A SENSATIONAL Red Wine Value
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2024
- In this video, Bob Paulinski Master of Wine will discuss the Dao region of Portugal. If you’re searching out a sensational wine value, you’re in the right place. I’ll discuss this very special wine region, what you can expect in your wineglass and I’ll bring it all together with a tasting of a wine that’s a benchmark example. And if you can’t find the exact same wine, no worries, I’ll provide other options as well.
Portugal is home to some of the world’s best wine values, it has a long winemaking history, highly diverse growing conditions and more than 250 registered indigenous grapes varieties. Across Portugal, international grape varieties account for only 3% of the wine produced. While every region in Portugal produces wine, Dao stands out from the others. For wines of unique character, a true sense of place, great value and versatility at the table, this is the place to search out.
Dao is landlocked with about 50000 acres of land under vines, located just south of the famed Douro Valley. By comparison, the climate is cooler and wetter. It’s often compared to Burgundy. In terms of climate, there are similarities, but with elevation is greater and soil structures are quite different, being mostly granite and schist, often low in fertility. For me, the wine style is more reminiscent of wines found in the southern Rhone and better-quality parts of Languedoc. About 80% of the region’s production is red wine.
The region encountered a decades-long period of decline. In the 1940s the Portuguese dictator Salazar decreed that only co-operative wineries could produce wine from the Dao as part of a self-sufficiency drive. This led to a focus on high volume, marginal quality, and stagnation with innovation. The situation didn’t change until the late 1980s when the decree ended. Since that time, the region has been completely redefined and modernized, yet the wines remain largely undervalued.
If you were to visit Dao today, you might be surprised as vineyards do not dominate the landscape. Less than 10% of the landmass is vineyards. Most of the vineyards are surrounded by forests. There is a large diurnal temp swing, this is a difference maker as the cool nights allow for the retention of acidity and freshness. With a good smattering of old vines. Most Portuguese wines blends are very common, with Touriga Nacional often playing a predominant role.
Over the last few decades, the methods applied in the vineyards and cellars have been modernized and it’s resulted in a marked improvement. This is a scenario that’s played out in other places time and time again. Specific to Dao, these are not wines built on power and density, but rather a more finessed and refined style. If you’re a fan of a good Cotes du Rhone, Minervois or alike, this is the ideal wine for you.
As for the wine to be tasted, it’s from Boas Quintas, a property established in 1991. The specific wine is call Altimo. It represents a prime example of modern-day Dao. This wine is made from the deeply colored Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca which adds body, two commonly grown grapes from the Douro. In the Dao, the style is softer, more refined with better acidity. With Portuguese wines, there are three designated quality levels that will be indicated with a stamp. Boas Quintas Altimo is the top tier, the most strictly defined. There is a regulatory agency that ensures authenticity and character of the wine. Boas Quintas, is sold in about 30 international markets. This one was picked up at Total Wine.
Dao wines that I’ve tasted and recommend searching out:
2020 Grao Vasco Tinto, Dao $10
2020 Boas Quintas 'Opta' Tinto, Dao $12
2018 Caves Velhas 'Catedral' Reserva, Dao $12
2020 Alvaro Castro Tinto, Dao
2020 Boas Quintas Altimo $15 (tasted in this video, bought from Total Wine)
2020 Bergamota Private Selection Tinto, Dao $15
2018 Quinta de Cabriz Reserva, Dao $15
2018 Casa de Mouraz Tinto, Dao $20
#winetasting #portugal #redwine #winelife #wset #bobpaulinski #masterofwine #dao
I love that the rules for Portugal allow for a wide verity of grapes and field blends are still done.
Definitely, keeps it interesting!
I remember Dao from my youth. As total plunk..
Ill give it a try again... Thanks Bob. :)
I remember the plonk days as well. Let me know what you think after giving it a go. Cheers. 🍷
Love Dao wines, bold but still very elegant with pine trees/resin interesting aromas
It’s good to know there’s another big fan of Dao!
I am Portuguese and Dão used to be my go to region. Regarding red wines, today, I tend to prefer wines from Bairrada, mainly the ones made from the Baga grape. There are many styles of Baga today, but the classic style is somewhat similar to the wines made from nebbiolo. I should mention some producers from Dão and Bairrada, for me, some of the best are: (Dão) Quinta da Pellada, Quinta dos Roques, Quinta da Falorca, Druida from Mira do Ó, Niepoort Quinta da Lomba; (Bairrada) Filipa Pato, Luís Pato, Niepoort Quinta de Baixo and Gonçalves Faria, Campolargo and Kompassus. Both of these regions have great red and white wines, they´re probably not easy to find in North America, but I am shure most of them have distribution there.
