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Winner Details

Rest of Portugal - Red

These ‘rest of’ categories often cover many regions, so we’re used to pretty varied feedback from our judges. But even so, this was something else.

Some teams loved their wines, while others could barely find one medal-worthy entry from a flight of ten. Some liked the cheap and expensive wines, others raved about the mid-priced ones.

This, in other words, was a real curate’s egg of a category – and probably the one with the highest ratio of actively bad wines anywhere in this year’s competition. Our tasters picked up recurring problems: too much sweetness but not enough actual flavour, high acidity and often stalky tannins.

It all spoke of work needing to be done in both vineyard and winery, and there were a high number of wines in the early stages that were removed without a medal, or attained a Commended, but stopped short of silverware.

In the second round of judging, however, the feedback was a lot more positive. Once the (many) substandard wines had gone, what was left was often extremely good for the money.

From The Tasting Teams

‘At the lower end there was a lot of residual sweetness, which might be typical but it was a bit much for me.’ James Fryer, team leader

‘A very good overall flight, with super-rich dried fruit character across the board and incredible balance shown by some wines. Compared to established regions such as France and Spain, there was really good value.’ Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns

‘The Lisbon wines, in particular, had too much new oak and not enough fruit.’ Harry Crowther, Grape Times

‘It was quite a slog but ultimately rewarding. When we came back to discuss the final verdict we were very impressed with the flight.’ Oliver Zelenczuk, London Shell Co

‘This was the first flight in which we saw what were clearly bad wines: huge ripeness, sweetness, extraction and a lot of harsh, green, poor-quality oak. The ones we did like let some freshness and personality come through.’ Charlie Young, team leader

‘They would make good food wines – high acidity and high tannins. There’s a rusticity to them that is good. They’ve got their own charm.’ Andres Ituarte, team leader

‘My favourite flight of the day. Very different styles, from wines with blackcurrant notes, to ones that were super-earthy, and others that were sweet.’ Cinthia Lozano, The Winery Honduras

‘Sweetness was a motif throughout the flight: high acidity, high tannin, but nothing in between to keep all together.’ Mattia Mazzi, The River Cafe

‘The sub-£10 price range really performed incredibly well.’ Martin Lam, team leader

‘This is a warm region so it shouldn’t have such high acidity. Nothing amazing here.’ Tanguy Martin, Blandford Comptoir

Award winners

Found 43 wines

Portugal: Rest of Portugal excluding Douro & Alentejo

Pegões, Adega de Pegões, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'A rustic style, with ripe jammy cassis and black pepper notes, followed by some firm tannins with coffee and meaty flavours.'
Andre Luís Martins, team leader.

'A full, masculine wine with rich black fruits, olives, liquorice, black pepper and spice, leading to a mouthwatering aftertaste with grippy tannins. Good for juicy steaks on the grill, and perfect by the glass.'
Bianca Potenza, 212 Amsterdam.

£10.35 Adega de Pegões

Pegões, Adega de Pegões, Grand Red Reserve 2016, Península de Pegões, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'A jam-packed wine, with intensity and structure. Really savoury and earthy, with black fruits and herbal notes. Definitely one for food.'
Laura Rhys MS, team leader.

'Black olive and rich black cherry aromas, with some balsamic notes and rustic tannins.'
Andre Luís Martins, team leader.

'Easy-drinking, but with its own character - rich and full, soft and velvety, and ultimately juicy, with a spicy finish.'
Bianca Potenza, 212 Amsterdam.

£16.13 Adega de Pegões

Parras Wines, Castelo do Sulco, Seleção dos Enólogos Reserva 2019, Lisbon, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'Peppery at first, with some sweet red and black plum notes, and some tannins that are present and round, yet very delicate, giving a bit of structure.'
Monica Bacchiocchi, Wiltons.

'A good balance of oak, acidity, ripe tannins and delicious ripe blackberries, with a hint of mint and some savoury notes. Great value, and perfect on pub list by the glass.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£6.95 Parras Wines

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Dona Ermelinda, Reserva Tinto 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'A fusion of floral and berry aromas, followed by red berries and herbaceous notes, joined by ripe raspberry and hints of coffee.'
Cinthia Lozano, The Winery Honduras.

'Juicy, deep and intense, with a spicy finish that makes this more persistent.'
Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche.

'Light and easy-drinking, with rich, ripe black fruit with great balance, and a nice earthy finish.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£6.50 Atlantico UK

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Terras do Pó Castas, Syrah/Petit Verdot 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'A big and rich wine with some high, vibrant acidity, as well as some earthy savoury notes, all leading to a long and fruity finish.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

'With its mocha and vanilla, coconut and chocolate notes, as well as plush purple fruits, sweet spice and big velvet tannins, this really hits above its price point, and would be a surefire seller.'
James Fryer, team leader.

