Portuguese Wine Tasting!
Thursday, July 13th
Dynamic wines from Douro, Dão, & Bairrada!
Portuguese Wine Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Thursday, July 13th
4pm - 6pm, $20
With Special Guest, Beth Farris of Grassroots
Call 256-964-7980 to Reserve!
NV Folias De Baco Uino Pet Nat Blanc De Noir Rose, Portugal $27.99
Varietals: Pinot Noir, Farming: Organic, Unfined/Unfiltered
Delicate floral and timid strawberry notes are met with flint and cherry, producing a lively yet airy style of sparkling Pinot Noir. With a graceful perlage, this rosé shines and begs to be poured.
Hand-harvested. Whole cluster pressing with no time on skins. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel (10000L) with wild yeasts for roughly three weeks under temperature control. Bottled after first fermentation. No dosage.
2020 Quinto De Santiago Vinho Verde, Portugal $16.99
40% Arinto, 30% Trajadura, 30% Loureiro
Green apple, lime juice, incredible acidity, tasteful minerality, slight effervescence
In 2009 from the passion and determination of then owner, Grandma Mariazinha Santiago (aged 86), her children dela, and grandchildren, a boutique winery was born....Along the northern border of Portugal and Spain, Quinta de Santiago is uniquely positioned to benefit from an ideal microclimate for growing Alvarinho, Loureiro, and numerous red grapes indigenous to this area." -JD Selections
2020 Textura Da Estrela Dao Branco, Portugal $40.99
Grapes: 60% Encruzado, 25% Bical, 15% Cerceal-Branco.
From vineyards in Vila Nova de Tazem, sub-region Serra da Estrela. 3 different parcels. 25-60 year old vines grown in granite soils Vinification: Decantation for 48 hours was proceeded after destemming and pressing the handpicked grapes (only the gently pressed juice was used to this wine). Wild fermentation took place 60% in a 2500L François Freres foudre, 30% in 500 L François Freres oak barrels and 10% in stainless steel tanks. The wine aged for 11 months “sur lie” without batonnage and other 10 months in stainless steel tanks.
NV Duckman "Nerd Duck", Bairrada, Portugal $27.99
Varietal: Fernão Pires, Baga
Tinted ruby red with notes of tobacco, earth, plum and cherry. Well balanced acidity and depth. An easier drinking red with soft tannins and a clean finish.
The Duckman wines express the true character of Bairrada’s indigenous varietals and its exceptional maritime influence. There are no indications of the region on the labels, done intentionally to demonstrate an acute sense of place and varietal typicity through minimal intervention in the cellar. Maria Pato, the daughter of Luis Pato, created this project because of her love of the region and varietals, so much so that she felt constrained by the standards of Bairrada wine making. For both of them only the indigenous varietals can be Bairrada wine, not imports that want to claim it as their own identity. Luis and Maria work from two main vineyards, Amoreira da Gândara which is composed of mostly sandy soils, and Óis do Bairro which is composed of mostly chalky-clay soils. Here they grow both red and white varietals: Baga, Bical, Cercial, and Fernão Pires (a.k.a. Maria Gomes).
2020 Quinta Do Javali Clos Fonte Do Santo "Cherry Tree", Douro, Portugal $40.99
Like its brother, the Clos Fonte do Santo Stone Vineyard, this Quinta do Javali Clos Fonte do Santo Cherry Tree Vineyard wine is a masterclass in what Douro red field blends can do with proper harvest date and farming. The Douro is famous for port, but it turns out you can make a killer fruit-driven, earthy red wine here, too. This wine is part of a revolutionary movement over the last decade in the Douro towards lower alcohol field blends which incorporate both red and white varieties. The exact inverse of port! This biodynamically farmed wine pours a shimmering, pale red, and weighs in at just 12% ABV. That's like the holy grail in terms of a refreshing red in an era of global warming, where these outcomes are harder and harder to come by. Here's a wine you can comfortably crush!
whole cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts in old French oak barrels. Unfiltered, and not cold stablized. A revelatory, wonderful tart, versatile red, with an intriguing savory spicy character, that finishes on a beguiling herbal cherry aroma. An absolute winner in all seasons, but an undisputed featherweight champion of a red for summer.
2019 Textura Da Estela Dao Tinto, Portugal $40.99
Textura da Estrela red 2019 comes from 3 different vineyard blocks, all of them at Vila Nova de Tazem (Serra da Estrela sub region). In 2019, it was a blend from old vines field blend (30%), Touriga Nacional (25%), Alfrocheiro (25%) and Jaen (20%). Vineyards from 25-60 years old at granitic soils, treated in a sustainable practice, without herbicides, are in conversion to organic certification since 2020.
It is a wine with great refinement and pine tree freshness. It has a mineral and earthy character, light pepper, red cherries and dry leaves flavours. Shows velvety and textured tannins with a hint of stem. Long, dry and salty finish. It ages for an even more elegant wine.
