Oscar, Winemaker

The Algarve is a well known region for sun seekers, but what most people don't know is that it's an absolutely fantastic region for quality Portuguese winemaking. Warm weather + coastal breeze = vibrant, exciting wines.

Portuguese wines are very often blends of a handful of carefully selected grape varieties, and when you taste a wine with the quality of this little beauty, you can taste exactly why. The balance is superb, each variety brings something unique to the table, creating a rich, powerful wine that will take a hold of anyone from clued up wine buffs, to those on the hunt for the perfect bottle to greet the weekend with.

With its deep, almost violet colour, this is a wine that looks just as rich and unctuous as it tastes. Starting with wonderful aromas of jammy blackberries, the palate reveals velvety fruits alongside warming flavours of chocolate and vanilla. It has the long, balanced finish of a truly classy act.

If you’re a fan of Portuguese wines, you need to give critically-acclaimed winemaker Joao Pires’ brand new Aventureiro Tinto a whirl. This seriously moreish, fruity nectar is an absolutely classic Douro Valley red, made by a born and bred native of the region.

Having grown up among the riverside terraces and elevated vineyards of the Douro, Joao has an intricate knowledge of the region and knows where to find the best parcels of fruit. He was so excited to create this incredible new Tinto just for you, to show off the incredible quality and class his region has to offer.

It’s a delicious blend of 5 different Portuguese grapes all wrapped up in a warm oaky hug, with layers upon layers of flavour and complexity. It’s packed with rich dark fruits, bramble and liquorice, and notes of black pepper and olive with nice tannins on the finish. This wine is already super-yummy now, but give it a few years to age and that flavour and complexity will just multiply in heaps and spades.

Only in exceptional years are we lucky enough to get our hands on Mario Negreiros’ Reserva. Having made just 3 previous vintages, back in 2007, 2013 and 2015  we were so excited when he said 2017 had made the grade.

Mario’s Reserva is brimming with dark and bramble fruits and a slight spiciness which hails from the new French oak barrels it is aged in. By all means open it up now but it will really improve with 3-5 more years in the bottle.