£9.65 Atlantico UK

Casa da Passarella, A Descoberta, Colheita Tinto 2017, Dão, Portugal

Gold medal winner

'A rich and mineral wine, with green leaves and a mintiness - really refreshing, yet quite light, with a subtle finish.'
Bianca Potenza, 212 Amsterdam.

'Bold, ripe and juicy, with black fruits, herbs and black olive notes, offering super value.'
Laura Rhys MS, team leader.

'Deep and savoury, with a nice balance of fruit, oak and tannins. Great for stews, braises, roast meats and game birds.'
Martin Lam, team leader.

£8.00 Enotria&Coe

DFJ Vinhos, Bigode 2018, Lisbon, Portugal

Gold medal winner Pub & Bar

'This delivers loads of flavour for the price, with red plums, cherries and sweet spices like cloves and nutmeg.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

'A juicy and effortless fruit-forward red.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

'With plums, tobacco and hibiscus tea, and a chocolate-driven aftertaste, this would match with kung pao beef.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

£6.62 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

Pegões, Adega de Pegões, Touriga Nacional 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Complex and juicy, with some spiced cloves, cinnamon, savoury notes and some raspberries too.'
Aurore Anguenot, Aviary.

'This feels very complete, and is excellent value for money, with super-juicy black fruit notes and a very polished palate with sweet spice, vanilla and cocoa.'
James Fryer, team leader.

£10.35 Adega de Pegões

Pegões, Encostas da Arrábida, Reserve, Red 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Lively autumnal bramble fruit with a smudge of smoke and spice. This has a delicious fruit profile with supportive oak and a fantastic, long finish.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'Vibrant and appealing fruit, with a touch of oak adding tannins and texture.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£8.23 Adega de Pegões

Pegões, Encostas da Arrábida, Touriga Nacional 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Rich cherries, cacao and nutmeg come together in this nicely complex wine, with an elegant backbone and some nice tannin structure that will help this wine alongside richer gamey dishes.'
Alonso Abed, Trivet.

'Great balance of ripe and dried fruit, with freshness and ripe tannins. Big, bold and luscious.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£8.23 Adega de Pegões

Quinta do Gradil, Vinha do Carmo Tinto 2017, Lisbon, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'This has lots of structure, with a slight balsamic edge, and noticeable new oak.'
Harry Crowther, Grape Times UK.

'This has dense morello cherry with Moroccan spices, and some brisk tannins and rich ripeness.'
Nigel Lister, St. Swithins Wine Shippers.

'Inky sweet black plums with a ripe, rich and spicy finish.'
Vivienne Franks, Aspects of Wine.

£11.97 Parras Wines

Quinta do Gradil, Reserva Tinto 2016, Lisbon, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Blueberry jam, plums, bay leaf and a hint of wet leaves on the nose, with firm tannins on the palate, with good acidity, baking spice and cherries on the finish.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

'Sweet black fruits on the front palate, developing into a drier expression of spiced cranberry, star anise, pepper and cloves.'
Monica Bacchiocchi, Wiltons.

£16.26 Sommelier's Choice

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Reserva, Merlot 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Opening with some black cherry on the nose, with some rich tertiary aromas too, this leads to more rich black cherry on the palate, with chocolate, coffee bean and some dark tobacco notes. With its rich, firm tannins, this is both rustic and elegant at the some time' Andre Luís Martins, team leader.

£12.05 Casa Ermelinda Freitas - Vinhos, Lda

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Vinha do Torrão 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Red bramble and cherry fruit, with hints of spice, earth and vanilla, as well as some potpourri, this is modern in style, with great fruit and good oak, displaying freshness, nice concentration and some tight grippy tannins. A simple peppered steak would be fantastic with this.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

£10.42 Casa Ermelinda Freitas - Vinhos, Lda

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Reserva, Vinha do Torrão 2018, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'This is very good, with deep, intense concentration that's well-balanced, with spice on the finish.'
Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche.

'Bags of ripe, dark berry and plum fruit, with well-integrated oak and some pronounced sweet spice. Silky smooth, this is a big, voluptuous wine.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£14.70 Casa Ermelinda Freitas - Vinhos, Lda

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'An interesting wine with a versatile style, with herbaceous aromas, earthy flavours and some juicy red fruits.'
Cinthia Lozano, The Winery Honduras.

'Powerful, with rich, super-ripe berry and cherry fruit with lots of dried fruit, and some herbal and savoury notes. Very complex, with integrated tannins and acidity.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£12.05 Casa Ermelinda Freitas - Vinhos, Lda

DFJ Vinhos, Alta Corte 2018, Lisbon, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'Herbal notes on the nose balanced by sweet red plums on the palate, with some super velvety tannins, and a smooth texture. Great by the glass!' Monica Bacchiocchi, Wiltons.

