Whites

Quinta da Bica Branco 2017 Opens with subtle, fresh floral aromas with hints of spearmint, fleshy with finely viscous texture, lovely tart apple, quince, lemon-honey acidity to balance finish. This wine consistently comes together with time in bottle, expressing itself with elegance and fine linearity. 16.5/20

Quinta da Bica Branco 2012 Leads with subtle beeswax and lemon aromas and then carries on through a dense, firm texture with baseline mineral and honeyed lemon fruit flavors, shot through with a core of firm acidity. Ends with a rounded, gentle finish. An elegant wine entering its best drinking period and should carry on for a few more years. 16.5/20  

Quinta da Bica Radix Branco 2010 12.5%. Radix means roots in Portuguese. This is sourced from a 100 year old, mixed traditional variety vineyard of Encruzado, Gouveio (also known as Verdelho), and Terrantez (known as Donzelinho Branco in Douro). It has an impressively polished, seamless nose with hints of lanolin and bees wax. Expansively mouthfilling and full bodied, it is underpinned with great acid support and fresh, mineral-influenced lemony infusion running throughout a long finish. The essence of tradition dressed up in an elegant, modern style. 

Rose

Quinta da Bica Radix Rose 2010. A blend of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro this offers lactic and watermelon rind aromas, tart red cherry flavors and crisp acidity. Nicely focused, I liked its linearity. 

Reds

Quinta da Bica Tinto Coleheita 2015 13.5% This blend of Touriga, Alfrocheiro, Roriz and Jaen is a seamless, elegantly styled wine.  Nose is Mineral driven, with an undercurrent of fresh and dried red fruit aromas. In the mouth it offers sharpely focused red fruits, firm, fine tannins and pitch perfect acidity. A linear style with persistent flavors, initially it’s quite tight, but fleshes out with airing and develops nice mix of strawberry/red cherry characters. 17/20

Quinta da Bica Tinto Coleheita 2010 Leading with red fruit aromas well tempered with a pleasing minerality. Silky texture is laced with very pure red fruit flavors coming together through a long fine tapered finish structured with long, fine tannins. A very elegant wine 17/20 

Quinta da Bica Jaen 2011 Opens with a ‘classy’ nose offering up great minerality over subtle black fruit aromas and a touch of spirits to lift. Finely textured with great concentration that continues without interruption through back palate. Fine textures are thoughtfully structured with fine tannins and fine natural acidity. Persistent. 17.5/20

Quinta da Bica Jaen/Rufete 2008 Spicy black fruit aromas, a touch spirity, this echoled with a savory mix of black and red fruit flavors in the mouth. A visceral wine with fine tannins. 

Quinta da Bica Radix Tinto 2008. 14% A fruit driven style with spicy black fruit and cherry-cola like aromas, tart black cherry flavors and purt acidity.

Quinta da Bica Vinhas Velhas Tinto 2011 There’s something about Bica’s wines I’ve always loved. Never fancy or flashy, always maintaining a ‘fine’ness and purity. ‘Three chords and the truth’ kind of wines. Faithful to the heart and soul of Dao. Self-confidently restrained, honest, true. This vintage is no exception -- less is more. Red fruits, minerality, linear, pure, elegant… 18.5/20 Tasted 2019

Quinta da Bica Vinhas Velhas Tinto 2007 From another hot vintage, this displays spirity, red fruit aromas, hinting of licorice and cinnamon. A fine, tight, linear style with purity and great focus. Tightly structured with firm, fine tannins and acidity, after airng it fills out and takes on a silky, polished feel. 18/20

Quinta da Bica Tinto Colheita 2005. 14% This complex blend of 50% Touriga Nacional supported by Alfrochiero, Jaen, and Roriz leans towards red fruits and savory game notes.Seamless in the mouth, it carries on with red cherry flavors and is tightly structured with fine grained tannins and fresh acidity. Very much a food wine, all about linearity and elegance.  

 Quinta da Bica Tinto Reserva 2005. 14.5% This blend of 50% Touriga Nacional with Alfrochiero, Jaen, Roriz, suggests Bica at its best: linear, elegant, seamless. Although having the same alcohol as 2004, it doesn’t peek through anywhere. The wine has great florals and a lovely, succulent mix of red and black cherries channeled through a juicy acidity, fine tannins and stunning melt-away finish.

Quinta da Bica Tinto Reserva 2004 14.5% This 50% Touriga blend is fleshed out with Alfrochiero, Jaen, and Roriz. Aromatics lean towards roasted, cooked fruits with slightly oxidative notes. Full bodied, creamy and seamless it in the mouth, I found high alcohol creating a slightly dry, bitterness on finish. For me this is an atypical Bica, probably a function of a hot vintage. Although not as elegant and fresh as most Bica wines, it does have fruit concentration and power.

Quinta da Bica Tinto Reserva 2003 14.5% From a very hot year this wine shows aromas of ultra-ripe, dried black fruits, dates, prunes. Full bodied and deeply concentrated in the mouth with sweet dried black friut flavors, textures are seamless with smartly balanced acidity and firm, fine tannins. Cruising through mid-life, this has plenty of years ahead of it. 16.5/20