Our merchants give their verdicts

After two and a half days of Setúbal Peninsula immersion, the group of visiting indies had sampled every style on offer in the region and met many of the winemakers behind them. Here’s what they had to say about what they discovered

Tom Green Reserve Wines, Manchester

I am a lover of Portuguese wines in general. The distinct range of terroirs, varieties and climate that the relatively small country has to offer is incredible and Setúbal was no different. The wines here were honest, and reflected the peninsula perfectly with the influence of the Atlantic underpinning almost every wine we tasted on the trip.

I loved tasting everyone’s different interpretations of Castelão. They all had their own way of expressing the variety, whether it be blending with a little Touriga or Tannat because the vines are still too young, fermenting in stainless or concrete, oak ageing, foot treading, auto vinification or carbonic maceration … the list goes on. All unique, yet all still distinctly Castelão/ Atlantic/Setúbal.

I believe Castelão could carve out a gap at a number of price points in the UK. But it will need the help of independents to handsell these wines and put them in front of customers.

The sheer value offered by so many of the entry-level wines we saw, which were relatively simple but well-made and mostly well presented, should have people begging for them for their by-the-glass offerings, and filling out pallets so they can grab a few cases of the more niche exciting things.

Radu Vasile Loki Wine, Birmingham

I was amazed by how well Moscatel de Setúbal ages and evolves with time. Elegant and crisp blends such as Fernão Pires and Verdelho, with or without oak, pleasantly surprised me too. And the fruit concentration of the older vineyards of Castelão stood out for me.

I believe that the fortified styles of Moscatel, summery white Fernão Pires blends, and Castelão blends – with Merlot to soften the main grape – will perform very well in independents. They will have to be hand-sold, but I believe they will ultimately be successful.