There are apparently two subregions: Chão de areia (sandy) and Chão rijo (clay). The area used to be about 1000 ha in the beginning of the 20th Century; now it is only about 20 ha.
The alcohol levels tend to be very modest by modern standards at about 11%.
Our tasting started with a white:
Colares Chitas White 1997
Lemon coloured. The nose is a touch oaky; clears out to be delightfully vegetal with mineral hints. Unique, personal and dashed delicious. The palate is too full bodied on the mid-palate but the aftertaste is bloody fantastically acidic!
Lovely stuff!!!
Then we had the reds in order from oldest to youngest:
Colares Caves Visconde Salreu 1933
Onion skin coloured. The nose has toffee and red berries, a touch of earth - elegant yet fruity and nicely developed. The palate is sweetly fruity, with fine acidity and a delightful amount of rusticity. Brilliant stuff and probably just the right age to drink it. Perfect balance.
Colares Viuva Gomes Old Reserve 1948
Very dark red. The nose is herbal, red berried, sweet, rustic - lovely! The palate is very tannic still (too young
), but has a nice concentration of fruit. The acids initially were very nice and high, but turned a bit harsh with air. Nice at first, then only ok.
Colares Caves Visconde Salreu 1955
Corked.
Azenhas do Mar Garrafeira 1966
Same maker apparently as Chitas (Silva). Oxidised. Brown. A nose of rye bread. Hmmmm. Oddly enough, drinkable - it had died and had become decent sherry! ?!?!?!? Pleasant, even! Certainly not what it should have been, though.
Colares Caves Visconde Salreu 1967
Corked.
Colares Chitas 1968
Brilliant stuff again! Earthy, mineral, herbal, red berries, with a sweet candied edge but very, very dry! The palate is very dry in its fruit - certainly not a wine for the masses -, high in acidity and tannin, uncompromising, unique, tangy, lovely stuff!
Colares Chitas Reserve 1970
Very dark colour. The nose is very fruity, red berries, earth, funky in the typical Colares fashion (i.e. a bit like Musar in the funk department). The palate is friendlier than the 1968 with fine fruit, sweeter than the red berried acid-laced fruit of the 68. Lovely stuff!
Colares Reserve Tavares & Rodrigues 1971
Corked. But only slightly. The palate had fine balance and was such that I'd love to get a good bottle.
Colares Caves Visconde Salreu 1974
Sulphur. Fine palate though. Odd. Maybe it just needs 40 more years age!
Colares Chitas 1990
Lovely sweet, high toned nose, with nice intermingling of red and black toned fruit. The palate was approachable though very tannic and acidic. Not as complex as the 1970 or the 1933 (nor does it seem to have the same potential as them), but my favourite after those two. Nice stuff!
Certainly one of the most interesting tastings I've attended - understandible enough considerning my love for Musar! It seems that only Musar and Portugal produce this sort of tangy, unique, wild wines any more.
-Otto-