Historical tasting in historical surroundings! To taste the Buçaco wines is to taste history, it is an ultra rich experience. To taste them exactly in their birthplace and noble home it's simply legendary. We received this ultra honourable invitation from João Rico to be present at a special tasting at Bussaco Palace Hotel, organised by the wine organisation Baga Friends, which included a grand master tasting of several of Buçaco's vintages and with the extra bonus of tasting some older vintages from other producers of the for mentioned cluster. Read more...

Conclusions (16,5/20) - very good quality, well defined fruit profile that's ripe but never losing freshness. Velvet texture spiked by some very fine-grained tannins. Some herbaceous and spicy notes add some complexity, but not that much, and lead to a pleasant lengthy aftertaste. Perfect drink ability. Drink now, ageing doesn't seem to be its purpose, it is showing delicious right now. Read more...

Kind of wine one can drink a bottle effortlessly. 

Approximate retail price - €10

Conclusions (17,5/20) - very good quality wine, showing all the typical arguments of fine Aussie Shiraz, lots of fruit concentration, juicy, richly flavoured and textured, mouth coating and super smooth and just the right amount of acidity to liven it up. Layers of fruit and spice, sweetish, but lovely maturity with kernal and animal notes adding complexity. Endless length. Drink now, this is clearly the apogee, nevertheless, it is not fading on the short term.  Keep the temperature way down to balance it's 15,5% abv. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €26

Conclusions (18,5/20) - Outstanding wine, impossible not to love! Delicate fruit, precise, ripe but so fresh, backed by a lovely acidity backbone that keeps you wanting more. Texture wise it is pure fluid elegance, caressing your palate every sip like velvet. Regardless all this delicious drink ability it's structure of spicy tannins and the perfect acidity hint at a long healthy ageing potential, 10 years won't do it any harm at all, in fact I'm anxious for the savouriness it will surely bring. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €60

Conclusions (17/20) - very good quality wine, nice fruit concentration, generous and well defined. Fairly complex with the ripe character balanced by some savoury and spicy notes, clearly noticeable the Malbec influence in the blend. Very interesting wine that should keep well for the next 6 years. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €20

Of all the trips a wine lover might aspire to, Burgundy has the highest mystic component. There's something about the region that is kind of magically appealing, so well captured by the best wines that use the two noble grapes of this surroundings, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as a canvas to color with the purest expression of terroir. Read more...

Conclusions (16,5/20) - a very good quality wine, showing sense of place with a lovely perfumed and ripe nose, a good fruit concentration but fresh and spicy keeping it lively on the palate where the Cabernet is showing more presence. Gastronomic and totally ready to drink but will keep well for the next 3 years. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €9

Conclusions (15,75/20) - good quality, has sense of place, extra juicy wine showing the warm embrace of Alicante Bouschet and the exotic aromas of Touriga well mellowed with more vegetal and fresher grapes. A smooth, velvety palate totally mouth coating. Simple wine with just a hint of complexity but very compelling, a safe harbor with a very rational price tag. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €5,50

Conclusions (14,75/20) - good quality wine, shows Douro character, fairly structured, with rustic, leafy notes well mingled in the ripe but fresh black fruits. Right now it shows an evident alcohol unbalance that should integrate further down the road and the tannins also need to mellow down, so pair it with grilled red meats, preferably seasoned with dried herbs to drink right now or wait a few months for a more harmonious wine. This is clearly a wine to have a conversation at the table. Read more... (including a suggested pairing recipe)

Approximate retail price - €5,50

Conclusions (14,75/20) - good quality wine, all edges smoothed giving a very fluid, soft texture. Pretty linear, focused on primary fruit aromas, manages to be interesting and appealing for early drinking. The ensemble is balanced and juicy with a nice lush fruit but with no extraction extremes, which gives it a fairly lively character. This wine is a no brainer in terms of value, incredible quality for the price range, perfect for a day to day consumption. The light side aids perfect drinkability for hotter seasons, so drink now, it's not intended for ageing. Read more...

Approximate retail price - €2,99