2022 Château Sensine

 

Another classic Bordeaux. Feels like 2022 was a very good year. This one is a bit unexpected. Strong nose and taste of sour cherry with a hint of black currant.

Enjoyed it with ham and mushroom pizza.

2022 Château Belle Cure

 Classic Bordeaux. Strong nose and taste of black currant with a hint of red currant. Almost no sugar.

Was excellent with sous vide duck breast.

2022 Château de Moupas

 Classic Bordeaux. Black currant in the nose and taste, a lot of tannins. A bit harsh after opening the bottle, even after aerator. But it's getting softer 20-30 minutes after opening.

Enjoyed it with sous-vide salmon pizza.

2023 Palmelão Rosé

 Decent Rosé. Honey and citrus.

2024 Beaujolais Nouveau Domaine des Nugues

 Very good Beaujolais. A pity it was delayed in transit and we didn't drink it in time. Crisp, dry, fresh. With good fruity and light caramel notes.

2023 Adegamãe Roseblend

 Nice Rosé. Honey, spices, citrus.

Was good with white fish.

2023 Sobreiro de Pegões

 Nice Rosé. Berries, fruits, citrus in the nose and taste. A bit of play on the tongue, as most Portuguese Rosé vines.

Was good with grilled bonito.

2022 Cabriz

 So far, the best Dão wine I tried. Multiple berries and fruits in the nose and taste. Aerator improves taste a lot.

Enjoyed it with ham and mushrooms pizza.

2023 Alentejo DOC Premium Rosé

 Very nice Rosé. Fruits, flowers, citrus and spices, everything you want in a good Rosé.

Emjoyed it with grilled bonito.

2022 Pacheca Escolha

 Huge disappointment. Initial impression was very good. Multiple fruit notes, juicy, not much sugar. But as wine spent some time in the glass, it became more and more like cheap Portuguese wines, with a bitter note which spoiled everything.

2023 Terraço Real Rosé

 First try of Alentejo wines. Tastes good. Spices and citrus. Bought white, looking for red to try. In my experience in Portugal, if Rosé tasted nice, red should be good.

2023 C'est Trop Rosé

 Very nice Rosé. Not Provence, but feels like it. Hints of honey, grasses. Very powerful citrus note.

Was very good with ham and cheese pizza.

2021 Cancellus Red Vila Real

 Disappointment. This is a premium wine, DOC Douro. And it's much worse than non-vintage Cancellus from Durense, which is not DOC Douro, just IGP. Well, we continue learning about Portuguese wines.

The problem of many table wines nowadays: too much sugar. Result is obvious: cheap taste.

Was barely passable with ham and mushroom pizza.

2022 Expert Club Bordeaux Rosé

 Very good. Citrus and spices in the taste and nose. Will definitely buy again.

2019 Expert Club Côtes du Rhône

 Disappointment. Drinkable, especially after aerator. But too much sugar. Cheap taste.

2023 Roubertas

 Long time since I had Rosé de Provence. This one is very good. All bells and whistles: honey, summer grasses, spices, citrus. All in perfect balance, with great aftertaste.

Enjoyed it with grilled bonito.

Cancellus Red Duriense

 Very good. I already tried a lot of Portuguese reds, most of them are not good. Or, as local specialists say, "challenging". Which means that it's hard to find matching food for those. I don't want to look for matching food, I want to find wine matching the food I like!

Anyway, this one is really good. I liked Cancellus Rosé, I like red (tinto) as well. It's full-bodied, more like Rhone wines, has complex taste and nose, with multiple fruits, spices, tannins. Should be a very good match for most meast.

Enjoyed it with ham and mushroom pizza.

2022 Expert Club Bordeaux

 Wonderful! Obviously grapes have been collected at different places, it's Appellation d'Origine, not Contrôlée, cheap wine by all definitions. But it tastes great, and that's all that counts. Plus, it's really cheap (€4.19 at Intermarché) and available here, in Portugal. It has taste and nose of the classic Bordeaux: strong note of black currant, some tannins, just a hint of old leather. Almost no sugar.

Enjoyed it with pan seared tuna.

2020 Marqués de Cáceres

 

 I love this Rioja. And 2020 is not an exception. Powerful, with multiple fruits in the nose and taste, no trace of sugar.