'A tomato leaf and herbal nose, with bright raspberry jam notes on the palate, and a mineral finish.'
Nigel Lister, St. Swithins Wine Shippers.

£6.62 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

DFJ Vinhos, Patamar 2015, Lisbon, Portugal

Silver medal winner

'This is fresh and zippy, with some toasty notes and light grip. Perfect with grilled meats on a hot day.'
Andres Ituarte, team leader.

'Refreshing, with juicy fruit. A mellow, very pleasant wine.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

'Fleshy and enticing, with firm dark and red fruit.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£7.28 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

Boas Quintas, Wisdom Tree 2017, Dão, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'Fruity on the nose, with some mint notes following on the palate, as well as a medicinal character, all leading to a mineral, granite and concrete finish.'
Bianca Potenza, 212 Amsterdam.

'Ripe, fresh berry and plum fruit, and a palate that's silky smooth with ripe tannins and good balance. Great on its own.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£6.67 Majestic Commercial

Santo Isidro de Pegões, Touriga Nacional 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'This opens with masses of fruit, on a concentrated, expressive and lively nose, leading to a bright, clean and fresh palate that's oozing fruit, with nicely balanced oak. A lively wine with great concentration and style, and massive appeal.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'There's good complexity for the price here, with cedar and sandalwood, and Old Spice on the nose, and good, concentrated cassis on the palate.'
Oliver Zelenczuk, London Shell Co.

£10.24 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Casa da Passarella, Pedra do Gato, Premium Tinto 2016, Dão, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'Notes of hibiscus, tobacco, and a hint of leather, alongside beetroot and earl grey tea, leading to a palate that's fresh, with ripe tannins and good crunchy red berries on the finish.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

'Bold, bright fruit with lots of intensity. A gracious, likeable wine with subtle concentration.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

£8.32 O ABRIGO DA PASSARELA, LDA

Quinta do Pinto, Touriga Nacional Reserva 2015, Lisbon, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'This has some good prune and berry notes at first, with leathery and minty undertones. On the palate it's vibrant, textural and multidimensional, with a good balsamic aftertaste.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

'Rich, delicious berry, currant and cherry fruit, with balancing tannins and a hint of savoury notes.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£13.30 Boutinot

DFJ Vinhos, Grand'Arte, Touriga Nacional/Shiraz 2014, Lisbon, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'A deep, serious wine with a savoury character, and dark, dried sour cherries, dried roses and a leather note.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

'There's a good hint of spices on the nose, leading to a savoury, meaty element on the palate.'
Tanguy Martin, Blandford Comptoir.

£8.58 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

DFJ Vinhos, Consensus 2016, Lisbon, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'This has notes of dark fruit, oak spice and a violets, with a good slap of acidity, then ripe black fruit with plenty of fine tannins, leading to a clean, pure finish. A medium- to full-bodied Portuguese character with intensity but drinkability, this would be good for casual or fine-dining.'
Charlie Young, team leader.

£11.32 Ellis of Richmond

DFJ Vinhos, Escada Reserva 2016, Lisbon, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'Red and black plum jam as well as a touch of spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, leading to rounded, very elegant tannins with a complex structure.'
Monica Bacchiocchi, Wiltons.

'Gently spiced black fruits alongside brisk acidity, with a dark fruit and mineral finish.'
Nigel Lister, St. Swithins Wine Shippers.

£8.58 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

DFJ Vinhos, Escada 2018, Lisbon, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

'A fresh, modern profile with juicy, concentrated red fruits and no obvious oaking.'
Martin Lam, team leader.

'Opulent and rich, with ripe inky fruit and some lifted liquorice spice notes. A silky-smooth wine with dried fruit lingering.'
Daniel Eriksen, Anglian Country Inns.

£9.23 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

Pegões, Adega de Pegões, Selected Harvest Red 2016, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Pegões, Adega de Pegões, Alicante Bouschet 2016, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Pegões, Alto Pina, Reserve, Red 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Pegões, Encostas da Arrábida, Syrah Red 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Pegões, Fontanário de Pegões, Red 2018, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Pegões, Fontanário de Pegões, Vinhas Velhas 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Quinta do Monte d'Oiro, Quinta do Monte d'Oiro Tinto 2017, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner

£7.00 Amathus

Vale de Mata, Red 2016, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Casa das Gaeiras, Vinho Tinto 2019, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner

£7.39 Amathus

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Carménère, Reserva 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Vinha da Valentina, Tinto Premium 2019, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Rocksand, Syrah 2018, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Quinta da Mimosa 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

£9.16 Atlantico UK

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Reserva, Alicante Bouschet 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Commended medal winner

DFJ Vinhos, Portada Reserva 2016, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner

DFJ Vinhos, Point West, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner

DFJ Vinhos, Point West, Touriga Nacional 2017, Lisbon, Portugal

Commended medal winner