PORTUGAL ON YOUR PALATE | WINING & DINING
Te Dão region has all kinds of advantages as far as grape-growing is concerned. It has an ideal terroir (as the French would no doubt say, if it were theirs) – that wine-defining blend of geology and climate.
Alvaro de Castro strides through his hillside vineyard at Quinta da Pellada. Tis is the most beautiful place, overlooking the forested foothills of the Serra da Estrela to the east (Portugal’s highest mainland mountain range). “Up here we’re on the frontier of not having ripe grapes,” he says, his lined face exploding into a grin, “We’re always looking for the best exposition, the best slopes to capture the sun.”
At altitude, temperatures are cooler, especially at night, which is a positive thing as chillier nights allow the grapes to keep their aromas and flavours, and guard against over-ripening and consequently soaring levels of alcohol. Mountains encircle the Dão region, with the Serra da Estrela forming a soaring backdrop to the east and south, with many of the best vineyards on its foothills. Actually, there’s more forest than vineyard – you can cross the region on its narrow roads from mountain to mountain through pine forest, oaks, lime trees, eucalyptus, and not even see a vine. You may hear sheep bells – the Serra da Estrela is, aſter all, the source of Portugal’s famous, gloopy cheese.
Te soil is also part of the terroir. It’s mostly degraded granite, through which solid rock oſten protrudes. Te old houses are built of granite, walls sometimes more than a metre thick, with wooden shuters against the cold of upland winter. As far as the wines are concerned, granite soils give brightness and a mineral quality very typical in the Dão.
Dão wines have never been as good as they are today. But the region suffers from its reputation of years gone by. Dão wines used to be wood- aged in ill-equipped cellars, kept hanging about until all that bright fruit had gone. And those tired, faintly vinegary flavours of old have stuck in the memories of wine-drinking Anglo- Saxons of a certain age. For most of the second half of the 20th century, local regulations insisted that all the region’s grapes should be delivered to co-operatives. Only a couple of producers managed to slip through loopholes
and make beter wines. It was the European Union (EU) that changed everything. Four years aſter joining, Portugal was obliged to break the monopoly of the co-operatives, allowing private estates to make their own wines. EU money helped finance new vineyard and cellar equipment, not only for the new private producers, but also for the tired co-operatives.
Dão always had excellent raw materials – but some undesirable grape varieties as well. Over the last 20 years, the beter varieties have multiplied, especially in private estates, and many of the poor quality vines have gone. Most Dão is a blend of varieties, but sometimes you’ll come across single-variety wines – a good way to get to know the flavours. For reds, there’s the famous Touriga Nacional – probably at its best here in Dão, where it keeps its acidity and all its fruity-flowery aromas, damson, violets, raspberries, blackcurrant, strawberries. Tere’s Tinto Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo) making berry-fruity, lively, firm reds, Alfrocheiro (fruity and soſt) and copious amounts of Jaen (Spain’s Mencia) which can taste flabby in warm areas but can be very good in higher, cooler parts of the Dão, flowery, easy, strawberry- fruity. Dão producers pride themselves on clever blending to achieve their ideal wine.
It’s not just red. Dão is also one of the best spots in Portugal for fine whites. Star white ingredient is the Encruzado, a local grape with lovely flowery- citrus flavours and oſten a mineral note. It’s good young and fruity, good oaked, and capable of developing interesting flavours as it ages. It is oſten blended with a selection of Arinto, Malvasia Fina, Verdelho and Bical.
Dão names to look out for:
• Pena de Pato, Calabriga • Quinta de Sães • Quinta da Pellada • Quinta da Giesta • Quinta da Bica • Quinta da Fallorca • Solar de Darei • Quinta das Carvalhais • Quinta das Roques • Quinta da Maias • Quinta de Cabriz • Pedro & Inês • Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha
www.portugal-life.net | Summer 2011 | 28
Photo: rLuis Pais/ViniPortugal
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