New
Douro 2004 tasting
The wines
of Quinta
do Crasto
Q da Crasto, 5060-063 Gouvinhas, Sabrosa, Portugal
Tel: +351 22610 5493
E-mail: crasto@mail.telepac.pt
The
wonderfully situated Quinta do Crasto is located in the heart of
the Cima Corgo. This 130 hectare property has some impressive
vineyards, including two—Vinha da Ponte and Maria
Theresa—which are used to make single vineyard wines.
Crasto
was an early star in the new Douro revolution, and began making
table wines in the mid-1990s. Initially wines were made under the
guidance of Aussie David Baverstock, but subsequently another
Aussie, Dominic Miller, has been overseeing things.
I’ve
criticized these wines in the past for being (IMO) a bit
spoofy—some of them have shown excessive levels of new oak and
rather in-yer-face fruit. But with 2004, there seems to have been
a welcome change of direction, and I was really impressed with the
three wines here, which were all tasted on two separate occasions.
Quinta
do Crasto Douro Reserva 2004
Nice definition to the ripe black fruits nose, which is sweet
but not overdone. The palate shows lovely primary fruit and some
spicy structure. Quite chunky, but deliciously focused. Very
good/excellent 91/100
Quinta
do Crasto Touriga Nacional 2004
This kicks off with a big crunchy dark fruits nose that’s
quite floral, but with some beefy, meaty notes too. The palate
shows an impressive concentration of dark fruit that’s not
overly sweet. A big wine in every way, but still quite fresh. Very
good/excellent 93/100
Quinta
do Crasto Vinha da Ponte 2004
This impresssive wine has a rich open nose of spicy red and
black fruits. The palate is supple and elegant with good acidity
and structure. Not too big, in a lovely, spicy style. This is an
elegant wine with a bright future ahead of it. Modern styled but
quite delicious. Very good/excellent 94/100
See
also: previous report on
Crasto
Back
to New Douro 2004 tasting
Wines tasted 05 and 07/06
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