A few years ago – back in November 2008 – I was judging wine in Porto. I met up with some Portuguese wine people for dinner, and ended up leaving with a magnum of this. I remember getting a lift up to my floor at 3 am with the manager of the Canadian rugby team that was in town and he asked me about the bottle. It’s not every day that you get a chance to open a magnum of a lighter-styled Portuguese red, but an opportunity opened up where I felt there was a receptive audience, so at age 8 and a bit I popped the cork. I wasn’t disappointed.

Conceito Bastardo 2007 Douro, Portugal
From magnum. This was stunning when I first tried it back in 2008: a lighter Douro red that was almost like a rosé. How has it aged? It’s a beautifully aromatic wine with sweet floral red cherry fruit. So perfumed. The palate is smooth, sweet and silky. Beautifully elegant and ethereal with fine spiciness. Warm yet pure, this is lovely. 95/100

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