Enjoyed it with grilled lamb.

2021 Torre de Ferro Tinto Reserva

 Nice Portuguese wine. Mixed fruits in the taste and nose, a lot of tannins, some spice. A bit of sugar, but not much. Good everyday wine.

Was good with ham and mushroom pizza.

Château la Croix de Beaugas

 Nice Bordeaux. Strong note of black currant in the nose and taste, some other berries in the taste, a bit spicy, a lot of tannins. No sugar, which is great.

Had it with grilled tuna. It's a bit harsh for this, but would be great with a steak.

Danúbio

 Good Portuguese bubbly. Fruity, fun, no yeast in the taste or nose at all. Good for small celebrations.

Was good with sea scallop pie.

2022 Pacheca Red

 Looking for good Portuguese reds. Tasted many, but good ones don't happen often.

This one is very good. Reminds me of Rhone wines of the best years. Strong nose of mixed berries. Very good taste: mixed berries, spices. No sugar at all!

Enjoyed it with smoked salmon pizza.

2023 Champ d'Oiseaux

 Living in Portugal, I mostly drink local Rosé wines, which are mostly good. But sometimes have a desire to remember something from France.

This is classic Rosé d'Anjou. A bit sweet, with flowery tones.

Was very good with mussels and pasta.

2022 Châteaux Jean de Marceau

 

Decent Bordeaux. Strong nose and taste of black currant, a bit spicy, some tannins. A bit too much sugar. Drinkable, but there are better wines.

Was OK with grilled tuna.

2022 Les Barricailleurs

 

 Vinatis, where I bought this wine, has 20/20 rating for it. I wouldn't go that far, but it's a great Bordeaux! Strong black currant in the nose. Complex taste, black currant, spices, a bit of tannins. Great balance. It was a pleasure to drink it, will definitely buy more.

Was great with ham and mushrooms pizza.

2022 Guintrandy

 Could be a nice Côtes du Rhône. But, again, too much sugar. I don't know what's happening in Provence right now, but there are a lot of Rhône table wines, which are sweet. Table wine should not be sweet.

If not for sugar, it would be a decent wine. Good bouquet, strong chokeberry in taste, a bit spicy. But sugar spoiled everything.

Was OK with grilled beef liver. I don't know which other food can go with it.

2018 Château Chauvelet

 

 Very good Bordeaux. Powerful black currant in the nose and taste, spicy, almost no sugar. Will buy again.

Enjoyed it with smoked salmon pizza.

2020 Château Terre Blanque

 

 Very good Bordeaux. Surprisingly good. It's 100% Merlot. To me, Merlot wines are smooth and mellow. This one is different, real Bordeaux. Powerful mix of sour cherry and black currant in the nose and taste, great aftertaste, good response to aerator. Will buy again.

Was great with grilled tuna.

2022 Château Lamothe Vincent

 Could be a very good Bordeaux. But too much sugar. It has wonderful bouquet, but taste... I don't want sweet table wine. Sweet wines are for dessert. Will not buy again.

Was drinkable with grilled tuna.

2021 Essentielle

 Decent Côtes du Rhône. Nice bouquet, with strong chokeberry note. Chokeberry in the taste as well. Could be better if it had less sugar. 

Was good with ham and cheese pizza.

2023 Chiaretto di Bardolino Rose

 Crisp, dry, citrucy, spicy. All you want from Italian Rosé! Found it at Aldi's, Very strong citrus taste, a bit spicy. Very dry, didn't feel much sugar.

Enjoyed it with seafood paella.

2021 Puy d'Amore Coup de Fudre

 

Wonderful Bordeaux. Absolute classic. Powerful black currant in the nose and taste, great aftertaste. Aerator noticeably improve taste. There is already some sediment in the bottle, probably wine is already mature and won't last long in the cellar.

Enjoyed it with grilled tuna.

2023 Cabriz Rosé

 I liked red Cabriz, will write about it later. This Rosé one is exceptional. Light blush color, honey and grasses in the nose, honey, grasses and spices in the taste.

Enjoyed it with grilled shrimp pizza.

