W.O.W. Wine of the Week: Damn good Portuguese Carcavelos
Damn good wine? Count me in! I cannot believe this is the final wine for this weekend’s Wine for a Cause event! How’d we get here so fast? But what a way to end, my friends! This one is a stunner! If you know me, you know I adore unique wine. Especially unique dessert wine. My quest has been fulfilled with this beauty. And what a story to boot! (Don’t miss the previous 3 wines on my W.O.W. page!
Carcavelos is a traditional fortified Portuguese dessert wine. Having had it’s hey day more than a century ago, there is only one wine cooperative in the world continuing the tradition. This week’s Calcavelos isn’t even produced anymore as the winemaker’s legacy ended in 2005. Luckily for us, a treasure trove of his 30 year old nectar was left untouched in casks until the family finally bottled it in 2018. 30 years in barrels? Seriously? And it’s still good? Really good, you say?
If it’s that damn good, can I try it?
Join me in tasting this delicious wine with fellow Somms Richard King, Ellerbe Fine Foods, Weston Eidson, Silver Ghost and Montagu Wines, Chef Tim Prefontaine, The Fort Worth Club, and our ringmaster, wine enthusiast Walter Stucker. I’m drooling just thinking about this wine and the dessert pairing Chef is creating for the event! Some things are lucky enough to get better with age. This Carcavelos is one of the best examples I’ve found in a really long time!
Only one producer of Carcavelos remains in Portugal today, a cooperative dedicated to keeping the legacy alive. A complex blend of native Portuguese white and red grapes are co-fermented and just before fermentation is complete, the must (skins, pulp remaining from the grape) is removed while it still has a slight bit of residual sugar remaining. The dry wine receives a dose of grape-spirits which drives the alcohol levels up to around 18-20% before the must is returned adding a slight bit of sweetness. To remain true to the style, the wine is then aged for 5 years in a multitude of different types of barrels. Complexity, nuttiness, honey, spice, woodiness and other flavors and aromas make this the perfect wine to pair with our desert tonight.
What is this damn good wine?
Wine: Casa Manoel Boullosa Quinta dos Pesos, 1988 Carcavelos
Varietal: Blend of up to 9 varietals including white varietals Arinto, Gallego Dourado, Ratinho, Rabo do Ovelha, and red varietals João Santarem, Espadeiro Tinto.
Alcohol: 21%ABV
Aromos: Roasted nuts, dried fruits, honey, caramel.
Flavor: Sweet dried fruits, honey, caramel, nuts, fresh pastries. Umami in every mouthful. With 90g of residual sugar (RS), sweetness is prominent, but not overwhelming.
Food Pairings: Fortified dessert wine deserves delicious bread pudding, salted caramel, butter pecan ice cream, honeyed baklava, and cheese. Yes, cheese!
WHERE TO BUY!: As a highly rare wine, online is the best place to find this treasure. State regulations on wine shipping may limit your options, but try Pogo’s Wine & Spirits or D&M Wine & Liquors !
Jefferson said “I have lived temperately. I double the doctor’s recommendation of a glass and a half of wine each day and even treble it with a friend.” Congratulations, I believe we can all include ourselves in Jefferson’s inner circle tonight!