Thank you for the detailed comment. Funny thing, Bairrada was my second choice for this video. When I visited Portugal a few months ago, I attended a masterclass on Baga. Also many solid examples were part of a wine competition that I judge in, some are mentioned in your list. In terms of availability in export markets, it appears that Dao has a bit more reach, therefore I opted for it over Bairrada. Also, for me, I’ve been drinking a good amount of Dao in recent months, very much liking the value. Cheers. 🍷
Can you write how to pronounce the regions and grape names.
@@numanuma20 I’ll look to include key words in future videos.
Good video! We did a Portuguese dinner not too long ago and had only wines from there. 6 courses with 4 reds, two whites. Very versatile Wine regions. Dao was present 🍷. Thank you.
Thanks Carl. When I visited there a few months back, I thought the whites were outstanding. Unfortunately, not the easiest to find, at least in my market. Cheers!
Another great video. Your channel is addictive, Bob. Thanks!
Thank you Dmitri, trying to improve the videos, improved editing, better sound quality, more than just me talking, etc. It’s a bit of an old dog trying to learn a new trick! 😂 Cheers!
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine Absolutely, Bob. What I like about your videos is that they are right to the point and coming from a person who is truly enthusiastic about wine and have years of experience an dedication. Not to say your MW designation. And above all you are humble and trustworthy. I cant wait until you start doing some Zoom-based wine tastings, seminars, etc. Just hang on, your RUclips audience will pick up.
@@dmitrivassiliev15 Much appreciated. The channel is performing way above the norm for year one. I trust the future is bright. The social media bit needs work, it’s become a greater focus.
Thanks for the video Bob, always enjoy reading the detailed descriptions as well!
What other grape variety would you most compare Touriga Nacional to? I have heard people say its relatively similiar in character to cab sauv but have not tasted enough examples to really be able to confirm/deny myself.
Also, it would be interesting to see you do a video on South African wines. Maybe comparing cabs and chenins to their international counterparts and/or exploring differences between their regional styles (idk). Have recently been obsessed with some slighly more obscure SA wines (field blends and chenin coming out of swartzland, and old vine cinsaults from throughout the cape)
I appreciate the good word. Touriga Nacional is somewhere between Cab Sauv and Syrah. Good depth of color, solid weight, savory and a bit spicy. Funny thing that you mention SA. It’s in the queue, I generally like the wines and the value can be off the charts.
Well that's going on the shopping list. I've been exploring wines from Alentejo recently, and know very little about wines from Dão. Looking forward to trying it.
It’s definitely worth searching out. I don’t know where you’re based, but the wines from Dao are rather plentiful where I’m based. Cheers. 🍷
So I live in Portugal, just south of Porto. And I can't find the Altimo anywhere :-( I've emailed the Quinta to see if it's bottled under a different name in Portugal.@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine
I have much more experience with the Douro than Dão, so I’m glad for the recommendation. Touriga Nacional dominant wines from good producers are always great bargains in my moo ice opinion.
Interesting that you don’t revisit wines much in a year. The same is true for me, as I prioritize learning (for fun, I’m not in the trade) above all.
Hi Andrew, Douro receives a good deal more attention than Dao, but it’s definitely worth trying. I’ll post a video on some white wine finds from Portugal before too long. I often prefer to not drink the same wine often, I find mixing it up works to my liking. Cheers. 🍷
Portuguese wines offer incredible value for money, arguably the best from Western Europe, at least. I haven't been drinking as much Portuguese wines as of late due to market availability, but they give a lot of pleasure and excitement. From my experience I see the Dao as somewhat of a halfway point between the Douro and Alentejo. With most Douro wines being more structured, complex and multilayered and wines from Alentejo sometimes having higher alcohol, richer fruit and sometimes a bit too much RS for my taste.
Dao wines as you mentioned are somewhat in between the two, having brighter fruit, higher acidity as well as being more affordable. (Bairrada is somewhat similar in this regard.) I I generally trust Portuguese wines to offer decent quality for a fair price and I have been rarely disappointed. Sometimes there is a wow moment, but generally they are affordable, enjoyable and pleasurable wines. Cheers!
Hi Solomon, thank you for the detailed comment. As you mentioned, many good Portuguese wines, most at great values. I’m a big fan of Baga as well, interesting grape variety. Alentejo is another for outstanding value. Cheers, 🍷
Dão is my favourite wine region for reds. When you get to the top producers (honourable mention to Quinta da Pellada) I think they are as good as Grand Cru Burgundy and surprisingly I find the tasting profile extremely similar even though it's almost never Pinot.
I wanna make another honourable mention to another producer, Textura wines which was founded by a Brazilian back in 2018 and has been bringing up an extensive portfolio with many different profiles but always preserving the elegance of a Dão.
It is a pity that it's mostly cheaper wines that get exported.
Thank you for the detailed comment. I’m a fan of the region as well. I need to research Textura. And you’re 100% spot on, the exports are mostly built on low price point options.
