With the region’s growing notoriety, the Algarve’s wineries are expanding their portfolios
With the region’s growing notoriety, the Algarve’s wineries are expanding their portfolios. Not only are they investing in new varieties and experimenting with new techniques, but they are also producing different styles of wine, such as fortified, unfiltered and sparkling.
The latter has been slowly bubbling to the surface of the market with, so far, nine wineries across the region producing Algarve espumante.
Produced in every region of Portugal, espumantes are a delicious alternative to Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, or Crémant. In the Algarve, the majority are made using the region’s iconic and versatile Negra Mole variety, which allows producers to make rosé and Blanc de Noir wines. But there are also more traditional options, as well as surprising ones.
An Algarve icon
Recently revived to make light-bodied red wines typical of the region, the Negra Mole is the Algarve’s pride and joy. Once deemed cheap and uninteresting, the second oldest variety in Portugal, indigenous to the Algarve, is today the region’s flagship grape.
Several producers have made the most of its unique versatility – thanks to its multicoloured berries – floral and fruity flavours, and open colour to make their first espumante.
The first winery to produce an Algarve espumante was Alcantarilha’s João Clara. Its latest vintage, the João Clara Espumante Brut Nature 2016 (€35), is a sparkling Blanc de Noire Brut Nature made with Negra Mole grapes from 50-year-old vines.
João Clara Espumante Brut Nature 2016 €35
Using the traditional Champenoise method, it aged two years in French oak barrels and another three in the bottle. On the nose, it reveals fruity and citrus aromas.
In the mouth, its bubbles are fine and persistent, with good creaminess. With only 1,400 bottles produced, it is an exclusive wine ideal for toasting the holidays with festive treats.
Boutique winery Morgado do Quintão in Silves followed suit. An equally staunch supporter of the region and its traditions, the producer is proud to uniquely use Negra Mole for its Espumante 2019 (€42). Presented in a mysterious, opaque bottle with a dramatic black label, this sparkling wine has light notes of toasted brioche, resulting in an attractive aroma with a delicate floral touch. With well-balanced acidity, it is a smooth and exciting sparkling wine.
Cabrita Wines
Close by, the well-known Cabrita winery has already earned several awards with its Blanc de Noir 2016 (€34.50) and Rosé 2013 (€49.50) sparkling wines, both made entirely with Negra Mole.
Cabrita Wines
Their nine-year-long ageing process has given these wines incredible profiles that caught the attention of top wine critic Sara Ahmed.
The citrus-coloured Blanc de Noir, for which the critic has a particular penchant, is intense on the nose, with delicious notes of biscuit and ripe fruit. Its bubble is delicate, elegant, and creamy in the mouth, with good structure and acidity. The Rosé reveals elegant and delicate aromas of toasted brioche, nuts, and caramelised fruit. At first vibrant and fresh, its bubble is fine and velvety, with a saline finishing touch.
Aged in clay pots
Another growing trend in the Algarve is amphorae wine. This ancient technique, brought to Portugal by the Romans, is now also used to make sparkling wine.
At Quinta dos Santos, in Lagoa, the family-run winery used this type of vinification for its Escolhido Espumante Blanc de Noir 2021 (€20).
Quinta dos Santos
Chosen, or the chosen one – that is what Escolhido means, and this sparkling wine is made with carefully chosen Negra Mole grapes.
Quinta dos Santos
It was fully fermented and aged in clay amphorae for a total of nine months, giving it unique aromas and good minerality. In the mouth, this espumante has delicious notes of brioche and pastry resulting from the yeast, which has remained inside the bottle for three years. It is the perfect pairing for Algarve oysters or delicious cured cheeses.
Arvad
Launched this summer, Arvad’s sparkling wine was also aged in clay pots. Only this one is a single-varietal Arinto, a white grape variety well known for its acidity, resulting in citric and mineral wines with good ageing potential.
