Open Mike: Dao, Portugal.

This area of Portugal has seen some big investment in recent years and the area seems to be flourishing. Many of the wines have lost the rustic edge one would normally associate with the reds (and some whites) of vintages gone-by! Cooperatives were the biggest producers for many years and the wines found on local shelves here and in Europe were just about drinkable.
One is seeing more Dao TNs these days and as I am a big admirer of Portugal, I thought an Open Mike might be of interest to some here. I can post a couple of links here that will be of interest to anyone contemplating trying a wine from this appellation. The wines can generally be found for under $15 US or so and are good value in my opinion.

Here is a general overview of the Dao region.....>

http://www.infovini.com/classic/pagina. ... odIdioma=2

Jamie Goode, aka the wineanorak, who posts here from time to time, has an excellent write-up on his website. If one does a search on his site, one can find some very informative TNs on Dao wines that are available in the UK market.

http://www.wineanorak.com/dao1_overview.htm

WTN: `05 Vinhos Sogrape Dao Callabriga.

This red was available by the glass at a local wine bar downtown, $8.00.
Well-known winery and most wines can be purchased for less than $20. (All indigenous varieties, I might add).

The nose featured some cherry and red fruits with a hint of chocolate. Medium-bodied on the palate, soft tannins, dryish. Nice fruit/acidity balance with brambleberry and raspberry. Off-duty staff member found some "cocoa and plum".
Food was available but I was quite happy just to sip and relax. Nice wine and fair introduction I would think for those not familiar with reds from this region

Nice one Bob!
We're on beers this Saturday, so will try and slot one of the Daos in either tonight or tomorrow, with potentially the other one on sunday or early next week. It should be interesting to compare the Pena de Pato Dao with your's as their both from the large Sogrape producer.
regards
Ian

Ian, I understand that the UK forum is tasting Dao this weekend. What a coincidence (grin wink). No doubt you have read Jamie`s notes, he was in the region this past summer I believe. He has also posted some wonderful pics of the vineyards and estates visited.

I managed to get one of the reps here in town to drop off some samples for the Grill chain hereabouts. A wine by the glass promotion actually and I mentioned nothing over $20 Cdn a bottle. A Dao from JM da Fonseca was one of the wines offered! Talk about good timing eh.

WTN: `07 Terras Altas Dao, Jose Maria da Fonseca.

Founded in 1834, this is an old school producer who seems to excel at producing nice table wines at a fair price...Periquita is one good example.

12% alc, $13 Cdn, unfiltered, opened half-hour. The color is a thin red-ruby with very little depth. Pale watery strawberry rim, but clean and bright.
Raspberry and pepper on the nose, some spice as it opens, "ripe red fruits" from a fellow taster. I thought it had some savoury character too.
On the palate, we did not all agree on the apparent high acidity. Medium-bodied, soft tannins, needed more fruit structure for some. "Think this has seen some oak" but not sure by the taste from my glass! Some not-too-spicy sausage helped with the earthy, savoury tones. Needs food for sure but that acidity was not for me.

Bob
I see it's relatively cheap, but this does sound like a somewhat stretched wine - thin, acidic, raspberry, ... I'm wary of fruit that's 'pumping iron', but this sounds quite the opposite?
regards
Ian

Ian, this Fonseca Dao was not impressive and I guess a poor choice to start off with. But one never knows until one pulls the cork!
The Sogrape was a lot better than this.

OK, here's our Sogrape wine:

2005 SÓ Dão Pena del Pato - Portugal, Beiras, Dão (10/9/2009)
Very youthful purple colour and the youth follows through on the nose, where nicely high-toned almost sherbety strawberry/cherry fruit (reminds me of of the nose on Lambrusco/Brachetto D'Acqui), is backed by subdued dark fruits and some noticeable, albeit not overpowering vanillan oak influence.

On the palate, it's quite thick textured and whilst there is acidity, it seems somewhat disjointed from the rest of the wine - like there's a gaping hole between the mouthfilling texture and the acidity that's bravely trying to keep up, with nothing in-between to join the two. The soft but noticeable tannin sits closely with the fruit adding to the sense of body. There's also a slightly odd woody note to the moderate length finish.

Unusual, but definitely not awful, and at the reduced price (what was it £5 or £6?) I'd say a pretty fair deal. I could certainly see this as a good wine for someone wanting to trade up from soft & bland supermarket fodder, having quite a big mouthfeel, yet without being particularly challenging.

regards

Ian

WTN: `05 Caves Vidigal Dao.

13% alc, $17Cdn, short synthetic cork. Opened one hour, not decanted.

Light garnet color, already starting to show some bricking on rim. Nose is instant chocolate milk shake, think a problem here?
On palate, terribly disappointing. Starting to dry out, very unpleasant finish with raspberry and cocoa. Think this will be returned for Annabelle at DeVines to check. Bust!

Bob
Not the best of runs you're having there.
I returned to the Sogrape Pena de Pato 2 days later and it was holding up very well, indeed it had filled out the mid-palate effectively. There's still some left which we might hit tonight (the brains of the operation hasn't been drinking due to a cold). We've still got the Quinta dos Roques 97, but also bought a 1996 (IIRC) Quinta de Maies at the weekend, so we'll likely pop one or the other later in the week.

regards

Ian

Better late and all that... another Dao we picked up last weekend, that I figured would be more than ready. In the end ready, possibly over-mature, but overall somewhat underinspiring.

1996 Quinta das Maias Dão 'Black Label' - Portugal, Beiras, Dão (10/15/2009)
Another short cork - seemingly a feature of Dao. Maybe a shortage of cork in the country ;¬)

Although still with decent colour, there is definitely a hint of mahogony appearing.

Elegant on the nose, with relaxed red fruit and faint leather, plus a touch of mushroom on swirling.

Light bodied palate, with a slightly sour edge to the acidity, that otherwise is easily sufficient but not overpowering. The leather coming through stronger on the palate than the nose, but the fruit still hanging in there. No tannins and indeed this wine comes across as much lighter than expected. Doesn't seem especially like a cellaring style, but is hanging in there, though it's perhaps risking being called insipid.

regards

Ian