Adega Regional de Colares 2015 Colares Arenae [500ml]

 This is a value: Colares, let alone with age, at $30 is not something we see very often any longer. This bottling of Malvasia is from the Adega Regional, one of the standard-bearers of winemaking in the region, founded in 1931. The grapes come from the region's famed old, ungrafted vines grown on beach sand (Arenae is the local name for the sandy soils where these old vines grow ). Medium-bodied, saline, spicy, and elegantly textured, this is a classic, elegant expression of Colares Malvasia that is in an outstanding place for drinking now, or for holding onto over the next few years.  Ben Fletcher

Antonio Madeira 2018 Dão Branco

Antonio Madeira is dedicated to celebrating the best vineyards in the Dão. He is focused on preserving old vines of native Portuguese varieties and farms his small parcels organically and all by hand. This bottling is a field blend  of around twenty different grapes grown on granite soils, including Siria, Fernao Pires, Bical, and Arinto. Indigenous yeast fermentation and aging in French barrels. Madeira's whites are some of the finest in Portugal, with Burgundian charm, fresh acidity and a sturdy mineral backbone. This Branco from younger vines is medium-bodied. Aged mostly in stainless steel, with a portion in used  oak barrels. -EL

Aphros 2019 Phaunus Palhete (Loureiro & Vinhao blend)

Palhete is the local name for a wine that is made in a farmer's style, by blending red and white grapes to create a low-alcohol wine to drink during the day. As founder Vasco Croft explains, there was no soda or beer back in medieval times, and water was not reliable, so the Palhete wines provided the only trustworthy hydration at the time. This particular blend is 80% Loureiro and 20% Vinhão. The 2019 is, in my opinion, the tastiest Palhete we've had since starting to carry the wine several vintages ago. The wine is very light in body, but with plenty of savory, crushed red berry character in the mid-palate. Drink with a light chill.  -EL

Aphros 2020 Phaunus Pet Nat (Loureiro) Vinho Espumante

The Phaunus Pet Nat is all Loureiro, vinified in stainless steel with no added yeast or sugar. There is a short period of maceration, and disgorgement is after 5 months of aging, with no filtration or fining. Super dry, refreshing and textured, this is a nice addition to the ever-changing Pet-Nat section here at Chambers, and comes highly recommended for any fan of tasty bubbles. -EL

Barrete (Bojo do Luar) 2020 Deu Pinote

The Bojo do Luar project is a collaboration between importer Savio Soares and one of Portugal's pioneers of biodynamic farming, Fernando Paiva. Deu Pinote is a blend of Arinto, Alvarelhão, and Vinhao.  The Alvarelhão spends three weeks on the skins. An interesting technique is utilized here, thanks to research Fernando has been doing with ground chestnut flowers, which have been found to help stabilize wine without addition of sulfites. Some ground chestnut flowers are used during fermentation. Don't worry, the wine doesn't taste like chestnuts, or chestnut flowers for that matter. It's bright and zippy, with fresh red berries and satisfying tartness. Perfect with a chill. -EL

Casa de Saima 2016 Bairrada Baga Bruto

This is a Blanc de Noir of Baga from the Casa de Saima winery in the Bairrada D.O.C. Unfiltered, and peach-hued, with delicate mousse and very balanced and energetic bubbles. A great wine as a compromise between your Champagne loving friends and your natty Pet-Nat friends. -EL

Casa de Saima 2019 Bairrada Tonel 10

Casa de Saima is located in the heart of Bairrada , producing cuvees from 18 hectares of vines in the region. Tonel 10 comes from 50-year-old Baga vines from Casa de Saima’s oldest vineyard. The grapes are hand-harvested, crushed by foot, and then allowed to spontaneously ferment in lagar for about seven days. The wine is then matured in large, seasoned oak vats for one year. Showcasing juicy, bright red fruits, terrific acidity and soft tannins, this is a lovely, medium bodied Baga.

