Quinta do Ventozelo Cister da Ribeira 2008

Had this wine at a party, so these notes are sketchy, but everyone who tried it agreed that it was a real winner. It was well balanced - good acidity without being sharp or sour - and bursting with a bundle of fruit. You could taste the grapey Muscat, but there was plenty of other stuff going on. A steal at the price. A Wine Expo product and not much left.

Price: $ 13.49
Value 5/5
Score: 89
Region: Portugal, Douro
Grape: 30% Muscat, 20% Viosinho, 20% Arinto, 20% Fernao Pires, 10% Gouveio (Verdelho)
UPC: 5601109213107

Quinta da Rigodeira Baga 2005

Luke has mentioned this wine in a comment, and I've heard other people talk about it, but I haven't tried it myself and no one has given me a full review. So I thought I'd just start a post on it to allow anyone who has tried it to tell us what they think.

I noticed that Oz Clarke's Grapes and Wines entry on Baga mentions Quinta da Rigodeira as one of the best producers of Baga. He also notes that it lasts very well in the bottle, though I don't know if that would be true of any entry level wine.

BTW, Oz Clarke's book is a great purchase for anyone interested in wine. It provides encyclopedic information about all (well, maybe just most) of the world wine grapes, listed alphabetically. It is packed with information, reasonably priced, and best of all, it is beautifully written. While it has an encyclopedia style, it is not a book that you'll pick up only when you want specific information. It is so well written that you'll find yourself flipping it open and reading at random.

Here it is at Amazon, and at Chapters.

Anyway, back to the Rigodeira Baga:

Price: $15.79
Score: ??
Grape: Baga
Region: Portugal
UPC: 5600398620030

Vinzelo Douro 2006

Here is a quick review from Luke, from the Wine Expo '08 tasting, that I lifted from a comment. Note that Tinta Roriz is a Portugese name for Tempranillo.

A quick review of the Vinzelo 2006, Douro, booth 19 - Very fresh nose - predominantly strawberries and raspberries, which follow through on the palate, with a touch of spice. 30% each tinta roriz, touriga franca, tinta barroca and 10% touriga nacional. A great display of the potential of Portugese red table wines and the best wine I've had under $15 in a while. Just over 2000 bottles in the warehouse.

Price: $11.49
Value: 5/5
Score: 88
Alcohol: 12.5%
Region: Portugal, Douro
Tasted: November 2008
UPC: #5601920113952

Gazela Vinho Verde 2007

Vinho Verde is the traditional wine of northern Portugal, meant to be drunk young and fresh. ("Verde" means green, and is a reference to youth, not the colour. The Gazela is a white, as is most exported vinho verde, although red is also made for the domestic market.) Vihno verde is lightly sparkling, low in alcohol and is meant to be light, acidic, crisp and floral - the ideal drink for a hot summer afternoon. The Gazela doesn't quite live up to these ideals. It is slightly cloying rather than crisp - vihno verde is tradionally very dry, but as in this case it is often made in a sweeter style for the export market - and the nose rather subdued and nondescript. But at the price, you can't complain too much.

Price: $10.29
Value: 3/5
Score: 83
Alcohol: 9%
Tasted: August 2008
ANBL UPC: 5601012045505