The International Wine Review's
Top 50
Portuguese Wines
Last year Vini Portugal invited us to taste the wines of Portugal at their source. The result was our Report #24 The New Wines of Portugal. Based on our visit to every major wine producing region of the country and after tasting over 500 wines, we’ve selected our top 50, organized by their region of origin. As we noted in the report, Portugal has made dramatic improvements in its table wines from all regions, not Just the Douro. We were especially impressed with several newer producers we found in the Alentejo, Vinho Verde, and elsewhere. The full tasting notes on these wines can be found at i-winereview.com/tastingArchive/. [Pictured here—Mike and Don in the Douro.]
Our 50 top wines are mainly current releases, many of which are available in the US. We scored most of these wines at 91 points or above on our 100 point scale. Of course, each year Vini Portugal asks a distinguished taster to select his or her top 50 wines. For 2009 that taster was Sarah Ahmed; for 2010 it was Tom Cannavan, both from the UK. Our top 50 wines cut across the vintages the two of them tasted. Also, what’s available in the UK, where these tasters are based, and what we had access to in the US and in Portugal differ. Our results are especially relevant for Portuguese wines available in the US market.
Of the 500 wines we tasted, a large number scored 90 points and above. In other words, a remarkably high percentage of Portuguese wines are of excellent quality. In addition, as noted in our report, Portuguese wines are also very good values in terms of quality relative to cost.
Vinho Verde
Anselmo Mendes Vinhos 2009 Contacto Alvarinho Vinho Verde
Quinta de Gomariz 2009 Avesso Vinho Verde
Quinta do Ameal 2008 Escolha Vinho Verde
Quinta do Soalheiro 2008 Primeiras Vinhas Vinho Verde
Quinta do Soalheiro 2008 Alvarinho Reserva Vinho Verde
Douro
CARM 2007 Grande Reserva Douro
Casa Ferreirinha 2000 Barca Velha Douro
Lemos & Van Zeller 2008 Quinta do Vale Dona Maria Douro
Lemos & Van Zeller 2008 Curriculum Vitae Douro
Muxugat 2008 Vinho Branco Douro
Niepoort 2008 Batuta Douro
Niepoort 2004 Robustus Douro
Poeira 2008 Poeira Douro
Prats and Symington 2007 Chryseia Douro
Quinta de Tourais 2007 Miura Douro
Quinta de Ventozelo 2007 Reserva Douro
Quinta do Crasto 2007 Vinha da Ponte Douro
Quinta do Crasto 2007 Vinha Maria Teresa Douro
Quinta do Noval 2007 Tinto Douro
Quinta do Vale Meão 2007 Tinto Douro
Quinta dos Quatro Ventos 2006 Reserva Douro
Ramos-Pinto 2004 Duas Quintas Reserva Especial Douro
Wine and Soul 2008 Pintas Douro
Beiras
Filipa Pato 2008 Lokal Silex Beiras
Luis Pato 2008 Quinta do Ribeirinho Pé Franco, Beiras
Luis Pato 2005 Binha Barrosa Beiras
Quinta da Falorca 2004 Garrafeira Old Vines Dão
Quinta do Cardo 2006 Touriga Nacional Reserva Beira Interior
Quinta do Encontro 2007 Encontro I Bairrada
Quinta dos Roques 2003 Reserva Red Dão
Lisboa
Quinta de Pancas 2007 Reserva Lisboa
Quinta da Romeira 2008 Morgado de Santa Catarina Reserva Bucelas
Quinta do Monte d’Oiro 2003 Aurius Lisboa
Peninsula de Setúbal
Bacalhôa 2005 Palácio da Bacalhôa Setúbal
Companhia das Quintas 2005 Herdade da Farizoa Pegos Claros Garrafeira Palmela
José Maria Da Fonseca 2008 Periquita Superior Palmela
Soberanas 2005 S Terras do Sado
Alentejo
Bacalhôa 2007 Tinto da Anfora Grande Escolha Tinto Alentejo
Cortes de Cima 2004 Reserva Alentejo
Dona Maria 2006 Reserva Alentejo
Fitapreta 2007 Preta Alentejo
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova 2007 Marias da Malhadinha Alentejo
Herdade do Rocim 2008 Olho de Mocho Reserva Alentejo
Herdade do Rocim 2007 Grande Rocim Tinto Reserva Alentejo
Herdade do Mouchão 2005 Tinto Tonel No 3-4 Alentejo
Herdade dos Grous 2008 Reserva Alentejo
João Portugal Ramos 2005 Quinta da Viçosa Alentejo
Paulo Laureano 2006 Reserva Tinto Alentejo
Quinta do Zambujeiro 2005 Zambujeiro Alentejo
Michael Potashnik and Donald Winkler
International Wine Review
July, 2011