something very special.

Niepoort Robustus 2004 /Niepoort Robustus 2005/Niepoort Robustus 2007

  • The vintages 2004 and 2005 of Robustus they remained 18 months in French casks and 27 months in casks of oak of 1500lts. The vintage 2007 spent 4 years in casks of 2000lts. There is a small change of style but the essence is the same, and the change has been for the better. They all have a color ruby base which descends with the vintage and also have much more balsamic aromas and spices, as pepper, on the mouth they al have a great body, you can almost chew them. They all have its moment of actual enjoyment.

Esporao Private Selection 2007

  • Now we go on from the Douro to the Alentejo and this is the Top wine of Esporao. Intense aroma of cherries, raspberries, blackberries and it is mixed with chocolate hints. On the palate It shows great body and a great acidity. A style considered by many as “modern”, and undoubtedly a great wine.

    Heredado do Peso Icone 2007

  • A wine with a very attractive color and an amazing fruit concentration on the nose, and even with a spicy touch, on the mouth with a great body, complex and refreshing, an amazing wine.

  • Herdade do Peso Ícone is Sogrape Vinhos’s top wine in Alentejo done only in the exceptional years.

 

Cortes de Cima Reserva 2008

  • Top wine of Cortes de cima and also only elaborated in the best years. It is a coupage of Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Petit Verdot, with an ageing between 12 and 14 months in new casks of oak.

  • Amazing, powerful and elegant nose, chocolate, blackberries and vanilla hints. On the mouth with a good body and long finish. Undoubtedly a great wine, which will reach with time its best moment.

Cortes de Cima Incógnito 2008

  • The name of Incógnito refers to a time in which the variety Syrah was not allowed in Alentejo.

  • Incógnito is 100 % Syrah and 6 months of ageing in oak.

  • A very elegant wine, meaty nose and touches of black cherries, and spices (the famous black pepper, but in its more elegant expression). A great body and load of fruit, and a wine that gives very much pleasure. I want it in my house! Many friends present in Adegga had visited already the Cortes de Cima winery in one past Vinocamp.

Ex-Aequo

  • A wine from Lisbon 75 % Syrah and 25 % Touriga Nacional, and two people behind this wine: Michel Chapoutier and Bento Dos Santos, looking undoubtedly for the style of the northern Rhone.

  • Complex and spicy aromas and with licorice, on the mouth slightly closed but harmonized and a long finish.

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All the wines and Portos of the sala Premium were really special, and Adegga

is undoubtedly a real special occasion to taste all these singular marvels. But this was not all, during the tasing, which cost was only 7,50eur, you could taste and discover some other wines, and here it is a small selection of my favorites, that André requested to some wine bloggerss  (Caroline Henry: Missinwine, Luiz Alberto: TheWineHub & Roger Kolbu: Aperitif Norwayand friends to select, I regret that I couldn’t taste all the wines, so it will be necessary to return. And now I can only be grateful for it: thank you Adegga! Here it goes the small selection in a random order:

1. Torre de Tavares 2007: A wonderful Mencía from Dão. Thanks João! Loved it!
Winery: Joao Tavares de Pina |   Región: Dão, Portugal
Variety: Jaen (Mencía in Spain)

2.Quinta dos Carvalhais Espumante Reserva Rosé 2006: my first Sparkling wine from Dão, traditional method, elegant and surprising.
Produced by: Sogrape | Region: Dão, Portugal
Varieties: Encruzado, Touriga Nacional

3.Ninfa Alentejo blanc de noirs: 100%  Pinot Noir, transfer method, zero dosage. Simple and a nice surprise.
Produced by: Sociedade Agrícola João Teodósio Matos Barbosa and Filhos, Lda |  Region: Tejo, Portugal
Variety: Pinot Noir

4. Raya 2008 from Terras da Beira, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. Delicious elegant tannins. Its name comes from being close to the ¨Raya¨ or frontier with Spain.
Produced by: Horta de Gonçalpares Soc. Agrícola Lda.  Region: Beiras, Portugal
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz

5.Casa de Cello Quinta da Vegia reserva 2007

Really elegant and well made red wine from Dão, a proof of something that this Winery have really clear, to do the best possible wines in Dão and in Vinho Verde. Thanks and well done João Pedro!
Produced by: Casa de Cello | Region:Dão, Portugal
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Aragonês

6. Quinta dos Carvalhis Encruzado 2010 white from Sogrape. How lucky of ¨crossing¨ myself with such a well made Encruzado wine. oaked, complex and really fresh. Thanks Joana Pais for guiding and taking care of us!
Produced by: Sogrape | Region: Dão, Portugal
Varieties:  Encruzado, Touriga Nacional

7. Grande Follies 2009 white. Complex, gastronomic and small production from a big winery.
Produced by: Aveleda  | Region:Bairrada, Portugal
Varieties:Chardonnay, Bical, Maria Gomes

8. Esporao Private Selection 2010 white: It conquered me and made me hungry, a gastronomic and complex white, an assemblage that never fails when It is well made,  Semillon, Marsanne and Roussane.
Produced by: Esporão | Region: Alentejo, Portugal
Varieties: Semillon, Marsanne, Roussanne

9. Castello d´Alba reserva 2010. Silky and fresh, great texture.
Winery:  VDS – Vinhos Douro Superior, Lda | Region: in Douro, Portugal
Varieties: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional

10. Heredade do Peso Icone 2007: as I told you before I loved it, twice.
Produced by: Sogrape | Region: Alentejo, Portugal
Varieties: Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês, Alfrocheiro

11.Torre de Tavares Reserva 2006: 50% Touriga Nacional, 50% Jaen, It was simply a wonderful way of ending the tasting.
Winery: Joao Tavares de Pina |   Region: Dão, Portugal
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Jaen (Mencía in Spain)

Here some photos of the event from the official photographer of Adegga: Ricardo Bernardo.

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