Vadio Tinto 2009
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dense and dark color. Complex aromas of red fruits withbalsamic notes. Full body, with good acidity and robusttannins, long and persistent finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Tinto is all Baga, the region’s signature grape, tank fermented and then aged in a mixture of used French and American oak for approximately 18 months. It clocks in at 13% alcohol. This is well done, if you like its style. Notwithstanding the long oak treatment (used, though), this still is able to show some character. It has an elegant mid-palate and an underlying earthy tinge. There is a bright feel, the acidity cutting through the oak. It finishes with some astringency early on. A couple of hours of air allowed it to come together better. It now seemed better balanced, with an attractive mouthfeel. The overall demeanor is quite appealing, especially if you use it as a food wine. This is a nice presentation. It can still improve for a couple of years in the cellar.
Though viticulture has existed in this region since the Moor withdrawal in the 10th century, Bairrada gained recognition in the 17th century when it became a critical supplier to Port producers who needed juice to meet the ever-growing demand in Britain. In the centuries that followed, Bairrada dropped off the wine map; vignerons sold their juice in bulk or made wine for personal consumption. Luís now grows grapes for the Vadio project on land passed down through his family, as well as on a parcel of purchased land.
Vadio grows on two very distinct vineyard blocks: Rexarte and Barrio. The Rexarte vineyard features sloping westerly exposure and sandy loam soil. On .3 ha, Luis planted an experimental plot of various white varieties including Encruzado, Arinto, and Verdelho. They also have slightly larger plot of .5 ha planted to Cercial and Bical, their mainstay white cépages. In 2009, Luis purchased an equal sized .5 ha parcel of clay and sand soils to which he planted his red grape, Baga. The Barrio vineyard exhibits calcareous clay soil from the Jurassic Period. It’s actually split into two vineyards: the old portion called Barrio Belho, and a new portion planted in 2007, Barrio do Forno. Barrio is where the lion’s share of Baga grows. Viticulture is entirely organic.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Best known for intense, impressive and age-worthy fortified wines, Portugal relies almost exclusively on its many indigenous grape varieties. Bordering Spain to its north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean on its west and south coasts, this is a land where tradition reigns supreme, due to its relative geographical and, for much of the 20th century, political isolation. A long and narrow but small country, Portugal claims considerable diversity in climate and wine styles, with milder weather in the north and significantly more rainfall near the coast.
While Port (named after its city of Oporto on the Atlantic Coast at the end of the Douro Valley), made Portugal famous, Portugal is also an excellent source of dry red and white Portuguese wines of various styles.
The Douro Valley produces full-bodied and concentrated dry red Portuguese wines made from the same set of grape varieties used for Port, which include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão, among a long list of others in minor proportions.
Other dry Portuguese wines include the tart, slightly effervescent Vinho Verde white wine, made in the north, and the bright, elegant reds and whites of the Dão as well as the bold, and fruit-driven reds and whites of the southern, Alentejo.
The nation’s other important fortified wine, Madeira, is produced on the eponymous island off the North African coast.