A Guide to Portuguese Wine Via Falua’s Vimioso
Sometimes wines just fall into place at the right time. What is the right time? Well for this wine, the 2021 Falua "Conde Vimioso" Branco Tejo $14.99, the time is right now. It comes from Portugal, a country that is most definitely in the middle of a moment as one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe. If you are reading this, you probably have been to Portugal in the last five years; if not, you definitely know people who have.
But it’s not just tourism that is animating Portugal these days: Portuguese wine is incredible. I have been in the wine game long enough that the current dry wine scene in Portugal is reminding me of what was happening when Italian wines exploded on the international stage during the late 90s and early 2000s—except Portuguese wines are doing so with two additional decades of winemaking and viticultural advancements under their belts.
Like in Italy, there are hundreds of native varieties in Portugal; dozens of under-the-radar regions that are waiting to be explored; and, most importantly, delicious wine for international drinkers to discover. Many of us will know one or two of the more famous regions—and they are famous for good reason—but part of the fun of wine in general is the journey of exploration—and right now there is so much to delve into in Portuguese wine. This is the wine, and this is the time where I start actively guiding readers through Portuguese wines on this side.
Portuguese varieties have Portuguese names, and there is a language hurdle that needs to be cleared for there to be a level of comfortability. Portuguese is not like Italian where you can fake it till you make it with pronunciations, so I will try to help.
Here’s the what: the grapes.
Arinto (ah-RINN-toh) is one of the most important native white varieties in Portugal, planted all over the country from Vinho Verde in the north to the Algarve in the South. It is a frequent component in blends because of its high acidity, maintaining that acidity even in hot climates. It brings zip and minerality to the wine.
Fernão Pires (fer-now peer-esh) is commonly found in the wines from Tejo, Lisboa, and Bairrada. It is an aromatic varietal. It brings floral and spice aromatics, along with a fruit-driven mid palate.
Verdelho (ver-delo) Here is where it starts to get super confusing. There are several different varieties that have the same name, yet they are different. To make it more confusing, there is no consensus. This is not the variety that is grown on Madeira. This is most likely Gouveio, which is better known to Spanish wine drinkers as Godello. Here is another higher-acid varietal, with moderate fruit.
OK that is the what. Now for the where: Tejo.
Tejo is west of Lisbon. It takes its name from the Tejo River, or as our history books call it, the Tagus River. It is the region that surrounds the river as it approaches Lisbon from the east. Like many of the other major rivers in Europe, it has a deep history in commerce and winemaking. The soils in the region are alluvial in origin, especially when in proximity to the river. The climate here is not unlike California’s: the warm Mediterranean weather is moderated by the river’s cooling influence. Here is a photo of one of their vineyards.
You’ll notice rocks. Lots and lots of rocks! Underneath are more rocks and sand. You can imagine this having an influence on the character of the wines, and you would be correct. The best parallel is in the vineyards and the wines of Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan.
Now the who: Falua. Falua is a project that started in the mid-90s. They are based in the village of Almeirim on the southern shore of the Tejo. It is a relatively large company which farms 45 ha of vineyards.
And here’s the why: The Conde Vimioso is a reserve line for the company, and the efforts to produce it are comparable to the best wines in the world. All the grapes are hand harvested, then destemmed and fermented separately in stainless steel. After fermentation, around 20% of the Arinto and Fernão Pires are aged in used 500L French oak barrels for several months. Here is where I am going to head back to Bordeaux for reference: this wine is built more like a Pessac-Léognan Blanc than any white that you might have had from Portugal in the past. There is a verticality to it, there is richness and poise, but the acidity gives it restraint. The fruit is citrus with some tropical tones, there is an herbal note and good minerality. This is an old-world white wine, with that generous Portuguese personality to it.
It has a moderately aromatic nose, it starts off with the usual suspects of white wine, apple, pear, citrus, with a little bit of lemon curd and then some faint wet rocks in the background. With a little time, the fruit characters darken, it takes a subtle exotic twist, with a new layer of intriguing aromas that suggest herbs, flowers, green leaves, and more crushed stones. The palate is a surprise. The flavors steer more towards heirloom apples and citrus zest than anything exotic. The surprise comes from the body of the wine, not the flavors. This is a medium-bodied wine with 12.5% alcohol, but it feels fuller and much more intense than you would expect. But that is the fun part, what were we expecting? We don’t know any of the major players in this game, that is why this is so much fun! It gets even better, there is a surprising amount of intensity and persistence to this wine, especially when it comes to this price point, something that I have yet to bring up: It’s $14.99! This wine is an incredible value. The fruit and exotic floral, herbal tones linger over that wet stone minerality on the crisp, mouthwatering finish. This wine has elements that will appeal to most wine drinkers; there is good fruit, crisp acidity, intensity, minerality, and most importantly it has its own unique character. This is, after all, a wine made from unfamiliar grapes grown in an unfamiliar territory. It is delicious and it not only wets the appetite for a meal but for discovering more of what Portugal has to offer.
I am extremely excited about the wines from Portugal. There is so much good wine, and so many new regions, and varietals to explore. Thanks for joining me on this journey.