Portuguese Wine Dinner - 21/10/05 - Tasting Notes

Details:

Date: 21st Oct, 2005.
Venue: Club Lusitano (Salao Nobre de Camoes), Central, HK.
Organized by: Vins Gallery
Cost: HK$480 each

Menu + Wine List:

Welcome Aperitif

Wine - San Lorenzo Hills Chardonnay 2004

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: HK$98

Tasting notes: Clear, with pale lemon colour. Few legs. Medium developing fruity nose. Intense floral, citrus & vanilla (probably becoz of the oak ageing) aroma. The wine is dry, with high acidity, has a medium body & intensity. On palate, it shows good oak & buttery texture. The alcohol level is medium high & it has a relatively long finish. I think it is a good valued wine & ready to drink.

Appertizer

Pasteis de Bacaihau

Golden Fried Cod Cakes Served with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Wine - San Lorenzo - Bairrada 2003

Alcohol: 13%

Grape Blend: 80% Baga, 10% Merlot, 10% Shiraz

Price: HK$98

Tasting notes: Clear, with a deep purple colour. Few legs. Clean, weak but developing nose. Oaky, red fruit, herbal, plummy aroma. The wine is dry & has medium- highly acid. It has high tannins, medium intensity. Medium-full in body. In the mouth it gives a lot of oak, red fruit, blackcurrant, a bit of herbs & harbaceous. The wine is acceptable & it should be able to evolve in bottle in another two years.

Remarks: Patrick's second favourite, the first goes to the Touriga Nacional.

Soup

Caido a Alentejana

Spinach and Chourico in a Chick-pea Puree

Wine - Messias Selection - Douro 2003

Alcohol: 12%

Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franco & Tinta Roriz

Price: HK$108

Tasting notes: Clear, deep ruby red colour. Few legs, with narrow pink watery rim. It has a clean, medium, developing smoky nose. It gives a blackcurrant, vegetal (cabbage), smoked ham & oaky aroma. The wine is dry on palate, with medium-high acidity & medium tannins. High in intensity & medium-full in body. It have tremendous black fruit flavour, particularly blackcherries, a bit of sour cherries & plums, and also some hints of meat. It gives a medium long finish with medium alcohol level. The quality is good & it is ready to drink now.

Remarks: The wine is good, however, I personally do not like the match of this wine to the dish, the thick potato texture overpowers the wine a bit & the acidity causes the soup tasted awkward.

First Main Course

Leitao a Moda da Bairrada

Roast Suckling Pig in Bairrada Style

Wine - Quinta do Valdoeiro - Touriga Nacional 2003

Alcohol: 14.5%

Region: Bairrada
Price: $195

Tasting notes: Clear, opague ruby colour. Few legs. It has a clean, medium-intensity & developing nose. It has a very distinctive buttery nose. There are beautiful aromas like floral, herbal & oak. On palate it is dry, with high acidity & high tannins. It is high in intensity & full in body. The 100% Touriga Nacional did impress me when it gave me the intense blackcurrant, oaky, buttery, floral in the mouth. Although it has a high alcohol level of 14.5%, it didn't give me the burning heat alcohol aftertaste. It has a long beautiful length. This is a very good-quality wine. It is ready to drink since it is at its peak for the moment.

Remarks: This is the best wine I like throughout the night. It is a very well-balanced wine & was matched perfectly with the suckling pig (portuguese style).

Second Main Course

Frango Assado

Traditional Roast Chicken

Wine - Quinta do Cachao - Touriga Franca 2003

Alcohol: 13%

Region: Douro

Price: HK$210

Tasting notes: Clear, opague, purple colour. There are a few legs & shows a pink rim. It has a clean, medium, developing nose. It has some blackfruit, mainly blackcurrant, coffee, corn aroma. On palate it is dry, high in acidity & high in tannins, medium high instensity. The wine in full in body & gives similar flavours as the nose. It has obvious oak flavour too. It has medium alcohol level & a medium length. The wine is quite good in quality & can be consumed now.

Dessert

Serradura

Pastry Cream with Layers of Crumbled Biscuit

Wine - Messias Port Wine - 20 Years

Alcohol: 20%

Price:HK$430

Tasting notes: Clear, medium, tawny colour. There are many legs. It has a clean, pronounced, aged nose. It has strong dried fruit, caramel, coffee & toffee aroma. On palate it is sweet, high in acidity & low in tannins, high instensity. The wine in full in body. It has outstanding flavour such as dried fruit, ripe fruit, coffee, caramel & toffee. It has fortified alcohol level & a long length. The wine is good in quality & can be consumed now, but still can keep.

Coffee or Tea

Pasteis de Nata

Creamy Custard Tarts

Wine - Messias Port Wine - 30 Years

Alcohol: 20%

Price: $720

Tasting notes: Clear, deep, tawny colour. Many legs can be observed. The port has a yellow-brownish watery rim. It gives clean, very pronounced, aged nose. It has strong dried prunes, intense caramel, coffee & toffee aroma. On palate it is medium-sweet, high in acidity & low-medium tannins, high instensity. The wine in full in body. It gives flavours like riped raisins, chocolate, coffee & toffee. It has fortified alcohol level & a long length. The wine is good in quality & can be consumed now, but still can be kept.

OVERALL COMMENTS:

I like the wine, the food, the place & the ambience. It was a very enjoyable evening. Good value!