Duckman (Maria Joao Pato) 2020 Lucky Duck Pet Nat

50% Baga, 50% Fernão Pires from Maria João Pato, aka Duckman. The white juice of the red grape Baga is used, and the Fernão Pires provides bright salinity. A very fun, quacky Pet Nat, with lees aging providing texture to balance with the zippy acidity.  -EL

Duckman (Maria Joao Pato) 2020 Vinho Branco

This white from Maria Joao Pato (aka Duckman) is 100% Bical, from young vines on sandy soils. There's a short maceration on the skins, but not to arrive at an orange wine, more for texture and grip. Fermentation is in oak and stainless steel, and aging is in  French oak for about 6 months before bottling. It's salty, refreshing and quite fun all around. No filtration, so there is some cloudiness to the wine.   -Eben

Filipa Pato 2020 Bairrada Tinto 'Dinamico'

The name for this wine, Dnmc (or Dinamico), reflects the idea that expressions of the local Baga grape from different locations will produce a complex, and dynamic wine. It also could be seen as a nod to the biodynamic principles and treatments that Filipa Pato and William Wouters have introduced in their vineyards. They have been increasingly focused on organic and biodynamic viticulture as the years go by, much to our delight! 100% Baga, this medium-bodied red is fresh, and vibrant, with a touch of wild red fruit and dark berries, and subtle spice. Fermentation and aging is in tank with minimal extraction, but long maceration periods still provide good structure to the wine. Overall, it's a great introduction to the very enjoyable Baga grape, specifically here involving limestone terroir and the Atlantic influence of western Bairrada. -EL

Filipa Pato NV Bairrada Brut Rose "3B" Sparkling

(Was $15.99) Bairrada, with its cooler maritime climate, has a long history of producing fresh and distinctive sparkling wines of quality from the native grapes of the region. Filipa Pato admirably keeps the tradition alive with her delicious and unpretentious brut rosé made from a blend of Bairrada’s signature noble red variety Baga and the tangy high acid white grape, Bical. Spicy and zesty with notes of bright citrus and red berries, this is a great (and affordable!) pairing for baked fish with paprika and Iberian olive oil or smoked fish brunch.

Folias de Baco 2019 Douro Uivo Anfora

A soft and elegant skin contact wine from Tiago Sampaio (Folias de Baco). The grapes here are Donzelinho & Samarrinho from shist and granite soils. The special touch is the long infusion with skins in large amphorae. A welcome addition to our "orange wine" lineup and to the Uivo wines from Folias de Baco.  -Eben

Folias de Baco 2020 Vinho Tinto Uivo Renegado

This is a fascinating field blend of 25 different indigenous Portuguese varieties planted 80 years ago on steep slopes of schist and granite! The blend is ~50% white varieties, mainly Gouveio, Abigato, Donzelinho, Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, and 50% reds, Rufete, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Mourisco, Tinta Roriz. All varieties are hand-harvested separately at their peak, sorted in the vineyeard, and macerated whole cluster for three days. Fermentation occurs in large granite lagers, and then the wine is aged for six months in cement, with 15% in two-year old chestnut oak.   -EL

Jackpot (Ramilo e filho) 2019 Vinho Regional Lisboa

Lés-a-lés 2017 DOC Beira Interior Sério de Síria

This is a fascinating white from the Síria grape. Les-a-Les is a team of two winemakers who make wines in the Beiras always with minimal treatments (in this case zero) and always allowing wild yeast fermentation. The vineyard parcel is located in Beira Interior, and was discovered by the winemakers to be an abandoned plot. After requesting permission from the town to tend to the parcel and harvest the grapes, they received approval and were able to make this wine. This was the second, and last time the wine was made, as someone arrived in 2018, claiming to be the "owner" of the vineyards, and demanding money for the grapes! The wine is aged on the lees for a year in neutral barrels. It has an oxidative lean that instantly reminded me of Jura Savagnin and unfortified Palomino. Nice density from the lees aging, and good freshness from the altitude (650 meters). All in all a very tasty and intriguing Portuguese white!  ~Eben

