Julia Harding, Master of Wine (MW) and senior editor at the renowned website JancisRobinson.com, is celebrated for her meticulous and insightful wine reviews. Recently, several wines were in the spotlight, praised for their purity, complexity, and distinctive character.
Julia Harding, Master of Wine (MW)
Below are her original evaluations:
1. Pura White 2022 – JR 17.5
“Even less obviously fruit-forward than the Textura da Estrela 2022, more stony/chalky and salty and a light flinty note. But there’s still lime and lime leaf with a seam of grapefruit purity. Full in the mouth, more evidence of oak than on the Textura da Estrela but absolutely not an oaky wine. Pure as its name, cool, piercing freshness and long salty, mouth-watering finish. The oak and the light note of reduction frame the lovely fruit. Long and captivating.”
2. Pura Red 2021 – JR 17.5
“Mid garnet with soft rim. Delicate, open and fragrant with wild red fruits, herbs and an impression of wild scrubland (the Portuguese equivalent of southern French garrigue). Tart like cranberry but seductive like wild strawberry. Finely modulated tannins are chewy but gentle, caressing even, more chalky as they build in the mouth, and yet provide sufficient structure for the wild and tangy fruit. Sinewy, long and delicious. Pura by name and pura by nature.”
3. Vinha Negrosa Red 2020 – JR 17
“Deepish crimson. Scented and tangy, the dark fruits smell fresh even before you taste them. High acidity, finely dry texture, giving a refined, dry and mouth-watering whole, the tannins almost chalky in their dry texture, which builds in the mouth with each sip. While the tannins are very fine, this currently has a youthful grip that I think would benefit from another year in bottle, and will age a lot longer than that. At the moment it tastes just a little austere – a sort of daring, sinewy, lean quality – but I think this well evolve into elegance.”
4. Textura da Estrela White 2022 – JR 17
“More immediately intense than the Pretexto 2023 and less obviously fruity, more stony. But there’s still a piercing freshness of citrus and cedary lime. A very light impression of cedar and a hint of peppery spice. Intense but hard to parse. On the palate, rounded but with slight friction in the texture, fills the mouth but draws in to a fresh and precise finish with a very slight toasty aftertaste even though it is the opposite of an oaky wine. Even with the bright citrus flavours, there’s something more savoury/salty, too. Tight, textured, long, mouth-watering. Really persistent yet without excessive power or weight.”
5. Textura da Estrela Tinta Pinheira Red 2022 – JR 16.5
“Mid garnet with soft rim. Beautifully and subtly perfumed with sharp, bright red fruits and a lacing of vanilla (but not the sort of intense and dominating vanilla you get from some oak barrels). But there’s also a more dusty/mineral note that is even more evident in the dry, fine, chalky tannins. Terrific freshness, chalkily dry in texture. Lean but scented and surprisingly long. A refined version of this often rustic variety. The tannins have been extremely well handled to give a dry, chalky texture but no astringency. Definitely needs food.”
6. Pretexto White 2023 – JR 16.5
“Grapefruit, lime, fresh herbs, very pure, and a definite creamy impression from the lees ageing. Bone dry, lightly chewy, holding your attention and offering serious refreshment with a sour-fresh finish – even though the acidity is not especially high.”
