Wine Name: Vihna do Carmo
Year: 2018
Region: Lisbon, Portugal
Color: Tinto (Red)
Just opened:
Color: Deep purple color. The grapes listed on the label were Aragonez, Alfrocheiro, and Alicante Bouschet. The only one of those grapes listed in any of our texts is Alicante Bouschet, so I'm not sure where this grape scale should fall on the color spectrum, but from observation I would describe it as a wine in the 80th percentile for deepness of color
Smell: My initial impression of the aroma of the wine was very pleasant. I spent a lot of time sniffing it and warming it with my palms to draw out more scents since the bottle was recently brought up from the basement. I detected hints of black fruitiness and earthy notes, along with other pleasant smells I am working on ways to describe (nothing floral and nothing off-putting, just other pleasant wine smells).
Taste: My first sip was a disappointment. I swished it around my mouth to take it all in, but probably did so a little too carelessly because some splashed the back of my throat before I was swallowing and went down the wrong pipe - triggering a sudden cough reflex. It was probably foretelling though, because the wine struck me with a dry taste and was highly tannic leaving my tongue scratchy. I could definitely taste the earth flavors I smelled earlier (almost like licking a clay pot) and while there was fruity flavors (maybe plum or another dark berry), the sharpness was what I noticed most. I would suggest a slight spiciness. I did this tasting with my wife, and she didn't want to drink much before deciding to let it rest a while.
Body: impressive, full body with a mouthfeel that (while sharp) lasted for a while.
Comments: In addition to the above, I should note that the wine is 14% alcohol - so middle of the pack and was one that we really enjoyed last year (likely with a dinner although I can't remember exactly - just good enough that we bought a case to save for later). I was exited to try it again. Some of the points I made above seem negative, but that's probably because I was expecting to really like it again right off the bat since I knew it was good before.
2-hours later: I decanted about half the bottle for a couple hours for this next portion of the Lesson
Smell: I could more easily pick out the smells of dark fruit and clay. I even thought I could detect the sent of olives this time. I didn't notice much difference in the smell, but was just better able to pick up the scents I noticed earlier (maybe this is just in my imagination?)
Taste: The wine had certainly opened up and the taste was much more enjoyable. I still could pick up a tartness but it was not nearly as sharp and was balanced by a subtle sweetness I didn't notice before. The earthy flavor was present, but also not as powerful - and I imagined that taste something more like a river rock than a clay pot.
Body: Again - impressive, full body with a pleasant mouthfeel that endured until the next sip
Comments: Letting the wine breath for a couple hours was difficult since I'd opened up the bottle too close to dinner time and was tempted to start drinking and eating sooner. However, letting the wine open up for those two hours was a great choice! Much better.
With cheese: I purchased three hard cheese for this Lesson (Classic Asiago, Copper Kettle, and aged Parmesan)
Smell/Body: The smell and body were unchanged from above, as this was only moments later.
Taste Comments: I first tried each cheese individually since I couldn't remember if I liked Asiago and I'd never had Copper Kettle Cheese. The Asiago was ok on its own, the Copper Kettle and Parmesan were better.
However... chewing up a piece of Asiago and mixing it with a sip of Vinha do Carmo was great! The mixture was delicious - there was something about the Asiago smell that initially I didn't love, but whatever that was disappeared when mixed with the wine. I could taste more sweetness and fruitiness in the wine, and the cheese seemed to melt in my mouth.
Next, it was on to the Copper Kettle and Parmesan cheese. Both these cheeses are a bit harder and more crumbly than squishy, so the texture and mouthfeel were different. And both were incredibly delicious with the wine! The combinations brought forth a very pleasant sweetness in the wine and tasty saltiness in the cheese that I hadn't noticed before.
In all these trials, the tannic mouthfeel and dryness I noticed earlier were reduced, if not eliminated. Either I got lucky with the cheese selection, or this wine was just crafted to be enjoyed with food - and I'm guessing it's the latter.
With meat: Next up, some flavorful meatballs
Smell/Body: The smell and body were unchanged from above. At least, I couldn't notice a difference
Taste Comments: The meatballs on their own were very good, but adding in the drink made them even better (as one should expect). The meatballs weren't spicy hot, per se, but with the wine you could taste the pepper much more pronounced. Also, like with the cheese test, the wine had a sweetness the balanced the spiciness of the meat perfectly. This combination was also delicious.
It was hard to stop drinking this wine with the rest of the food, but I had to save some of it for later.
18 hours later:
Smell: Aroma more subdued than yesterday. I still smell fruit though, but with a musty smell.
Taste: Not a strong reaction (bitter/sour/dry) when I sip it - this is different from yesterday as my initial impressions were of the dry and tannic feel. I can still note an earthy taste, maybe a chalky flavor. I no longer notice the sweetness, but that really just came through with the cheese. I notice a slight chemically taste I didn't notice before though, and that seems to become more pronounced in the after taste. Also, I noted a bit of spiciness yesterday, but I don't taste that at all here today.
Body: Obviously the wine is completely opened up or oxygenated now, so it's a bit softer in the mouth, but otherwise I think the body is about the same.
Comments: I think this wine yesterday was best with food, and since I still have some cheese left - going to break that out again now.
Overall, I'm happy with my choice to have purchased a case of this wine in Portugal, and I'm going to need to leave a note on the wine rack to enjoy this wine with Copper Kettle, Parmesan, and food in general (after breathing for a couple hours). See, that's why I signed up for this class!
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