The TOP 30 wines of Portugal in 2023!
As every year, Portugal’s leading wine magazine, Revista de Vinhos, announced this February the 30 best Portuguese wines selected from thousands of wines tasted by its own tasting panel.
In this selection, the magazine highlights top wines from different regions, in a wide variety of styles and varieties.
So let’s look at the wines that were considered the best of 2023.
I am happy to share that the March issue of the Algarve Plus Magazine has already been published, with my new writing!
The magazine is readable online or downloaded for free here.
Happy reading!
Or read here my whole article:
The TOP 30 wines
– Barbeito Três Amigos 50 Anos Meio Doce – Madeira wine by Vinhos Barbeito
This medium-intensity and amber-colored, fortified white wine is a blend of the Verdelho, Malvasia, and Boal grape varieties. The wine shows tropical aromas, candied fruit, wax, and dried fruits, with balsamic notes. On the palate, a medium-sweet wine with high acidity and alcohol level (20%). Flavors of candied fig and orange, with a very persistent finish. A truly exclusive, explosive, and overwhelming wine.
– Botão Vinha das Lamas 2021 by Lopes & Gonzalez, Bairrada
Lopes & Gonzalez started their project in 2017, on two half-hectare vineyards in the Bairrada region. This white wine is a blend of the Cercial, Bical, and Maria Gomes grapes. Medium intense aromas on the nose, orange blossom, peach, lime, light white pepper, light salt, and wet stone. On the palate, dry wine with high acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium intensity, flavors of lime, peach, and light black pepper, with a long finish. Still a young wine, but very fresh and mineral.
– Casa Ferreirinha Reserva Especial 2014 by Sogrape Vinhos, in Douro
This red wine was made from traditional Douro grapes such as Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cão.
Intense and highly complex aromas with notes of spices, pepper, truffles, balsamic, resin, cedar, and tobacco, accompanied by slightly mint, ripe black fruits, and some cocoa, as a result of good maturation. On the palate, the wine has excellent volume, lively acidity, firm tannins, black fruits, and spices, with an extremely long and complex finish.
– Casas Altas Chardonnay Cerca da Rogenda 2022 by José Madeira Afonso, in Beira Interior
This white wine is like a Burgundy-style Chardonnay but was born in the Beira Interior, in a vineyard located 700 meters above sea level. Expressive wine on the palate, full-bodied, and creamy with notes of ripe fruits, citrus oil, menthol, and peppermint. Long finish with excellent acidity. Ideal serving temperature of 8-10 ºC, and goes well with fish and cheese dishes.
– Coche 2021 by Niepoort, in Douro
Coche is Niepoort’s most exclusive white wine, which enhances the entire expression of the vineyard and the region. It comes from old vines, planted in mica schist soils at more than 600 meters, where the Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, and Arinto varieties predominate. On the nose, the aging in wood translates into notes of hazelnut and brioche that are very well integrated with an aromatic base of orchard fruits, such as white plum, peach, citrus, and some vegetal notes. In the mouth, elegant with moderate alcohol and high aromatic complexity.
– Crosta Calcária dos Profetas 2022 by Companhia dos Profetas e dos Villões, Madeira
Crosta Calcária is a geological zone in the north of the island of Porto Santo, where the limestone profile becomes compacted, giving the wines an additional minerality. The island of Porto Santo emerged 14 million years ago in the Atlantic Ocean and is geologically one of the oldest islands in the Portuguese archipelagos. The ancients said that this was where they came to pick the ripest grapes to make the wine that made these islands famous. Today there are less than 14 hectares left.
This Atlantic wine is produced from the Caracol and Listrão grape varieties. The golden-colored wine with greenish hints has intense aromas on the nose, saline, lime zest, grapefruit, and some smoke. On the palate, full and textured attack where the aromas are repeated in the nasal cavity. The volume is supported by crisp acidity.
– Czar 2014 by Fortunato Garcia, Pico
A premium and rare, completely natural sweet liqueur wine from a small Azorean island in the Atlantic, on Pico Island. The production of this liqueur wine depends on the weather conditions of the island. While, on the one hand, the influence of the Atlantic and the abundant sun is favorable to the development of Verdelho grapes, the rain and wind harm them. This amber-colored wine presents aromas of sea breeze, smoke, marzipan, and almonds, on the nose. The wine has impressive delicacy, freshness, and structure, with a touch of salt in the background. Harsh dryness crashes the back palate with penetrating acidity, in a long finish.
