TOP FOUR - IN A ZONE OF THEIR OWN

SETÚBAL’S STELLAR QUARTET  

Portuguese prize-winners

Get your hands on these Iberian newbies, a quartet of quality Portuguese wines from the Setúbal peninsula at an astounding price, brought to these shores, for the first time, by the talent spotters of Wine Alliance.

Let me fill you in.
All four have been groomed by Pegões, a modern and competitive multi-award (140, and counting) winning winery which has been acclaimed as “possibly Portugal’s best co-op”. The region has an unique climate and soil combination “that gives birth to the unique Pegões wines”.

Let’s start with the whites. First up was the Branco 2009, made with Farnão Pires (70%), Moscatel (20) and Arinto. Strange bedfellows, to most of us, but the result is a crisp refreshing wine with an ABV of 12%.

It is delicious with fresh lemony aromatics, fruity on the palate and a clean zesty finish. Their label does not lie! Neither does the price tag: €8.99. Incredible. But true.

Next on my Pegões list was the Stella Blanco 2009, made entirely from the famous dry Muscat of Setúbal. I tasted this beauty before it won a silver at the Decanter Awards recently.

It has the colour of pale straw and an aromatic nose. Tastes of melon, tangy tingly, well balanced with good length in the finish. 

Bottle notes indicate “juicy summer fruit...zesty..crisp and dry” and I could agree with that.

ABV is 12% and again the price is an incredible €8.99. Get down and grab some of this winner, quickly.

The high standard continued with the reds, starting with the 2009 Santo Isidro Tinto 12.5%, made entirely from the Castelão grape. It is a ruby red colour, raspberry on the nose. On the palate it is fruity, smooth (with a hint of spice).  Absolutely delicious and easy to drink and a steal at €8.49. Great value for a terrific wine.

Last but not least of the quartet is the Stella Rosso 2008, 50% castelão and 50% syrah with an ABV of 13.5%. Price here is €8.99 but probably worth about 50% more as are each of the quartet.

Enjoyed this with Lambs Liver

(plus Bacon, onions, sour cream...and fresh sage from the back garden, along with potato cake and spinach from the garden). The bottle notes indicated: “it is excellent with red meats, roast and cheese.” I agree.

It is deep ruby in the glass, plumy on the nose. And that rich plum taste is noticeable on the palate as is the spice of the Syrah. This is grippingly dry but the acidity is agreeably countered by the rich fruit and the result is a smooth well balanced wine with quite a good length on the finish.

Six months in American oak barrels plus four more in the bottle before release make this beauty, “full, fruity, spicy red”, perhaps the ace of the Setubal pack. Expect to hear more of this stellar line-up.

Stockists: 1601 Off Licence (Kinsale), Cases Wine Warehouse (Galway), Hollands of Bray, and other fine wine stockists nationwide.