Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

Just posted a regional report (here) with notes from a great tasting, trotting through a range of Quinta da Falorca Dão reds, including some mini-verticals.  I’ve not visited them, but their wines were a stand out at a generic Dão tasting I attended last year in July on my 50 Great Portuguese Wines’ quest (reported here).  In fact, after much deliberating (such was the quality of the candidates) by December, when I finalised my 50 Great, Falorca T-Nac 2007, an unoaked Touriga Nacional, emerged victorious.

On this tasting the 07 Falorca T-Nac still did me proud – a relief because this tasting took place on the eve of my 50 Great being unveiled in London!  My other picks of the bunch included the Burgundian Quinta da Falorca Reserva 2001, finesse-ful and harmonious Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional 2005 and Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira Old Vines 2004, a great wine for this vintage.

For full tasting notes of these and the other wines, see my Portugal Regional Report page here.  You will find detailed notes of my 50 Great tasting in London here.  On Monday, I’ll be posting my next Loire Salon Regional Report, focusing on a tasting of 2008 Anjou-Villages Brissac  – beautiful wines, floral, red-fruited and intense with a spine of tannins – like great Dão wines, which is why I mention it here.