Quinta da Costa do Pinhao 2016 Douro Vinho Branco

Quinta do Costa do Pinhão is an old winery in the Douro Valley now in its seventh generation, run by Miguel Morais, who took the estate into organic farming in the early 2000s. Miguel fell in love with his family's estate following a career as a Civil Engineer, and after returning to take over the winery, restarted use of the old cement lagars, brought in large old barrels, and took advantage of the gravity system that was already in place in the 19th century building. These wines benefit not just from the non-interventionist wine-making and organic farming, but also the guiding hand of Luis Seabra, famed Portuguese winemaker, and a friend of the Morais family. He has been helping with the winemaking here, and we're excited to be able to offer wines from this new project. The Branco has a bit of skin contact, with juice and skins together during fermentation in the open top lagars. There is a subtle amber hue, and its by no means tannic, but the inclusion of skins provides beautiful structure to the wine, playing nicely with the minerality from the famous schist terroir of the Douro Valley. A field blend, consisting of mostly Rabigato, Gouveio, and Viosinho. Aged in old barrels for one year, then an additional 9 months in stainless steel before bottling. A real treat!   -EL

Quinta da Mariposa 2016 Dao Vinho Tinto

Lúcia Freitas manages Quinta da Mariposa, located in Carregal do Sal in the Dao región of Portgal. The Dao is home to Portugal’s oldest varieties, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. Mariposa’s Tinto is a blend of both of these varieties and a little bit of Jaen (or, Mencia). It shows notes of wild strawberry, bramble, some brown spice and fresh herbs. JDC

Quinta da Serradinha 2017 Leiria Vinho Branco (Arinto e Fernao Pires)

Antonio Marques da Cruz runs the Quinta do Serradinha winery, Portugal's first certified organic estate (Organic since 1994). The winery is located north of Lisbon and wines are quite traditional here, with stone lagars for crushing and big old barrels for aging. The Branco is a fascinating blend of Arinto and Fernão Pires, two local grapes. Aromas of anise and herbs, with some salinity and citrus on the palate. The Arinto delivers fresh acidity that frames the long finish. A dynamic white wine and with uniquely Portuguese character.   -EL

Quinta do Regueiro 2019 Alvarinho Secreto

This is a new offering from Quinta do Regueiro, which sees a part of the juice being given extended contact with the skins and lees. It's not an orange wine, as there is another portion of the wine that is fermented without skins in the style of their Alvarinho Reserva, and because the duration of skin contact is not very long. The real result, and what the winemaker was going for, was a refined texture and density that the skins and lees can give to the Alvarinho. We were impressed with this wine (as always with Portugal, especially for the price!), and are happy that it is part of the Quinta do Regueiro lineup. Well worth a try. -EL

Ramilo 2017 Colares Malvasia

We are delighted to have the first vintage of the Ramilo family’s Malvasia. From two hectares of rare and ungrafted vines in Colares, about one kilometer from the Atlantic. The soil here is comprised of clay, under about a meter of sand. The vines are trained low to the sand, permitting longer maturation of the fruit, while the light and heat reflected by the sand raises the fairly low temperature. After an October harvest period, 50% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel, while the other 50% is fermented on the skins in an open air lagar for seven days. This skin contact gives the Malvasia gorgeous notes of orange blossom, sea spray, plush flowers and salt. The palate continues these notes, along with the classic Colares profile of minerality, salinity, crisp acidity and tart citrus. This is one of our favorite wines, made for a dish like seafood stews, salt cod, and shrimp tempura. JDC

Ramilo 2018 Vinho Regional Lisboa Branco

A charming little white from the Lisboa region, clearly showcasing the salinity of the Atlantic, and the local grapes Arinto and Viosinho. -EL

Sidónio de Sousa 2015 Bairrada Reserva

Sidónio de Sousa's Reserva Tinto is a savory, medium to full-bodied expression of Baga, from clay-limestone soils in the Ancas-Bairrada. Pressing and fermentation happens in traditional small cement lagars, with aging for a year in large 4000L barrels, and a further two years in bottle before release. Pepper, black currant, oregano, and fresh earth abound. For a wine under $20, this traditional Baga over-delivers, providing the leather and cedar notes of a fine Bordeaux mixed with the finesse of Nebbiolo. Perhaps an old fashioned wine in style, this is no fault! A great value.  -EL

Sol Real 2020 Vinho Verde