– Áurea 2021 by Textura Wines, in Dão
Áurea was born in a 35-year-old vineyard in Penalva do Castelo, in the Dão wine region, on the slopes of Serra da Estrela. This red wine is a blend of the Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro grape varieties. The granite and clayey soil, typical of this vineyard, makes it a red wine with a deep character. Delicate aromas with a red fruit character, something earthy, and fresh. The presence of this fruity character in the mouth with a high sensation of freshness and elegance. Still with character, dry but precise and textured tannins. Great complexity and enormous potential for aging in the bottle.
– Domínio do Açor Bical Vinha Celta 2021 by Horizonte Ilimitado, in Dão
A historic farmhouse with spectacular heritage of old vines was acquired by a group of friends in 2021. Domínio do Açor is inserted in a fascinating atmosphere next to the medieval village of Oliveira do Conde where great Dão terroir wines are made.
This white wine made from 100% Bical grape is lemon in color. A fascinating and savory nose, mineral, with orchard fruit, creamier impressions of lilies, and a breath of exotic wood. It enters the mouth with great concentration, where there is a fabulous balance between acidity and granite sapidity. Long, classic finish.
– Estremus 2019 by João Portugal Ramos, in Alentejo
This red wine is a blend of the Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira grapes. Intense aroma, dominated by ripe black fruits such as cassis and blackberries, complexed by tertiary aromas from its aging in barrels. Soft attack, followed by acidity, volume, and structure in harmony, gives it a long, persistent and highly elegant finish.
– Excellent Moscatel de Setúbal – Moscatel de Setúbal by SVP – Horácio dos Reis Simões
Excellent Moscatel Setúbal is the result of intense work over more than 100 years. The vineyard was monitored and pampered for decades. At the winery, a winemaking process was designed for this product, different from the usual. The final stage is carried out in various wooden barrels, where they will be concentrated for decades, that result in an impressive wine.
The wine has a topaz color with greenish hints. Floral aromas with spices on the nose. Round, very soft, and fresh wine with a very long finish. Alcohol content: 17 %. A good company for desserts.
– Graham’s The Stone Terraces Porto Vintage 2021 – Vinho do Porto by Symington Family Estates
An extraordinary edition of The Stone Terraces Vintage Port – only the fifth ever produced – which delights the senses now and will age beautifully for decades. In the year 2021, the remarkably cool nights through the harvest contributed to wines with excellent acidity and very good color.
This Vintage Port has incredibly fresh and lifted aromas with the hallmark tropical fruit character. The wine is concentrated whilst being supremely refined with polished tannins and taut acidity combined to deliver sublime elegance and balance.
– Henriques & Henriques Bastardo 1927 – Vinho Madeira by Henriques & Henriques
This fortified wine was produced in the vintage 1927 from the Bastardo grape variety, which ripens early and reaches high sugar levels. The long oxidative aging revealed a complex aromatic composition, with notes of dried plums, tobacco, coffee, caramel, toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, and propolis. On the palate, the wine is rich, unctuous, and persistent.
– Herdade das Servas Vinhas Velhas 2020 by Serrano Mira, in Alentejo
This clear, deep violet-colored wine is a blend of the Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, and Petit Verdot grapes. Aromas of plum, cherry, fig, chocolate, spices, and floral notes of violet. On the palate, complex, structured, fresh, and elegant, toasted oak barrels, smoky notes, rich tannins, and a long finish, revealing all the storage and aging potential.
– Júlio B. Bastos Alicante Bouschet 2018 by Dona Maria Vinhos, in Alentejo
This wine is a tribute to the producer’s father, Júlio Bandeira Bastos. It is a wine that results from the selection of the best grapes from old vineyards in Alicante Bouschet.
The drink has an opaque and violet ruby color. Pure aromas of licorice, with notes of wild fruits and balsamic. In the mouth, it reveals itself to be very dense and silky, with ripe and round tannins. The acidity packs the volume well, and the farewell is quite lasting. Pairing well with game meat.
