Among a splendid 30 bottle line-up of new samples from one of my favourite importers was this showstopper, one of the finest wines I’ve tasted all year. This is $200+ quality juice for under $60. I’d stack it up next to pretty much any Pinot Noir you can find, Burgundy or elsewhere. It’s simply spectacular.

“Really Rich, $200+ Pinot?” Yes! Drinks like the finest Burgundies money can buy, and rates as highly too. An incredible 96 point score from the Wine Advocate ranks this wine alongside even the best wines from such Burgundy greats as DRC, Rousseau, Clos du Tart, Denis Mortet, Dujac… you name it. Bring it on!

Quinta da Pellada 2015

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96 pts Wine Advocate

“But it’s not from Burgundy.” I know, that’s why it doesn’t cost $200+ a bottle! And it’s not made from Pinot Noir either, this is a 40 grape field blend from the northern Dao region of Portugal. Pellada’s owner and winemaker Alvaro Castro proclaims “If God were to design a wine-growing region, what he would come up with would look a lot like the Dao.” I believe him! Only the best parcels from two sites on Castro’s 16th century estate go into this wine. Forty different grape varieties from 75 year old vines, all co-planted, picked and fermented naturally in used French oak barriques. The native Alvarelhao, Tinta Pinheira, Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Tinta Amarela varieties dominate of the blend. But if you’ve never heard of most of those don’t worry, think Pinot in both elegance, complexity and flavours here. With wild aromas of cherry, raspberry, cranberry and violets, subtle hints of truffle and flinty earth-tones give it that Burgundy vibe. Incredibly elegant and polished on the tongue with pure silky red fruits. The wine expands with air showing even more depth and intrigue, challenging your taste buds with every sip. Complex and refined, with tannins that are fine and very persistent leading into an almost minute long finish that’s fresh with red fruits and minerals. It’s a joy to drink now, and I’d expect this will continue to develop for another couple of decades. Portugal does it a again – wow!

“The 2015 Tinto (Quinta da Pellada), the estate flagship, is a field blend (over 40 grapes) from old vines. It is principally, for identified grapes, mainly Alvarelhão, Tinta Pinheira, Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Tinta Amarela. Plus, since 1991, Castro uses some Jaen and Touriga Nacional. It was aged for 24 months in well-used French barriques (five to seven years old) and comes in at 13.3% alcohol. This was sourced from Pellada's Block 4 of Mata (forest) and Block 2 of Casa (house). Castro says Casa "has a more compact soil with some clay besides the granite, the intense presence of rose/white quartz and the one that has more sun hours per day. Mata has less clay and more granitic sand." 

With beautiful acidity, this has some of the same wonderful aromatics and flavors of the 2014, with those nods to Pinot Noir and Burgundy. Keep in mind: this is still well on the elegant side. It won't hit you over the head. That is emphatically not the Castro style. If you appreciate old-school finesse, though, it seems superlative, despite all his moaning to me about hard this vintage was. However, this is a more complete wine than the 2014, with more upside potential. It is a bit fruitier and more concentrated. The aromatics and power are the same, likely to make you think this is a fine Burgundy. This is ultimately the better wine compared to the 2014 this issue. The 2014 is more expressive today, but this wins in the end. This is also a bit more backwards, though, so keep that in mind. Drink the 2014 first, even if this seems approachable now—and it is impeccably balanced. That is very much the Castro style.”   


Or reply. The wine will be available Tuesday in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.