2008 Lokal Silex: best red so far this year.

[Niklas J]

If you haven't tasted them yet - now is the time! The Lokal wines from Filipa Pato are great expressions of Baga and Touriga Nacional and the 2008 Lokal Silex tasted recently went right up as the number one Portuguese table wine so far this year! Filipa is not just showing she has her father's talent - if she continues like this Luís will have to watch out so he's not surpassed!

A dark young wine with pink rim and a young nose with lovely perfume. Scents of flowers, cherries and plums, wet rocks and just the slightest addition of fine oak. The elegance and finesse reveals a higher topography, something that is confirmed by the impeccable acidity and tannins in the mouth. Fine fruit, nice concentration and presence, this one captures me right away. Cherries, rocks, oak, flowers and a touch of summer lawn. The feeling of satisfaction stays for quite a while on the palate.

Great glass and spot on my taste! I only have one problem - will this get even better? Filipa says 15 years but how am I supposed to find out? Keeping the bottles will be such a tough one considering the greatness of drinking this already now!

I rated it a 93 but admit I could maybe go a bit higher in the bouquet - one of those wines you just love to sniff

[Roy Hersh]

I am very much into the aromatics as well Niklas. BTW, how much is the Silex? I have yet to see it in my area, but then again neither are there Luis Pato wines here either ... but they are in the USA.

I am glad to see another fine wine from another region as until a few months ago, this area was limited to Douro wines only and now is open to all from Portugal. Very happy about that, and hopeful that we'll get a lot more play as Portuguese wines become more mainstream in coming years.

For whatever reason, seemingly Canada importers (Provinces) do a much better job of scouting out the Portuguese producers of table wine and I have bought a bunch when visiting BC and Alberta.

Thanks for posting this provocative TN ... very cool!

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Nice imput there Roy. The selection at DeVines must have been an eye-opener! I wonder what the track record is going to be for some of these new wines arriving in USA/Canada?

[Niklas J]

Hi Roy & Bob,

Well, I feel quite blessed with the Portuguese selection in my vicinity and besides what's available in Sweden I have the whole European market to order from. Even if transport prices can be steep when ordering from Portugal sometimes it's worth it just to catch a unique bottle!

In Sweden the 2008 Silex retails at EUR 35 (USD 47). Spending only 12 months on oak this one has just recently been bottled so that should explain why you haven't seen it around yet. The 2006 is retailing in Europe at around EUR 25-30 but doesn't possess the same quality as the latest release. Had a quick look at Filipas site and found that http://www.europeancellars.com/ in Charlotte are the one's that import Filipa Pato. Try contacting them. The wine's definitely worth it!

The region of Dao just keeps on convincing me! If not by Filipa it's the wines of Alvaro Castro that catches me. Had the 2000 Qta da Pellada Estagio Prolongado recently and it was a true masterpiece. Elegance, never to concentrated and with lovely oak and fine acidity it showed why so many consider Dao to be the Burgundy of Portugal!

For a lesser price than the Filipa Pato Lokal Silex you should try to pick up some of Castro's Quinta de Saes. The 2007 Rerserva Prolongado is pure elegance at around EUR 20 in Europe and their white 2008 Saes Reserva on the Bical grape is a high class wine just at EUR 15. For those who like the Luís Pato Vinha Formal (also Bical) the Saes Reserva is a must buy!

So, soon time to pack the suitcases for a 5 week stay in Funchal! Flying out on Tuesday and boy am i excited. Meetings, tastings and visits with producers, vineyards, IVBAM and so on is scheduled.

Best,

Niklas

[Pedro Guimaraes]

Hi Roy & Bob,

Well, I feel quite blessed with the Portuguese selection in my vicinity and besides what's available in Sweden I have the whole European market to order from. Even if transport prices can be steep when ordering from Portugal sometimes it's worth it just to catch a unique bottle!

In Sweden the 2008 Silex retails at EUR 35 (USD 47). Spending only 12 months on oak this one has just recently been bottled so that should explain why you haven't seen it around yet. The 2006 is retailing in Europe at around EUR 25-30 but doesn't possess the same quality as the latest release. Had a quick look at Filipas site and found that http://www.europeancellars.com/ in Charlotte are the one's that import Filipa Pato. Try contacting them. The wine's definitely worth it!

The region of Dao just keeps on convincing me! If not by Filipa it's the wines of Alvaro Castro that catches me. Had the 2000 Qta da Pellada Estagio Prolongado recently and it was a true masterpiece. Elegance, never to concentrated and with lovely oak and fine acidity it showed why so many consider Dao to be the Burgundy of Portugal!

For a lesser price than the Filipa Pato Lokal Silex you should try to pick up some of Castro's Quinta de Saes. The 2007 Rerserva Prolongado is pure elegance at around EUR 20 in Europe and their white 2008 Saes Reserva on the Bical grape is a high class wine just at EUR 15. For those who like the Luís Pato Vinha Formal (also Bical) the Saes Reserva is a must buy!

So, soon time to pack the suitcases for a 5 week stay in Funchal! Flying out on Tuesday and boy am i excited. Meetings, tastings and visits with producers, vineyards, IVBAM and so on is scheduled.

Best,

Niklas

The Qta. da Pellada Estagio Prolongado 2000 is an amazing bottle of wine....wish i had more!!!! I guess he stop doing this labell because the regular version spends almost the same amount of time in wood (16 Months). Dao really rocks!!!!!