– Monte Cascas Ramisco 2013 by Casca Wines, in Colares
This white wine is made from 100% Ramisco grape from a vineyard located 1 km from the Atlantic coast. The light red colored wine shows vegetal and earthy notes with aromas of withered roses. On the palate, all elements are in balance in a long and persistent finish. Elegant and austere with notes of earth and minerals.
– Outrora Raro 2015 by V. Puro Lda, in Bairrada
RARO means something unusual, not very abundant or that does not happen very often. The wine was born from a year that was hot in many regions, but in Bairrada it produced wines of great refinement, simultaneously with finesse and power. This Bairrada wine from 100% Baga grape is a tribute to the centuries-old vineyards, matriarchs of the region, and witnesses of other times.
Deep nose where fine notes of cherry coexist with chalky and iodized notes, as well as suggestions of graphite, dark chocolate, black pepper, and wild herbs. The mouth, with a rich and tense profile, catapults all these aromatic sensations into an enveloping, salivating, and very long finish.
– Parcela Única Alvarinho 2021 by Anselmo Mendes Vinhos, in Vinho Verde (Monção e Melgaço)
White wine made from Alvarinho grapes from a single plot that produces a wine that reveals the purest and most original aspects of the variety. Complex and austere aromas on the nose. Nuances of country flowers and hay together with a delicate minerality reminiscent of wet stone. Slight hazelnut and vanilla from fermentation and barrel aging. On the palate, the refreshing acidity and verticality stand out. Slight smoky ending long and elegant.
– Quinta da Alorna 1723 Grande Reserva 2019 by Quinta da Alorna, in Tejo
Quinta da Alorna is celebrating its third centenary and to mark the date, placed on the market this limited edition red wine. It is a blend of the Tinta Miúda, Castelão, and Alicante Bouschet grape varieties.
An elegant and sumptuous wine. On the nose, the balsamic, forest, and pine nut notes stand out, which quickly give way to another order of aromas, cherry, blackberry, and violet. On the palate, it is structured but with character, creamy, and with a fine and long tannin.
– Quinta da Manoella Vinha do Alecrim 2015 by Wine & Soul, in Douro
A sophisticated but superb and world-class red wine that seeks to enhance the virtues of the plot from which it originated. A new generation Douro, which combines great freshness, tannic tension, sweet texture, soft, with remarkable elegance and balance. Elegant and fine aromas with rockrose and bush, fantastic definition of ripe fruit, and lots of freshness. Notes of pomegranates and some wild fruit, with fresh depth, moist earth sensations, winemaking aromas, and tasty tannins.
– Quinta da Perdonda 1° Talhão (1948) 2018 by Quinta da Perdonda – Wine Tradition, in Dão
This ruby-colored red wine is simultaneously exotic and appealing. The tannin is imperial, the textures follow each other in a cascade, and the volume never compromises the elegance. It ends with fresh vegetal nuances that easily exceed the next decade and a half. It is not a classic Dão profile but very unique. Above all, it is a great wine, highly recommended!
– Quinta das Carvalhas Tawny 50 Anos – Vinho do Porto by Real Companhia Velha
Real Companhia Velha, days after celebrating 267 years of history, launches its first 50-Year-Old Tawny under the aegis of the Quinta das Carvalhas brand.
Endowed with a beautiful amber color with slight reddish nuances, typical of a very old Tawny, Quinta das Carvalhas Porto Tawny 50 Years reveals on the nose refined notes of noble oak casks, varnish, cedar leaf, and nutmeg, in a combination of which shows a certain citrus freshness. On the palate, it demonstrates a firm structure, harmoniously combined with a wide spectrum of flavors of dried fruits and licorice, in a very long and persistent finish.
– Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de Santa Maria 2019 by Conde Foz de Arouce Vinhos, in Beira Atlantico
The beauty of the Alentejo plain, the culture, hunting and rich gastronomic tradition make Estremoz a fascinating region. This was the place chosen by João Portugal Ramos to make his wines. Quinta de Foz de Arouce is located in the municipality of Lousã, in the Beira region.
This red wine is produced from 100% Baga grape. The wine is very concentrated, with aromas of plum and red fruits, with notes of spice and pine. Powerful in the mouth, dense, and with well-involved tannins. Long and persistent finish, a wine for aging.
– Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa 2019 by Quinta do Crasto, in Douro
Since its first edition in 1998, Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa wine has already achieved the status of one of the great Portuguese wines. Coming solely from Vinha Maria Teresa, the century-old vineyard that gives it its name and one of the oldest in Quinta do Crasto.
The wine is deep ruby in color. It impresses on the nose with its extraordinary complexity and aromatic freshness, where elegant notes of rockrose, Douro wild fruits, and spice stand out. On the palate it begins compactly, evolving into a very seductive wine, where it is possible to find tannins with a soft texture in perfect harmony with retronasal notes that recall fresh aromas of the Douro forest. It ends in a very engaging way, in perfect balance, and with excellent persistence.
– Quinta do Ribeirinho Baga Pé Franco 2019 by Luís Pato, in Bairrada
Quinta do Ribeirinho Pé Franco is a regional red wine from Bairrada produced by winemaker Luís Pato. In 1988, intending to show the great potential and characteristic essence of the Baga variety, the winemaker planted ungrafted vines in sandy soil which is the most resistant to the development of the Phyloxera disease.
Awarded and internationally renowned, Quinta do Ribeirinho Pé is a wine that has an excellent aging capacity that exceeds twenty years: a powerful, complex and well-sculpted wine with aromas of floral, licorice and mineral touches. Excellent concentration, crisp acidity, and lots of complexity with flavors of red and dark fruits, spices, raisins, resin, wet earth, shrubs, and dry herbs. A pure, precise, elegant and persistent wine that promises to age for many years.
– Ramilo Ramisco 2019 by Manuel Francisco Ramilo & Filho, in Colares
Since 1937, the Ramilo family has been dedicated to wine on the Atlantic coast between Colares and Mafra, once one of the most famous Portuguese wine-growing regions.
This red wine has complex aromas, marked by balsamic notes. In the mouth, it surprises with its freshness and salinity, which combine perfectly with its tannin, offering the wine a strong persistence.
The best to consume on its own, or combine it with grilled meats or intensely flavored cheeses.
– Regueiro Jurássico III by Quinta do Regueiro, in Vinho Verde
This 100% Alvarinho white wine presents great aromatic complexity where the notes of evolution stand out. Aromatic herbs, ginger, orange flower, and peel, full body combined with brilliant freshness. Very rich and deep wine, served with generous and crisp acidity, with an elegant and endless finish. A full-bodied wine with volume in the mouth and a lot of freshness.
– Secret Spot Moscatel do Douro King – Moscatel do Douro by GR Consultores
Aged for decades at Quinta da Faísca, this muscat is the result of a mixture of carefully selected batches of muscat. From manual harvesting to fermentation of the grapes in a press, followed by dehydration of skins and post-fermentative maceration together with wine brandy. The wine presents a subtle amber color and a nose of complex aromas with notes of dried fruits, caramel, and honey. It has a fresh and silky mouthfeel, with an incredibly long and lasting finish.
– Segredo 6 2020 by 2 CC, Trás-os-Montes
The best-kept secret of Francisco Costa, best known in the world of football for ‘Costinha’, and António Boal, of the Costa Boal Family Estates, a red of a 3.5-hectare plot in Trás-os-Montes region, and given the name ‘Secret 6 ‘.
The intense ruby color of great depth, and aroma of enormous complexity marked by the notes of red fruit and minty balsamic, in the mouth reveals a harmonious balance throughout its set showing itself a wine of structure and character with a great persistent finish.
– Vinha dos Aards Criacão Velha 1°s Jeirões 2020 by Azores Wine Company, in Pico
On Pico Island, vines have been planted in cracks in the volcanic rock for over 500 years, just a few meters from the sea. One of those plots on the first line of the sea, in 1os Jeirãos, was sold by the family Aard in 1923, replanted by the Cardozos in 1924, and today passes to the hands of Azores Wine Company.
The wine is a blend of Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Alicante Branco, and Boal grapes. Aromas of iodine, salt, linden, cherry. In the mouth, a dense, very concentrated attack, vibrant acidity that remains until the end of the taste. Then, many salt and iodine, since it is a wine that could only have been born at sea.
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