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This Kitten Has Really Scratched My Summer Itch!

António Lopes Ribeiro
Nina
Vinho Tinto
About 20 different varieties, red & white grapes that are co-planted in 60 year old vineyard
Certified organic, foot tread, indigenous yeast, dried chestnut blossoms, no added sulfites
Tondela, Dão, Portugal

Chill it a little (I started at 58F) or a lot and either way you’ll be sooo happy. Cranberry stained glass pour. Sniffing and there’s nose wiggling cherries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries & more, a tiny citrus squeeze, hint of anise but I bet it fades, and a breeze of pump house mineral cool. All of the sniffs are there joined by white pepper & a smooth citrus zest that mellows out into a gentle blend that is just so delicious. Chilled this baby even further in the normal fridge last night, and it’s even more of a fresh & fun party.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pretty good but not needed

You probably recognize António’s name from his & his partner Sara Dionisio’s winery Casa De Mouraz. They were the 1st to go certified organic in Dão, and are now farming entirely biodynamic. Nina is from the label under just his moniker, but you can find they share equal presence & love on their IG page. If you browse around enough you can find a cute pic of this meowser peeking through the vines. She’s not the only winery member gracing his bottles. There’s also a goat named “Chibu”, a sweet little pup named “Bolinha”, a feisty looking chicky, “Pita” branco bubbly or as I’ve seen it called their “Pita-nat”, and not to be outdone her rosa cocky partner in wine “Pito”. Personally, I now want to collect the whole menagerie because this kitten has really scratched my summer itch and perked up my curiosity on the inhabitants of Ribeiro & Dionisio’s “Planet Mouraz”. 🍷

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A Glass To Snuggle Up To

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Tinto 2019
55% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Francesa, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Field Blend from old vines
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Inky maroon with purple pops. Sniff and a little oak dances through & mingles with dark cherries, black olives, wildflowers, blackberries, black currants, plums, and a pinch of warm spice & anise. Tasting and there’s dark cherries joining the blackberries, blueberries, black currants & plums & a red currant or two with a not quite ripe tart raspberry, licorice, horehound, and the teeny tiniest of vibrating tomato leaf appears & then tells you you didn’t see them…or shhh they were never there it’s all an illusion. Everything smooths out into an elegant, graceful sip. You know…this wine pairs well with a lot, but honestly I prefer just snuggling up with a glass while watching the snow fall.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is one of those moments of YES!

Yes, I’ve had my fair share of Passadouro wines over the years, but when I saw this bottle, I knew it was time to revisit this old friend (actually brought 2 home). While the Genetta genetta on the label may look somewhat like a cute kitty you want to rescue, it’s better to leave them in the wild. I think the best description I found was on discoverwildlife.com: “Genets resemble the love child of a cat crossed with a smidgen of mongoose and a touch of marten, with a soupçon of lemur thrown in for good measure.” These nocturnal creatures are also great for natural pest control since they’re generally carnivores and love snapping up rodents, birds, bugs, and other small critters; but they’re also know to enjoy figs, olives & the like. It would be such a wonderful dream to travel to Portugal, sit out in the dark in a vineyard, and get to see one unclose & personal on its agile nightly hunt.

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Creature Of The Night

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Tinto 2019
55% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Francesa, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Field Blend from old vines
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Inky maroon with purple pops. Sniff and a little oak dances through & mingles with wildflowers, blackberries, black currants, plums, and a pinch of warm spice & anise. Tasting and there’s dark cherries joining the blackberries, black currants & plums & a red currant or two with a not quite ripe tart raspberry, licorice, and the teeny tiniest of tomato leaf appears & then tells you you didn’t see them…or shhh they were never there it’s all an illusion. Everything smooths out into an elegant, graceful sip. You know…this wine pairs well with a lot, but honestly I want it all to my self solo.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is one of those moments of YES!

My first encounter with Passadouro was when I was browsing wine in Montreal and a little Oryctolagus cuniculus hopped in my way. Yes, I was pulled in by the label but not just because of the little Portuguese bunny, but also the artistic details from the drawing & the distinctive zipper-like cut in the design. The next one to flutter in my path was a native game bird, the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) on their Tinto 2012. Now this 2019 red may just be my favorite yet with the sleek, stealth, and agile creature of the night…the Genetta genetta. I wonder if they are part of the natural pest control for their vineyards since they are carnivores. Back to the vineyards/grapes, another reason why I have fallen for these vinhos is their consistent yet somewhat varied blends. They always start with the 3 same grapes: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, & Touriga Nacional but may not be the same percent depending on the harvest and sometimes (like this one) it’s rounded out with a field blend of old vines. Hands down this bottle is not only a work of art, but it’s also simply delicious. 🍷

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