Taste the Difference Portuguese Lisboa

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23 June 2026

This wine first caught my eye at a recent Sainsbury’s press tasting, where I picked it out from the line-up and immediately felt it deserved a proper revisit. I went back to it to discover more.

It is made by Casa Santos Lima, based at Quinta da Boavista, Alenquer, around 45 km from Lisbon. The blend brings together Syrah, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet and Tinta Barroca and I suspect it may be the same wine as their well-regarded own-brand “Blend Portugal”. This is the 2024 vintage, with 12.5% ABV.

Vanilla aroma comes through first, followed by red fruit, vanilla oak and raspberry, then a deeper taste than you might expect at this price, with a good mouthfeel too. The aftertaste is excellent, finishing with a pleasing oaky edge. It is fuller-bodied than the label leads you to expect and there is far more character here than you usually find at this level.

It was even better than when I first tasted it at the press tasting and it is great with food.

It would be easy to walk past this bottle, assuming it sits in the same space as Porta 6 and its many imitators. It does not. This is much better, from a named producer, bottled at source and it feels like a real hidden gem. At only £8, and just £6 when the 25% off promotions are running, it has quickly become my current ‘house red’.

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