Wines made in small clay pots?

In the Fall of 2019, the Wines of Alentejo took me through a one-week jaunt of cellars in this part of Portugal. During the trip, I visited a number of producers who are making wines in clay vessels. Portugal is home to the only appellation in the world dedicated to this technique, known as Vinho de Talha DOC. A year after my first trip to the region, I bumped into a producer of Vinho de Talha that really caught my attention.

XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel

XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel is a small project by childhood friends Daniel Parreira and Ricardo Santos. There are 26 amphorae (talhas) in the cellar, hence the name XXVI Talhas. Mestre Daniel is the name of Daniel’s grandfather, who was the original owner of the cellar.

The Vinho de Talhas from XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel are my favorite wines from the appellation. They produce small batches of wine and even single Talha wines (wines coming from a single amphora, like a barrel selection). XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel also produces a line of fresher wines made in small clay pots (no larger than 300 liters). This small pot is called a ‘tareco’.

“We make the ‘do tareco’ wines because we try to do a style as close as possible to the wine we start drinking just after Saint Martin day (11 November),” Ricardo tells me. “All the small producers are waiting for that special day to have their winery full of people,” he continues.

“We bottled the 2020 tareco wines just after 11 November, they are young and fresh, almost like the wine taken from the traditional talhas. The grapes are the same as our Vinho de Talha line but there is maceration time.”

Do Tareco

Do Tareco translates to “from clay pots” and are bottled immediately after Saint Martin’s day. It’s a day dedicated to feasting and drinking fresh wine. I was skeptical before trying the XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Do Tareco wines. My assumption was that the wines would be too angular, lacking both complexity and drinkability.

Thank goodness, I was wrong. In this style, the Do Tareco wines are stellar. All three wines brim with texture and charisma. Scrap the Beaujolais Noveaux and give these wines a try. Wines made in clay vessels are all the rage these days and these bottles from XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel are examples done right.

Wine Recommendations:

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Branco do Tarco 2020

The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Branco do Tarco is a blend of Perrum, Manteúd, Larião, Diagalves, Roupeiro, and Antão Vaz macerated for two months in small clay pots called tareco. It’s a beautiful, pure white wine with notes of pineapple, chalk, white peach, and guava. The nose has the sensation of dried fruit while it has more dried fruit flavors in the mouth. Tannins are a little chewy here. This is a Vinho de Talha (Alentejan amphora wines) in it’s purest form. I’m a big fan. Score: 90/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Palhete do Tarco 2020

Palhete is traditionally a blend of grapes left over from the harvest, both white and red. The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Palhete do Tarco is basically a deeper rosé that was fermented in small clay pots (tareco). All of the grapes for this wine are harvested and fermented together. Notes of raspberry, cherry, and earthy clay. This is more of a light red with some tannin to it. Bright acidity that cuts through the palate. This is delicious and has the ability to pair with a number of different foods. Essentially, it’s an extreme natural wine in style but those who like conventional wines will find a lot to like here. Score: 90+/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Tinto do Tarco 2020

The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Tinto do Tarco is a blend of Aragonês (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, and Tinta Grossa fermented in small clay pots called tareco. It’s a fresh red with notes of sour cherry, raspberry, pepper, and mineral notes. Juicy and fruit-forward with a small amount of tannin and a long finish. The acidity here is beautiful for Alentejo (which is a hot region). Drink this on the chilled side. Fans of Cru Beaujolais will find a lot to like here. Score: 91/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

Check Out These & Other Portuguese Natural Wines

You can pick up XXVI Talhas and other Portuguese natural wines at Real Portuguese Wine. Use our discount code and get 10% off. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, you get a discount, and help support our work.

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XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Do Tareco appeared first on Wine Travel.

Real Portuguese Wine is aiming to bring Portuguese natural wine to the world!

In the Fall of 2019, I did my annual trip to Portugal. I spent a riveting two and a half weeks traveling through the Douro, Dão, Bairrada, and Alentejo. The trip wrapped up in the capital of Lisbon, where I found myself at Black Sheep Lisboa.

The bar is owned by an American couple and sits in the heart of Lisbon. Over the course of an evening, proprietor Brian Patterson kept my glass full of Portuguese natural wines. Throughout the night, people from all walks of life from Britain to Holland to Canada and the USA back to Portugal. The evening felt like an episode of the old sitcom “Cheers”.

Real Portuguese Wine

Fast forward a few months and Brian reached out to me on Instagram.

He was excited to share the launch of his new venture Real Portuguese Wine. His goal is to present honest, artisanal, natural Portuguese wines to the world. “I’ve been studying and working with Portuguese wines for ten years,” Brian says. “I have a personal relationship with every winemaker in our portfolio. Every wine is curated by me and is a reflection of my time, care, and consideration.”

