2015 Casal do Ramilo Tinto Vinho Regional Lisboa Portugal 750 ml

European Red Value Drinks Like a Baby Châteauneuf

On a recent trip to NYC, I stopped by Danny Meyer’s new restaurant at The Whitney Museum and was introduced to this 2015 Casal do Ramil Red, which is easily one of the best value reds from Europe currently being poured in the U.S. It reminded me of a baby Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine was deeply concentrated yet not heavy whatsoever. It had complex floral notes and good acidity. But best of all was the price. I’m happy to offer this 2015 Casal do Ramilo Tinto Vinho at just $13.99 per bottle — the kind of value only possible from European countries that can’t strongarm the market like their French, Italian and Spanish counterparts. We’ve got 100 cases for a very short time before the rest of it goes to Danny Meyer’s Untitled where it is currently being poured by the glass.

I first heard of Casal do Ramilo from Eduardo Porto Carreiro, who was then the wine director at Danny Meyer’s new restaurant at the Whitney Museum. “You have to try these wines, I’ve never tasted anything in Portugal like them!” he said. I trusted Eduardo’s palate implicitly so I quickly arranged to taste through their wines for an article I was writing. As I tasted through the Ramilos' lineup, there was one in particular that made the deepest impression on me — this Tinto Vinho.

A blend of two of Portugal’s best local grape varieties — 50%Aragonez and 50% Touriga Nacional — all hand-picked from the estate’s sandy soils. The Ramilo family's history is inextricably linked to the wine region around Lisbon. Casal do Ramilo’s vineyards are based in Sintra and Colares, which sit between Lisbon and the Atlantic Ocean. To quote Eric Asimov from The New York Times, the vineyards of this area “look like something that slithered up from the sea.” The vines resemble green serpents, purposely trained along the ground rather than trellised conventionally to avoid the wicked Atlantic winds that blow incessantly.

The Ramilo family has been making wine from vineyards in the area since 1937 and in 2015, the family purchased the largest holding of ancient vines in Colares to preserve the agricultural history of the region from condo developers. Like Eduardo said, there’s truly nothing quite like these wines coming out of Portugal, and I invite you to see for yourself.

Jonathan Cristaldi
Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access