The Bomb Box
Sept‘23
feat. A refreshing yet full and rounded white from deep in the hills of the Vinho Verde, an orange wine that’s light and floral with a tannic touch and red wine made from one of the lightest and rarest of the Douro grapes that is agile and smooth with a note of cherry and pepper.
Avesso, Villa Seara
Region: Basto, Vinho Verde, Portugal
Grape: Avesso (90%) and Arinto (10%)
Ageing: 1/3 in oak barrels for fermentation.
Vinification: 1/3 was skin macerated for 6 days and before finishing ferment in oak. 2/3 was pressed directly and fermented in steel. The wine was blended at the end of ferment and remained on fine lees for 8 months. All fermented with native yeast.
Farming style: Organic
Soil: Granite, sand and loam soils
Vine age: 20 + years
Notes: This is a wine from the Vinho Verde but it is nothing like the classics. It is a white wine that is broad and rounded on the palate and with a lengthy complexity and smooth acidity. Notes of lemon, herbs and guavas come to mind. This is a wine from the first release of the new project, Villa Seara which is led by a young couple, Sofia and Martin. They are making wine way up in the rolling hills of Basto at around 550m above sea level where the soils are granitic and free draining and the water a plenty.
Pairing suggestion: This wine with its fruitiness and soft, rounded mouthfeel would work well with spicy dishes or perhaps a nice risotto. It would also work well as a nice drop to share with some light snacks as you catch the last of those summer rays.
Curtido, Uivo
Region: Sanfins do Douro, Douro, Portugal
Grape: Moscatel Galego
Ageing: N/A
Vinification: Skin ferment with native yeasts in steel tanks for 4 months
Farming style: Minimal Intervention
Soil: Schist
Vine age: Unknown
Notes: This orange wine is an amazing example of the Portuguese style ‘curtimenta’. Although it has a longer skin ferment than most, the acidity has kept the maceration in check and it is both intense in some places and fresh in others. There are great floral notes, like honeysuckle and geranium, that are complemented by a certain fruitiness reminiscent of orange peel, persimmon and cantaloupe. This is kept sharp by a long acidity and finished of nicely by a soft touch of tannin. This wine makes up the broad and adventurous selection of Tiago Sampaio, who makes wine under the name of Folias de Baco. He is making wine within the terraced, schist-filled mountains of the Douro valley but in no way is he conforming to tradition, or bureaucratic pressure, choosing to walk a path that is true to the land and what it holds while also exploring the many possibilities that the grapes present him.
Pairing suggestions: Orange wine is a wonderfully versatile wine that is able to pleasantly accompany vegetables due to its acidity but also work with meat or fish due to its tannins. For this wine though, I would say the best pairing is a good bit of cheese and charcuterie or perhaps a chicken casserole.
Marufo, Quinta da costa do pinhão
Region: Alijó, Douro, Portugal
Grape: Marufo (Mourisco)
Ageing: 12 months in used barrels
Vinification: Gentle maceration with native yeasts in cement tanks.
Farming style: Organic
Soil: Schist
Vine age: 60+ year old vines.
Notes: This is an incredible wine! Not just due to its profile but also due to the fact that it is made with one of the oldest and rarest grapes in Portugal. It has a tough history, however. Due to its light colour it has often seen rejection from the port houses which, despite it being a favourite of the Douro locals, has led to it becoming very scarce. Quinta da Costa do Pinhão, a beautiful project headed by Filipa and Miguel, looks to preserve it and it is done with loving care as it grows among the old vines that twist up from the sheer, terraced vineyards. The resulting wine, which could be mistaken for a heavy-style rosé due to its colour, is vibrant with a bright acidity, cherry and red fruit character and woody, peppery tannins. Don’t be fooled by the colour because it has all the charms of a red wine and in the right setting will perform like the most elegant of Pinot Noirs.
Pairing suggestions: It’s light and delicate so it can easily be overwhelmed by intense flavours. If serving with a meal the best thing would be game, like duck or venison or perhaps a vegetable stew. To really see this wine in all its beauty be sure to set some aside in order to drink it alone or perhaps as the second accompaniment to that cheese and charcuterie board that you made to pair with the orange wine above!
Pairing