The
wines of Sogevinus
An important group of brands making table wines and Ports from
Portugal's Douro
Sogevinus is the Port and table wine
group owned by Spanish bank Caixanova (based in Galicia).
Established in 1998, it began with the purchase of Port house Cálem,
and then followed the acquisition of Burmester (2005), Kopke (2006)
and Barros (2006). Sogevinus own two quintas in the Douro. Arnozelo
is in the Douro Superior next to Vargellas and has 100 hectares of
grade 'A' vineyards. Sao Luíz is close to Pinhão in the Cima Corgo
and has 90 hectares of vines. Althogether, this is a reasonably
sized operation, selling some 12.5 million bottles in 2009, with a
90:10 split between Port wine and table wine (the table wine project
began here in 2002, with the first wines released in 2004).
I visited the adjacent Kopke and Cálem
lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, with Francisco Gonçalves (who makes
the table wines) and Pedro Sá (who makes the Ports)
PORTS
Burmester White Ports
This is a new project from Burmester, and
these were cask samples. The idea is to produce a 10, 20, 30 and 40
year old white Port which will be sold in a set of four 375 ml
bottles. White Port is rarely taken seriously, but these were
certainly serious wines. You'll see from my scores that I found them
all really attractive – they show differences, as well, and which
you prefer depends on your personal preference. Once the wines get
to 20 years old they show lots of complexity.
Burmester 10 Years Old Tawny
Casky, nutty nose is sweet and appealing. The palate is lively,
nutty and fairly complex with real intensity and a long, nutty
finish. 92/100
Burmester 20 Years Old Tawny
Warm, complex, casky, nutty nose has real interest. The palate
is open and elegant with nutty, spicy complexity and a long finish.
Beautiful. 94/100
Burmester 30 Years Old Tawny
Lifted, aromatic spice and nut nose. The palate has warm
complexity and lots of concentration. It is rounded and sweet with
real depth, and notes of rum and raisin. Lovely wine. 94/100
Burmester 40 Years Old Tawny
Intense, spicy, casky nose with a savoury twist to the
sweetness. The palate is soft, smooth and sweet with nice complexity
and depth. This is soft and mellow, but with lively spicy notes on
the finish. 94/100
Other Ports
Cálem Rosé Port
Everyone seems to be making pink Port these days. I’m not a
huge fan of the category, although this is a good one. Full pink
colour. Sweet cherryish nose leads to a fruity, sweet, slightly
spicy palate. Attractive, appealing and sweet. 84/100
Cálem 20 Years Old Tawny
Brown colour. Rich warm nose is sweet and spicy. Quite complex.
The palate is dense, sweet and nicely balanced with nut, raising and
spice complexity. 91/100
Kopke Colheita 1966
Beautifully complex. Really dense with warm, spicy, old
furniture, treacle and raisin notes. Mellow and super-concentrated
with nice acidity and some citrus notes countering the sweet warmth.
95/100
Burmester Colheita 1937
Age really brings something to this wine. Intensely savoury nose
with earth, spice and dried herb notes as well as some
treacle/raisin sweetness. The palate is complex, savoury and spicy
with lots of lovely cask notes and fresh acidity, as well as citrus,
tar, spice, vanilla and nut characters. A long, long spicy finish.
97/100
TABLE
WINES
Kopke Branco 2009
Fresh, open, lemony nose is bright with some pithiness. The
palate is fresh and lemony with nice fruit and good acidity. Clean
and fresh. 87/100
Kopke Branco Reserva 2008
A blend of Viosinho, Arinto and Folgazão, given 10 h skin
maceration, fermented and aged in French oak. Quite intense, with
grapefruit and toast notes. The palate is bold, intense, lemony and
fresh with some melon notes, too. Nice balance to this boldly
flavoured wine. 89/100
Curva Branco Reserva 2008
Fernão Pires and Viosinho, aged in oak. Intense nose is spicy
and toasty. The palate has bright, intense fruit, some tropical
notes and also some lemon/grapefruit freshness, as well as subtle
toastiness. Lovely depth. Unusual but nice. 89/100
Burmester Colheita Tinto 2008
Sweet, open cherry and blackberry fruit nose with hints of
chocolate and vanilla. The palate shows lovely open, fresh fruit.
Quite pure with sweet fruit dominant and some elegance. Accessible
and appealing. 88/100
Casa Burmester Reserva Tinto 2007
Dense and quite rich with lots of sweet dark fruit, rounded off
with some warm spicy oak influence. The oak is a little intrusive
but the fruit is very nice. 87/100
Kopke Reserva Tinto 2007
A dense, structured wine with tightly wound dark fruits, spicy
notes, some tannins and oak. Nice fruit sweetness but quite firm and
closed at the moment. 88/100
Curva Reserva Tinto 2007
Vivid and intense with some spice and structure. Bold dark
fruits and some evident oak. Tightwound and quite closed for now.
Very nice fruit, but needs some time to develop. 89/100
See
also:
The
new Douro (series)
Wines
tasted 05/10
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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