Hello Bob,
I have noticed that at least two wines that you have recommended are carried by Total Wine. A review of Total Wine might be interesting. Thanks.
Hello Thomas, I like your idea. Total, Costco and Trader Joe’s are sources that I use often. The wine trade is very fragmented, but I try to show wines that a wide audience can find. In recent months, much of the channel growth has come from overseas. It’s makes wine selection more difficult. Cheers!
Hi Bob, unfortunately none of the wines you have linked seem to be available in the UK. I was only able to find the last two that could be imported but I would have to pay transport + import duties so not very feasible.. what a shame! Thanks anyway, I really enjoyed this video and discovering this new region 😊
Hmm, as a plan be look for a Dao from Sogrape.
Really really tough job to (know and) find Portuguese wines in Spain, truly a shame. I find Portugal an overwhelming treasure hunt for wine lovers, with so many riches just laying there for one to find. Lovely grapes and lively description! Cheers!
Just like finding Spanish wine in Portugal, not easy. I’ve been a Portuguese wine fan for many years, but you’ve upped their game in recent years. Cheers!
Bob, I picked up a few bottles today of the Altimo. I put it on the table this evening paired to chicken Cordon Bleu. A fantastic wine at the price point. The best part was the initial taste, the wine is distinct and different from other red varietals. Thanks, Bob for the great recommendation.
I’m happy to read your message! The wine is a gem. Cheers! 🍷
Nice video as always! What is your opinion on Sicilian Chardonnay?
Thank you as always! I’ve not been overly thrilled with Sicilian Chard. Pick up a higher end Grillo instead. Better and more tied to the region. Cheers!
Thanks again for the great content Bob! I’ve drank some really nice Dão wines at an amazing value indeed. Do you know if there are also some top wines in that region that would be meant for aging?
Hello Felipe, thank you for the nice comment. I’ve not had much aged Dao beyond about five years, but I recall a Quinta dos Roques Reserva that was drinking well at ten years age. Cheers.
Thanks a lot Bob! Cheers!!
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine
@@felipe_callado Thank you for supporting my channel.
Would very much look forward to your thoughts on Dao white wines, particularly Encruzado, of which I have had lovely young and aged examples.
Perhaps you have no control over what ads are run in front of your videos, but it is still disappointing that your excellent and sophisticated content being preceded by an ad for factory plonk, i.e. Josh.😢
Thank you for the comment. I can’t control the specific ads connected to my videos. I can opt in or out of wine advertisements in general only. RUclips does the rest. I’ve noticed that Josh ads just recently started. At least the ads have no impact on the content of my videos.
off subject but could please give me a cpl of reds i could try that are under 20$ that are complex..( if complexity exists at that price point).
I have just started this journey,my wine budget is quite low but would like find something interesting..
I live In rural Texas,nearest wine store is an hour away so maybe a few choices that can be found in the grocery store..
That is,if anything interesting can be found in the wine section of the grocery store..
At this early point i am simply trying to experience everything..
I am also Trying to work through the varitals so i can understand the building blocks.
You’re approaching this in a very planful. I think you’ll get up to speed quickly. As for your shopping trip for under $20 reds, look for the following: a Paso Robles Cab Sauv, an Oregon Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) and an Australian Shiraz. This would give you a solid mix to experiment with. I hope that helps. Cheers. 🍷
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine Ty,it does.. I will look for one of those on my next trip.
tonight i am trying my first barolo.
I had to choose between 'Kirkland Barolo' and 'Virna Borgogni il'.
I ended up getting the Verna.
Although I am not sure what kind of Barolo you get at that price point at least my palate is inexperienced enough to not know the difference,lol.
@@notoverlyacerbic9574 Let me know your thoughts on the Barolo. You notice it changes (for the better) with time open. Cheers. 🍷
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine it was great..
It is very interesting how it is so light in color compared to how tannic it is..
It was tight when i opened it but as the evening progressed it opened up nicely..
Although it seems that it takes more time for a Barolo to 'open up' than it does for a Cab or something..
I cant wait to see how it is tonight..
I told my wife
"honey,I have a HUGE problem"
"what's that"
"Barolo is now my favorite varital"(on a cheap beer budget ,lol)
It is both powerful and elegant at the same time,if that makes sense.
I’m heading back to Portugal in a few weeks. After my first trip, I came to feel that many California regions are missing a trick by not trying out more Portuguese varietals. Many of them seem to have evolved to maintain great balance in the face of high heat. The whites, in particular, seem to provide great interest in flavor and aroma, as well as holding acidity in the face of heat. That’s my, non professional, sense at any rate
I think you’re spot on. It’ll likely never be a high demand wine from Cali, but Portuguese whites could be a nice niche play. I agree on the acidity comment as well. Many holds acidity in warm climates. Cheers!