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Churchill's Estates Douro Branco 2019
Origin: Douro Valley, Portugal
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
Founded in 1981 by John Graham, Churchill Estate was the first British Port wine company to have been established in over 50 years. In only 30 years of trading, the company has built an enviable reputation for producing Port Wines of the highest quality, reflected by their impressive performance at comparative tastings over this time. Churchill’s is positioned in the industry as a high quality “boutique” Port and Douro Wine Company, specializing in premium Port and Douro Wine categories.
Made from 70% Rabigato and 30% Viosinho from old vines, 20% of the wine is aged for 6 months in new casks. The remaining 80% is kept in stainless steel vats to maintain its fruity character combined with the oak complexity from the wines in casks. It has a bright lemony-lime color. On the nose this wine has delicate citrus and mineral aromas. Finesse and balance on the palate, combining lemon notes with a hint of butterscotch from the well integrated oak.
Quinta de Pellada DAC Tinto 2018
Origin: Dão, Portugal
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
Alvaro Castro inherited Quinta da Pellada, his family estate, in 1980, replanted, and released his first vintage in 1989. Since then, oblivious to trends and fads, he has been making wines that please him and are true to his memories of old guard 1970/80’s Dão wines. Quinta da Pellada is arguably the best producer in the Dão. DAC Tinto is an outstanding example of Dão’s style, earthy and medium bodied, elegant and feminine with a ‘less is more’ winemaking approach. The estate is surrounded by pine trees on a 500 meter-high hill overlooking Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s tallest mountain (2.000 meters). Dão is a region well-protected by mountains. Dão’s isolation has kept it out of the international spotlight until recently, and the area remains barely represented in export markets: for example, Dão holds only a 2% market share for red wines compared to Alentejo’s 40%!
30% Touriga Naçional, 20% Jaen, 30% Tinta Roriz, 20% Alfrocheiro. Organically grown vines planted in 1988. Tended in granite, clay and sandy soil at 550 m (1,804 ft) elevation Dark ruby in color, it offers aromas of crushed herbs with hints of black pepper. Silky smooth mouth feel with concentrated smoky black fruit.
Fitapreta Touriga Vai Nua 2020
Origin: Alentejo, Portugal
Retail: $26.95 | Sale: $24.26
Antonio Maçanita, winemaker at Fitapreta, likes to keep things traditional but with an irreverent wink, and in the process creates wines that are both classic and completely new. A Touriga Vai Nua, or “The Touriga Goes Naked,” is one playful example of Antonio’s skill: he takes the “typical” warmth and ripeness of Alentejo fruit and creates a completely novel expression out of Portugal’s king of grapes, Touriga Naçional. Like all the wines from Fita Preta, this wine showcases the Alentejo terroir, marked by a plush, slate-accented palate, but because of the partial carbonic maceration and a quick 3 month elevage in stainless steel, creates an expression of Touriga that is light on its feet and versatile. Try it with a slight chill..
100% Touriga Naçional