TNs: Caves Aliança, Noval, Coelheiros, Tapada do Chaves

Recently had lunch with Carlos Alves, the Port oenologist at Sogevinus, and he was kind enough to bring two presents for our meal. Old co-op wines routinely surpass my expectations, and yet I continue to be surprised for some reason, because these were supposedly crafted by unscientific dimwit farmers who made wine the same way their great grandparents did. This 1974 Garrafeira Particular from Caves Aliança had a lovely nose many might describe as ‘old school’ - earthy, brambly, bloody and ferrous, with hints of wizened dark fruits. The tannins, which I imagine were unforgiving in its youth, had melted into graceful old age. There was complexity to this wine, as it felt reasonably layered and multidimensional, although the mouthfeel was on the thin side, and by the next day its frailty had grown more evident.
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Carlos’ second gift was much more impressive. He had us taste blind from a tiny unlabeled bottle, and all three of us agreed this was a knockout old tawny Port. Electric, furiously intense, decidedly austere with the sweetness being virtually bullied aside by meaty umami, toasted walnuts, bitter orange citrus, soy sauce and stewed vegetables. While lacking the rancio of great Madeiras, it had a similar acidity that cut through like a samurai sword. This turned to be a yet unreleased 1934 Colheita from Noval. Having recently had a 1938 Colheita from Barros, this was in a wholly different league - nay, galaxy. What precious little there is of this will be put on the market at approximately 1000€ for a 75 cl. I’m not a buyer, but I sure am happy I got a taste.

Grabbed two bottles of 1991 Tapada de Coelheiros - their very first vintage, a first for me - at auction, and wasn’t sure whether these might have held up as well as the Garrafeiras. I guess I should have stopped doubting António Saramago’s work a long time ago, because this was splendid - every bit as good as the 2000 Garrafeira I opened recently. My impressions seem to read like so many TNs of mature Bordeaux I’ve seen - rich black fruit (I’ve never tasted creme de cassis), bell pepper, tobacco leaf, and a cornucopia of spices, particularly saffron and nutmeg, which seemed to waft back and forth as you struggled to capture their many dimensions. The mouthfeel was gorgeous - supple, round and inviting, perfectly acidulous. Not only is this beautifully resolved, it’s nowhere near declining. António Saramago’s life goal was to bring the principles of Bordeaux winemaking to the terroir of Estremoz, and decades later we’re reaping the benefits of his work. Also, what a cork! Absolutely mint condition.
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Portuguese whites that age well are known to be the exception to the rule, and as disappointed as I was to see this 2008 Tapada do Chaves Vinhas Velhas carry a deep bronze color, I wasn’t completely surprised. The wine, however, ended up turning around throughout the meal in a way I wasn’t expecting. From a rather linear profile of orange marmelade, honey, salted caramel and baked apples, over time fresher and fresher aromas came to the surface - white florals, grass, lemon citrus - and the mouthfeel, or at least the perception of it, gained in dimension. The acidity of the Portalegre altitude was there, and the last sip of my last glass was decidedly good, even superlative. A white Fitapreta I drank for comparison (one of my favorite everyday whites) took a serious beating. What could have this been with a longer decant? I’ll try to figure out with my next bottle.
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3 Likes

Nice.
I’ve a half bottle of the 37 Noval Colheita, one of the greats. Would love to try this one.

Beautiful tasting notes, thank you!