Natural wine is on the rise around the world, trendy wine bars and restaurant lists are loaded of them. With more attention and demand comes increases in price. This is where Portuguese natural wine really shines, especially these bottles from Real Portuguese Wine.

Portugal is already known for producing wines that exceed their price points. It’s in the Portuguese DNA, fantastic wine at affordable prices is like a birthright. Producers of Portuguese natural wine are cut from the same cloth. Many of these wines would go for double or triple if it was from a different country of origin. Scoop these Portuguese natural wines while you can.

Wine Recommendations:

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• Antonio Madeira, Branco

The Antonio Madeira, Branco is a blend of 2017 & 2018 vintages. This is a macerated field blend. It’s a clean orange wine with notes of sweet peach, sliced apricot, minerals, and a kiss of oak. This is a chewy, clean orange wine. Soft tannins and a lemony, mineral finish. A wine with real soul and pure fun to drink. Score: 90/100

• Torre de Tavares, Mencia 2018

Torre de Tavares aims to produce the pure expression of the Dão. The grape Mencia is also known as Jaen in Portugal. It has notes of red plum, forest berries, stems, and bubblegum. It’s dark-colored, fruity, and plush. There are some chewy tannins here that beg for food. This is a wild, stemmy take on this grape and I adore it. If this does see oak aging, you can’t taste it. Make sure to give it some air before drinking. Score: 89/100

• Arribas, Saroto 2019

The Arribas, Saroto is made from old vines, in the Trás-os-Montes region. There are so many varieties planted in the vineyards, that the Arribas owners don’t know what they all are. They do know there’s plenty of Douro grapes here. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, pepper, and a touch of violets. This is juicy and low in alcohol. There is plenty of acidity here. The tannic structure isn’t big but they do sneak up on you. Conventional wine drinkers will find this too thin and acidic. However, in the style of easy-drinking, minimal intervention reds, I think this is very well done. Score: 90/100 

• Duckman, Branco 2019

Made by Maria João Pato, daughter of Luis Pato. The Duckman, Branco is made from Bical aged in wood for six months. Notes of bright tropical fruit like pineapple and starfruit along with some lemon and white flower notes. This is an extreme white wine that is full of flavor. There is a touch of tannin here which adds to the complexity. There’s a fine lemongrass finish. There’s a lot of sediment here but don’t be scared. Crazy and full of personality. Score: 90+/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Branco 2019

XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel is named after the 26 Talhas (amphorae) in his small cellar. The Branco is a blend of Antão Vaz, Perrum, and Roupeiro fermented in Talha (amphora). Only filtered off using the stems. Attractive notes of daffodil, fresh-cut pineapple, chalk, and even some red cherry. Full-bodied and surprisingly fruity on the palate. Gentle tannins on the back end. In general, I tend to favor red Vinho de Talha over whites. These two wines from Mestre Daniel are giving me a change of heart. Score: 91/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Tinto 2019

The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Tinto is a blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez (Tempranillo), and Tinta Grossa fermented in talha (amphora). Gorgeous nose of black cherry, blackberry, violets, and earth. It smells a lot like a cooler climate red. It’s not a big alcoholic monster, it’s tart and herbal on the palate. More medium in body. The complexity here is undeniable and the interplay between fruit and earth is very attractive. Chewy tannins. Score: 91/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Talha X 2019

The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Talha X is a blend of Antão Vaz, Diagalves, Perrum, Roupeiro, and Manteúdo from one single Talha (amphora). Notes of sweet peach, chamomile tea, tangerine, and pineapple with a touch of chalk. This is a wine that shows concentration beyond what the alcohol level (11.5%) suggests. Generous fruit on the mouth which has many layers of texture. This has more richness, tannin, and staying power than the standard ‘Branco’ bottling. Long finish. Score: 92/100

• XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, ‘Talha XV’ Tinta Grossa 2019

The XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel, Talha XV is made from a single Talha (amphora) It is 100% Tinta Grossa. Very pretty nose of red raspberry, red plum, and incense with some chalky tones. This has a mouth full of pure fruit flavors along with some subtle stemmy notes. This carries its 14% abv very well and feels plenty fresh in the mouth. The tannins are round and surprisingly plush for a red that is young and didn’t see oak. Long finish, as far as Vinho de Talha reds go, this is the cream of the crop. Score: 92+/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

[ap_call_to_action button_text=”Shop Now” button_url=”https://realportuguesewine.com/collections/shop-all” button_align=”center”]Get 10% off by using the code RPWEXWINETRAVEL[/ap_call_to_action]

Real Portuguese Wine and XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Real Portuguese Wine appeared first on Wine Travel.