Portuguese wines take centre stage in this May 12th release. There are one or two that are worth picking up to quaff as barbeque season is upon us.

684696 ALTANO RESERVA VINHO TINTO 2004 $25.95
This blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional has a nose of raisin and prune along with coffee grounds and stewed fruit. There are a few tannins still hanging around, but they are not overpowering. Find this wine

998286 CRASTO DOURO TINTO VINHO 2005 $19.95
Staring Tinta Roriz, AKA Tempranillo, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, the line up of usual suspects used to make port, creates a wine with earthy aromas similar to Pinotage along with coffee and walnut shell. It carries a nice layer of creamy fruit on the palate and the finish is nicely balanced. Find this wine

30452 MONTE DA CAL RESERVA, ALENTÉJANO 2003 $21.95
A touch of Syrah is added to bolster the indigenous Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet grapes to render a wine full of dark fruit, with a creamy palate and a finish of blueberry coulis. The degree of acid is low leaving the makeup of the wine quite flat. Find this wine

652065 QUINTA DE RORIZ RESERVA VINHO TINTO, DOURO 2002 $39.95 Heaps of black berry, damson, dark bitter chocolate and black raspberry. The palate is currently tight, but the creamy texture and concentration of fruit makes it tasty right now. It has a cream soda quality on the finish. Find this wine

950584 QUINTA DO CÔTTO VINHO TINTO, DOURO 2003 $20.95
Another wine made with Port grapes, showing lots of black fruit, black cherry, perfume, leather and toast on the nose. Its acidity is lively, but not over the top. The palate has that creamy texture again and the fruit is focused on the finish. Find this wine

694992 QUINTA DO VALLADO VINHO TINTO, DOURO 2004 $17.95
Minerals and floral notes of lavender take the lead followed by notes of blueberry and plum. The palate is medium bodied, fruit forward, but a little flat.  Find this wine

335208 SOGRAPE RESERVA DOURO VINHO TINTO 2001 $17.95
There are plenty of enticing aromas in this blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, including coffee, lavender, cigar box, and currant. It is not a big wine, but the acids are refreshing, and the tannin is resolved leaving a pretty fruit focused finish. Find this wine

949974 CABRIZ COLHEITA SELECCIONADA VINHO TINTO 2005 $12.95
A French oak aged blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and a dose of Alfrocheiro. It offers aromas of sweet vanilla, coal dust, mineral, lots of black fruit, a little cured olive, and sweet black cherry. It shows fruit on the palate, nice acidity, and the finish still has some lively tannin. A candidate for quaffing along with the summer barbeque. Find this wine

735928 QUINTA DOS CARVALHAIS TOURIGA NACIONAL 2000 $29.95
Touriga Nacional alone produces country aromas of straw, compost and hay along with chocolate, vanilla and black fruit. The palate is laden with dark fruit, rhubarb and cranberry flavours, but it leads to a strange off taste of an eggy nature that shows on the finish. A flawed bottle I hope. Find this wine

728170 HERDADE DE PESO ARAGÓNES, ALENTEJO 2004 $29.95
A dusty wine with a nose full of coal, mineral, smoked meat, game, and blackberry syrup. The palate is full, showing plenty of concentrated blackcurrant, be it a little low on the acidity, for my tastes at least, and a whopping blast of tannin. It should show better in a couple of years once the veil of tannin subsides. Find this wine

606590 FINAGRA ESPORÃO RESERVA, ALENTEJO, REGUENGOS 2004 $25.95
Cabernet Sauvignon shows its presence here with a nose of blackcurrant, black fruit, and plum. It has wet earth, mineral and vanilla aromas too. The palate is full of lively fruit and sweet oak. Find this wine

677781 MARQUES DE MARIALVA BAGA RESERVA 2003, BAIRRADA $14.95
Baga is to Bairrada, what Pinot is to Burgundy. This has a nose of slate, mineral, beeswax, sawdust and black fruit and plum. The palate really focuses in on the mineralogy with notes of lead pencil and wet stone along with plenty of ripe fruit. An interesting wine. Find this wine

680439 QUINTA DE PANCAS VINHO TINTO, ESTREMADURA 2004 $12.95
Some strange aromas flow from this blend of Aragónes (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Periquita and Touriga Nacional, to note, leather, tar, mud, dog doings, grass and treacle. However, the palate shows sweet black ripe fruit, caramel and plum. There is a touch of pepper and tannin on the finish. The wine actually tastes older than it should, but it is by no means over the hill. I want to taste another bottle of this and then maybe it will become another case worthy acquisition. Find this wine

Some wines from the remainder of the release.

907584 D’ARENBERG THE GALVO GARAGE MCLAREN VALE/ADELAIDE HILLS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2003 $26.95
The wine is a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It shows notes of moss, pond water, cedar, dried sage, thyme and a wallop of dark fruit. It is clean, and fruit driven with plenty of spicy acids to balance and a chocolate candy bar finish. Find this wine

963678 ELDREDGE BLUE CHIP SHIRAZ 2004 CLARE VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA $29.95
A perfumed nose of blackcurrant, peppercorn, blueberry, violets, spearmint and leather. The palate has notes of spicy arugula, dark chocolate, and sweet black fruit. Still quite tannic, although I would drink this now, it should show better with time. Find this wine

677476 JIM BARRY THE COVER DRIVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004 CLARE VALLEY/COONAWARRA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA $24.95
Very much like a Rhone wine with its floral, blackberry and pepper notes. The palate is full of creamy oak, plum, blackberry and currant. It finishes well. Find this wine

21345 BARON DE HOEN PINOT GRIS SONNENGLANZ 2004 ALSACE GRAND CRU $26.95
A delicious Pinot Gris that delivers aromas of honeysuckle, lilac, white peach and apricot. The palate has a slight degree of sweetness, but the acids are firm and the finish is fruit laden. Find this wine

21261 DOPFF RIESLING SCHOENENBOURG DE RIQUEWIHR 2003 ALSACE GRAND CRU $25.95
Schoenenbourg is an Alsatian term meaning ‘beautiful hill’. This is quite expressive and although it is still young, I get notes of lamp oil along with lemon grass, lime zest, candied lemon and green apple. Find this wine

24463 ELIO FILIPPINO BAROLO LA MORRA, PIEDMONT 2001 $45.95
The nose is really tight, giving only hints of coffee, celery seed and caramel. Elegant and subtle best describes the palate with its notes of sweet cherry, rhubarb and red currant. There is a discernable hit of tannin on the finish. Find this wine

28993 MAS JANEIL LE TIRADOU CÔTES-DU-ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2004 $29.95
A full blown wine showing notes of dried meat, cough syrup, ample red fruit, cassis and plum. It has layers of fruit and mineral on the palate. It is nice now, but it does need to come together.  Find this wine

19927 SOLÀ CLASSIC JOSEP BARCELÓ-VINYES, PRIORAT 2004 $24.95
A nose of oats, mineral, toast, black raspberry, black soil and chestnut. The mouth feel is solid, well balanced, ripe and spicy. The finish is focused and long. Give it two years and this will be solid. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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