2020 Château Haut Grela

 The best Bordeaux I tasted lately!. Classic, with powerful black currant in the nose and taste. But what makes it different is a hint of cherry. Great aftertaste. Aerator improves taste noticeably.

Enjoyed it with grilled tuna.

2020 Château Ferreyres

 Classic Bordeaux. Powerful black currant in the nose and taste., some spices. Some strange note right after opening the bottle, but it disappeared after aerator. Became even better after spending some time in the opened bottle.

Enjoyed it with ham and mushrooms pizza.

2021 Citran

 Good, classic Bordeaux. Powerful black currant in the nose and taste. A bit harsh, but aerator takes care of that. Aftertaste is a bit weak. Anyway, I'm going to buy more.

Was very good with grilled tuna.

2020 Lou Raiol

 A bit of disappointment. Good nose, usual chokeberry with some spices. But taste... Too much sugar. Aerator helps a bit, but not much.

Was OK with a sous vide steak. But I probably will not buy it again.

2022 Vergado Rosé

 Best Portuguese Rosé I tasted so far. To me, the best Rosé wines are made in Provence, this one feels similar. Rich taste, honey and spices. The nose is not that pronounced.
Was very good with grilled shrimp pizza.

2020 Agneau Rouge

 Initial impression wasn't very good. Black currant and sour cherry in the nose and taste. But also some slight bitter note, and the impression of too much sugar. But after spending about 30 minutes in the open bottle, taste noticeably improved. Bitter note almost gone, impression of sugar gone completely. This wine probably needs to spend several more years in the bottle. Or maybe an hour in the decanter.

Was good with grilled tuna.

2019 Les Bories

 Decent Côtes du Rhône. But something is missing. Mix of chokeberry and sour cherry in the nose and taste, overall not bad, but... I can't tell what's wrong, but something... This wine doesn't have class. Still not bad.

Was good with grilled chicken pizza.

2018 Château Tertre du Boilon

 Decent Bordeaus. A bit too much sugar. Strong black currant note in the nose and taste. One more proof that 2018 was a tough year for French wines. Probably won't buy again, there are may good alternatives.

Despite sugar, was very good with grilled tuna.

2016 Patric Lesec Richette

 It's not easy to buy Côtes du Rhône of the great 2016 for cheap. I did. I'm happy. Tasted this wine in US, where it was sold under Kirkland brand by Costco, but those were later vintages. None was as good as 2016.
Classic Côtes du Rhône. Strong nose and taste of chokeberry. Smooth, with great aftertaste. Hard to describe, you just need to try it to understad.

Enjoyed it with grilled beef liver.

2019 Chateâu Beaumont Les Pierriéres

 Very good Bordeaux. Strong nose and taste of black currant, with spices in the taste. Very low on sugar, a bit of sour note, usual for Blaye, which enhances taste. Will buy again, when available.

Enjoyed it with salmon grilled on a cedar plank.

2020 Bellevue Favereau

 Classic Bordeaux. Strong black currant note in the nose and taste. Almost no sugar. Good finish. I will definitely buy more.

Was great with grilled tuna.

2022 Cancellus Rose

 

Good Rosé. A bit of plum, a hint of raspberries. No gas, so usual for Portuguese wines.

Enjoyed it with grilled bonito.

Mundus Rosé

 Simple and light Rosé, which is exactly what the label says. With a bit of gas, but not unpleasant. Mostly OK, but I already found better Rosé wines in Portugal.

Was OK with seafood paella.

2020 Pai d'Aviz

 

Huge disappointment. This wine doesn't have any class. Feels like cheap cooking wine, nothing more.

Didn't add anything to excellent grilled veal.

2021 Espirito do Cõa

 This wine has class. It feels like Bordeaux. Same strong black currant and sour cherry notes. Unfortunately, it's similar to Médoc, has the same light bitter note, which I don't like.

Was OK with grilled tuna.

2023 JP Azeitão Syrah

 

We moved to Portugal. I'm starting to describe local wines we tried.

This one - Rosé. Drinkable, but that's about all I can say about it. There are better wines here.

Wasn't bad with pizza with grilled shrimp.

2022 de Mont Rosé

 Good. Usual tones for Rosé from Provence: honey, spices, citrus. Very well balanced.

Enjoyed it with crab meat pie. Would be great with any seafood.