#EWBC: visit to Cortes de Cima

29 October 2009

Fading light over the vineyards

My only previous visit to Cortes de Cima was in mid-December 2003, so it was good to go back to the estate as the pre-wine bloggers conference visit and see Carrie and Hans Jorgensen Several motorised bloggers had arrived before us, including Wink Lorch, Brett Jones and Justin Roberts. Cortes de Cima now has 150 hectares of vines planted on the 370ha estate, which also has 50 hectares of olive groves.

Wink Lorch and Hans in silhouette

We started with a short chat on the edge of the vineyard with Hans explaining how they are trying to expedite grape ripening to encourage the phenolic ripeness before the grape sugars rise too high – to obtain ripe wines without high alcohol levels. The experiments include tailoring the canopy to provide protection for the bunches from blistering early afternoon sun and careful management of the drip irrigation. About three years ago, at the London Wine Trade Fair, Chris Handcock of Bob Oakley Wines (Australia) explained that the acquisition of grape sugars occurs over quite a wide range of temperatures, whereas phenolic ripeness happens in a such smaller range. Thus temperatures over 30˚C pushes up the sugar, while phenolic ripeness slows or stops. This seems to explain why in very hot years there can be a big discrepancy between sugar levels and true ripeness.

Carrie in silhouette

Following an excellent buffet lunch we moved on to the tasting of the Cortes de Cima range with a video blog connection to Wine Bloggers installed in the VIP conference hotel at Entrecampos, Lisbon. I have to say that this video link wasn't a great success. Although the tasting did provoke a considerable volume of twattering, the video link was rather reminiscent of the happy hours spent during the 1950s studying the BBC test card. It also turned the tasting into one suitable for snails with impaired mobility.

Hamilton – the winemaker

Technology can be great but there needs to be a purpose, which in this instance didn't appear to have been fully thought through. On reflection this link would have been useful if it had been set up for Hans and Hamilton, the winemaker, to have presented the wines to both audiences simultaneously and to have handled questions from the estate and the VIP Hotel. To adapt a well-known phrase the medium isn't the message – it's the messenger.

Cortes de Cima: landscape with olives

Of the wines shown (details here) I was impressed by the crisp and lemony white 2008 Charminé (Viognier 38%, Antão Vaz 30%, Verdelho 26% and Semillon 6%) – good aperitif and with fish. The red table wine, Courela, made in years when some of the grapes are not good enough for Charminé Tinto, is an easy drinking, plummy bargain at around 3€. The current bottling includes some 2008 to round out the 2007. Production of the red Charminé is now around 1.2 million and you can see why it is a best seller in Portugal for around 5€. The 2008 has more structure than the Courela and plum and prune fruit. Ideally it needs another six months to a year in bottle to show its best.

Autumn's progress

Moving up the scale I liked the concentrated rich and toasty 2007 Cortes de Cima – also needs more time as it's currently tight in the finish. Of the three pure Syrahs I preferred the stylish, herbal 2005 Incognito – opulent but more restrained than either the 2005 Syrah or the Homage to Hans Christian Andersen. On the other hand I could buy nearly three bottles of Homage (15€) to one Incognito (40€). The powerful and black fruited 2005 Touriga Naçional is also impressive with its coffee tones but I'm not convinced it is really worth 40€.