Now Drinking - Outono de Santar & Pasmados

Posted on October 10, 2007
Filed Under Now Drinking

I’ve had my first sighting of chestnuts, guess this means fall has officially arrived and it’s time to stock up on something appropriate. I’m talking wine of course, and like a kid at Christmas my “short list” is already 40 bottles long - I can hardly wait to try them all. My wine-sniffing nose smells trouble, already.

Not to get too overwhelmed, we’re starting with whites as an easy transition from all the Vinho Verde we drank over the summer. In my first outing in pursuit of new and different for fall, I immediately stumbled on “Outono de Santar” - bingo! Had never seen this beauty before. Its leafy amber color and description gave me a sense that it’s a perfect fall wine with cheeses, dates, raisins, sweet meats, pâté, but a little suspicious it might be a tad sweet. Regardless, it sounded too good to leave behind, and my search continued for something a little sharper. With a new dish already in mind, the second bottle couldn’t be far away, then I found it — “Pasmados”.

Outono de Santar & Pasmados

The label described this lovely, having aromas of green tea and hazelnuts…never imagined those two together, an interesting pairing with the nutty dish I’m plotting. Sold!

Here’s how they fared.

Outono de Santar
Region: Dao

The English translation of “Outono” is “Fall”, with a name like that and a maple leaf burnt amber colour, this is no ordinary wine. The label describes how it gets its unique flavour, by using grapes left on the vine until very ripe, and picked after the first fall showers.

Outono de Santar

It further describes the wine as a good pairing for foie gras and some desserts. At first taste there was a mass confusion on my pallet as I tried to find things to compare it to - a port, a rose…no, not quite, maybe a bit of each, but with distinct dry apricot and plum flavours as well. Then it intensifies and finishes with a spicy jab very close to nutmeg and a touch of anis seed. Tried it with a very dry cured sheep’s cheese and it was well…heaven, and balanced off the spicy end notes beautifully. I have yet to try it with sweets, but that’s just a matter of getting my hands on the Pasties de Nata I baked earlier. Will update this post when the two come together.

Pasmados
Region: Terras do Sado

A modern elegant white - although very grown up, theres really nothing traditional about its flavour, this an edgy and modern wine. A straw green yellow colour and a very strong green tea and nut flavour. Whoever wrote the label’s flavour description, got it dead on, but I’d argue on the nut. The label says, hazelnut — I say pine and maybe Brazil nut.

Pasmados

Regardless of the nut, a very forward flavoured and adventurous wine. I have an aubergine dish with a nutty stuffing waiting in the oven, and couldn’t help but sneak a taste to pair them together … probably a bad idea. As I’m now, impatient to finish this review and head for the kitchen.

I would try this wine again, with dishes that combine white meats with fruits or nuts, such as Asian and Indian dishes.

If you hadn’t noticed each of these wines come from different regions in Portugal, Outono de Santar from the Dão, and Pasmados from Terras do Sado. The first is from the more northern part of the country the Dão Region, just below the Douro and a bit above Lisbon, the latter is from Setúbal 40km south of Lisbon. Two extremely different wines in colour flavours and complexity, and if served in one evening there would be no confusing them. I’m tempted to serve both of these with a huge cheese platter and let guests have fun trying the hugely different spectrums both of these wines offer. I would also not think twice, about serving Outono de Santar with the caramelized Rocha pears, from my previous post.

Note: The recipes for the Pasties de Nata and aubergines currently in the oven, will be posted in the next couple of days. Saude!

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One Response to “Now Drinking - Outono de Santar & Pasmados”

Catavino - - Spanish Wine, Portuguese wine and more! » Blog Archive » WBW #38 - Portuguese Table Wines Wrap-Up!!! on October 15th, 2007 12:59 pm

[…] Carvalhais, Duque de Viseu Tinto 2002 Troy Fitrell: Adega Mayor Touriga Nacional 2005 Algarve Buzz: Outono de Santar 2003 Estremadura Winecaste: DFJ Vinhos Grand’ Arte 2005 Wino-Sapien: Casa Santos Lima Quinta Das […]

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