Arvad
Arvad’s Brut Nature White 2021 (€19.50) celebrates its river-side terroir in the Silves region. Presented in a beautiful opaque bottle with a minimalistic label, this greenish wine reveals citrus notes involved in some pastry resulting from ageing in the bottle with free yeast.
Fresh and lively on the palate, its bubble is very elegant, balancing the natural acidity of the wine. A sensational sparkler with a long and persistent finish, ideal as an aperitif or paired with seafood.
Casa Santos Lima
Arinto is also the variety chosen by Casa Santos Lima for its Belíssimo white sparkling wine.
With vines planted a stone’s throw from the sea, granting its grapes delicious saltiness, the producer proudly launched its first Algarve sparkling wines last summer, coinciding with the opening of its visitor’s centre in Tavira.
The Belíssimo White 2021 (€16.50) is a single-varietal Arinto boasting elegant and delicate bubbles. On the nose, it bursts with aromas of citrus fruits, apple, and brioche. It is creamy and elegant on the palate and has a lush and persistent finish. There is also a Belíssimo Rosé 2021 (€16.50), a Negra Mole single varietal that is elegant, fruity and crunchy in the mouth.
The French touch
Previously famous for belonging to British pop star Sir Cliff Richard, Adega do Cantor has reinvented itself since a Frenchman purchased it. With such influence, we can only expect an outstanding sparkling wine.
Adega do Cantor
The Adega do Cantor Espumante Brut Nature 2021 (€19.38) is a blend of Arinto and Antão Vaz. Evidently made using the traditional Champagne method, the espumante is light in colour, with a fine bubble and a persistent cord.
Adega do Cantor
It was aged for six months in low-temperature stainless steel vats and fermented and aged in the bottle for 36 months. On the nose, it reveals good aromatic freshness integrated with excellent, well-balanced citrus notes. On the palate, it is elegant, unctuous, and has balanced acidity that pairs perfectly with moules marinière, shellfish or just enjoyed on its own.
Something different
Quinta do Barranco Longo, located in Algoz, has always opted for modern packaging, an original choice of varietals and, soon, a contemporary winery and visitor’s centre.
Its two sparkling wines are no exception, presented in minimalistic bottles with the code names ‘Quê 04’ and ‘Quê 02’.
Released in July 2016, the Espumante Rosé Reserva Bruto Natural Quê 04 (€17.95) is the fourth edition of this single-varietal Touriga Nacional, a grape variety that gives it its darker shade of pink and aromas of berries and red fruits. The Espumante Branco Grande Reserva Bruto Natural Quê 02 (€17.95), the second edition of the white espumante, was released in March 2022 and is a blend of Arinto and Chardonnay. Clear with fine and persistent bubbles, it is fresh and boasts delicate aromas with a persistent finish. Two great options if Negra Mole is not your variety of choice.
If you are looking for entirely different Algarve wines, try the Monte da Ria espumantes. This Tavira producer uses Baga for its single varietal and blends, a variety native to the Bairrada region, often compared to Pinot Noir.
Monte da Ria
The Monte da Ria Espumante Rosé Bruto 2021 (€16.30) is a light pink Baga single-varietal with a fine and persistent bubble. Displaying aromas of raspberries and strawberries, it is smooth and persistent in the mouth, with a fresh and creamy finish. The Monte da Ria Espumante Branco Brut 2021 (€17.40), a blend of Arinto and Baga, displays a pale citrus colour, a fine and persistent bubble, and good perlage. It has lashings of floral and white fruit aromas and light tropical and citrus notes. The wine has good acidity, a smooth and persistent flavour, and a fresh and creamy finish.
The Solar da Ria Reserva Brut Nature 2019 (€25), the producer’s top-of-the-range fizz, is a Blanc de Noir made with Baga. This citrus-coloured wine has a delicate and persistent bubble, revealing mature aromas of white fruit accompanied by light citrus and brioche notes. It has good acidity and structure. A gastronomic wine perfectly paired with seafood, fish or cheese.
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