13/04/08
Cooperativa Vinicola Aurora Ltda

Miolo

Aurora Reserva Chardonnay 2007
Deep straw yellow colour, 3 months oak aging partly malo-lactic fermentation in oak. Yet it feels there is plenty of wood in the game. Coconut, vanilla, bounty beach feeling with a ripe tropical line up on the nose.
Dry, ripe tropical fruit, nice acidity good juicy fruit with a lemon drive, elegant finish.

Pequenas Partidas Carmenere 2006
12000 bottles made only in small lots and parcels. Good ruby colour some vinyl and tar on the nose some kind of Pinotage like character (heat stress?!) bacon very interesting in a way. Mushroom, “like a hard Cabernet” less fruit more vegetal nevertheless ripe. Dry, good acidity, more pleasant fruit on the palate, correct finish.

Millésime Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (13% vol)
Good deep colour, some of the best selection. Long contact with yeast for 18 months, oak a mix of old and new (1 year old and mix of 4-5 years too). Clean black fruit, cassis, good acidity, lovely grip of tannins, ripe fruit and a balanced picture with the oak. Good finish.

Aurora Pinot Noir (100%) Brut Method Charmant, Sierra Gaucha NV
Straw yellow colour, good mousse and fairly small bubbles. Moderate on the nose, dry, good fruit expression, silky-good fizz. Medium crisp, finishing off with a green/yellow apple.

Country Wine (9%)
Sabello, Concord, Sale grapes, the names comes from a love & romantic TV novella.
Ruby colour, cane sugar added prior bottling, strawberry, sort of sweet nose very simple, distinctive. Very juicy on the palate and sweet at the same time, low alcohol with around 90 g/l residual sugar 5,5 g/l acidity and the mentioned 9% ABV certainly a very unbalanced wine, work of wild yeast and the American grapes, natural wine :“making philosophy just let it happen”.

Casa de Bento 100%
Andreas showed me the more expensive version of the above one, this however does not have alcohol whatsoever. It’s a grape juice, simple and good. Deep colour, no alcohol, fine grape, fruit nose. Double the price of the previous (despite no alcohol). Why? The need of enzymes and pasteurization, more work is done with the beverage. Very refreshing and pure, grape juice.

13/04/09

Miolo

Miolo Gamey 2009

Purple colour with medium intensity, made in the south, lovely clean fruit, strawberry CO2 maceration, crisp easy to appreciate, since 14 days in the bottle. Refreshing strawberry hint of spice, fresh and nice.

Quinta do Seival 2005

3 port grapes used Castas Portuguesa

Deep colour, intense nose, sweet ripe fruit, berries, with good oak, herbs/spices rather complex, incredible ripe base material. Good. “new oak French” concentration full of ripe herbs and stunning drive, acidity slightly moderate on the palate, soft tannin, however. Notes of floral, violet, rose, good skills.

Quinta do Seval 2005

American oak, South

Deep colour, herbs with a green surface yet sweet vanilla concentration in the background. Slight peppery, character a weird mix. Herbs and cassis with a greenish vegetal clash. Green vs. American oak. What’s the story with the American oak?!

Cuvée Giuseppe 2004

Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) Merlot (40%)

1 year in French oak, exported to Europe. 37 Reals I was told (ca. 18USD)

Very different from the previous one, Cabernet yells loud and clear, deep colour, ripe herbs with a sweet attack. Fabulous fruit, blackberry, cassis, bramble with some leafy cedar notes, medium tannin, drive on the palate yet well balanced. Smoky, black fruit, lovely finish, ripe, good composition, made from 700 m altitude.

RAR 1000m altitude Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2004

Aged in American oak

Deep colour, herbs with a ripe cedar fresh notes, rich cassis on the palate. Rich and full, ripe texture, more full on the palate then on the nose. Fabulous finish, sweet herbs rich, complex. American oak is doing a better job here.

Lote 43, 2004

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 1 year in a mix of American and French oak

Made just in the best vintages. Deep colour, need time to open up, serious wine, deep concentration, body and weight, undeniable. Ripe fruit, sweet spices and black fruit on the palate, complex and with weight. Good density, future promising….

Millesime 2006 Brut

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay 50-50%

1 year on the lees, traditional method.

Pale colour, good mousse, small bubbles. Fresh notes of citrus and lemon with a hint of green apple on the nose. Some creamy texture developing on the nose. Dry yet I suspect some residual sugar, apricot and fresh citrus notes on the palate, pleasant and very refreshing, medium full, correct finish.

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