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The
Douro wine revolution
Part 12: Grand Douro tasting and dinner
Casa Visconde de Chanceleiros
5th June 2002
Sitting down to eat. Tomas
Roquette, Joana Lemos, Sandra Tavares and
Cristiano van Zeller (far row); David Baverstock is the only face
visible
on the near row.
My
series of reports from the Douro ends with full notes from the Douro tasting and
dinner held at the Casa Visconde de Chanceleiros.
Organized by Dirk Niepoort, it was a chance for most of the key table
wine producers to get together, taste each others' wines and the
round things off with a dinner. And of course, it was a brilliant
opportunity for American journalist Ray Isle and myself to get a feel
for the direction things are heading in, in this dynamic region. I'd
visited several of the producers represented here already in the
preceding days; I restricted my tasting of their wines to filling in
the gaps on this occasion. Even so, I was pressed for time. After a
couple of hours Dirk came over and told me I had 20 minutes left
before dinner, but I wasn't anything like finished. I ended up tasting
half a dozen wines outside while the room was being prepared for
dinner.
I'm too keen.
From
this tasting, it's easy to see why the Douro has quickly become the
most dynamic wine region in Portugal. There’s a buzz to the wine
scene here, with a recent infusion of young winemakers all keen to
push back the boundaries and make the very best wines that their
terroirs will permit. Dirk has been a pivotal figure in this
revolution, and he has acted like a catalyst by getting people
together on occasions like this to taste wine, discuss and spur each
other on. Indeed, one of the most remarkable aspects of the new
movement here is how well everyone seems to get on. The fact that
there’s so much cooperation and cross-fertilization between people
who are technically competitors is extremely encouraging, and bodes
well for the future.
In
fact, Dirk's wines are notable absentees from this list: for my notes
on these you will have to look elsewhere. He didn't include them in
the tasting, but some of them were served with dinner, including the
Branco Reserva 2000, Charme 2000 and a memorable 1977 Niepoort
Garrafeira port. Dinner was a relaxed event, and I'm ashamed to admit
that for the first time on my trip I didn't get my notebook out.
Quinta do Crasto
back to top
See
also: report of my visit
Quinta do Crasto 2000
Vivid red/purple colour. Spicy herby nose
is quite brightly fruited. Juicy berry fruit on the palate with some
attractive savouriness. Some interest here. Very good+
Quinta do Crasto Tinta Roriz 1999
A varietal Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo)
aged in American oak. Vivid nose shows tarry dark fruits with a sweet
spicy edge. Very forward spicy American oak on the palate, which is
sweet and concentrated. Very modern tasting and works well in quite a
Spanish style. Very good+
Quinta do Crasto Reserva 1999
100% old vines. Very rich, sweet fruit on
the nose with a tarry edge. Attractive chunky palate with lots of dark
fruits, herbs and some spicy, dusty tannins. Good density and lots of
interest. Very good+
Quinta do Crasto Reserva 2000 (cask sample: this is the final blend,
now in tank)
Rich tarry nose displays spicy berry fruit character. Lovely juicy
palate has a great concentration of spicy fruit with good acidity.
Really intense, and super potential. Very good/excellent
Quinta do Crasto D. Maria Teresa 1998
A single-vineyard old vine wine. Vivid
nose shows complex herby notes with a sweet, spicy, tarry lift. The
palate is expressive, rich and spicy with lots of character. Quite
tight with good acidity. Tasty stuff. Very good/excellent
Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte 2000 (cask sample; final blend in tank)
Another single-vineyard wine. Knockout sweet spicy exotic nose
with tar and smoke notes with lush sweet fruit. Really full, forward
palate with good spicy firm structure. This is wonderful stuff: big
and rich with lots of character, but the tannins and acidity
contribute some balancing structure. Very good/excellent
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Quinta do Vale Meão (F. Olazabal & Filhos) back to top
Vale
Meão is a 270 ha estate in the hot upper Douro that has enjoyed a
pivotal historical role in the development of Douro wines. As a
property of Ferriera, this was until recently the primary source of the grapes
for Barca Velha. It is now owned by the former president of Ferriera,
Francisco Olazabal and he runs the estate with his three sons, one of
whom, Francisco Jr., is the winemaker. First vintage was 1999, and
this quickly attained cult status, with bottles changing hands in
Portugal for barmy prices. Francisco reckons that the 2000 vintage is
‘more complete, and more balanced’ than the 1999. It’s a
brooding, intense wine with lots of tight-knit, complex fruit. Second
wine, Meandro, is also impressive.
Meandro 2000
Aged in third year casks; 34 000 bottles made this year. Lively
bright fruit on the nose which is very forward. Lovely bright juicy
fruit on the palate. Easy to drink and quite lovely; brilliant for a
second wine. Very good+
Quinta do Vale Meão 2000
Aged in new, first and second year barrels. Very deep red/purple
colour. Brooding intense nose with spicy, liquoricey fruit. Quite
stern and savoury, with lots of complexity. Lovely rich fruit on the
palate: ripe and full but with lovely structure and presence. Chunky
and savoury, but with lots of tight knit complex fruit. Big but
balanced. Excellent
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Francisco with his wines. He
doesn't look too happy in this rather unflattering picture, but
he was quite charming in person |
Bago de Touriga
back to top
A joint venture between João Roseira of Quinta do Infantado and young
winemaker Luís Soares Duarte. The first vintage was 1997. Some impressive wines
here, in a range of rather contrasting styles, from savoury, earthy
and austere to bright, modern and fruity.
Gouvyas Reserva Branco 2000
I was really impressed by this savoury, minerally white wine.
Lovely intense herbal nose with a lifted lemony/mineral edge. Bright
mineral-edged ripe fruit on the palate: really rich and interesting.
Very good/excellent
Montevalle Reserva Tinto 1999
Lovely leathery mineral-edged fruit with a savoury dusty edge.
Attractive savoury, herby spicy palate is dry, dusty, leathery and
earthy. Soft spicy tannins. Unusual and quite individual, but I like
it. Very good/excellent
Touriga Franca 2001 (cask sample)
Opaque vivid purple colour. Intense liquorice and herb-tinged nose
is bright and fruity. Full, concentrated palate displays vivid,
intense fruit with a savoury edge and some firm tannins. Brilliant
winemaking: big but balanced. Very good/excellent
Touriga Nacional 2001 (cask sample)
Opaque red/black colour. Vivid spicy lift to the nose which shows
lifted, spicy fruit. Dense brambly fruit on the vivid, spicy palate.
Lots of concentration to this remarkable wine: it will be interesting
to see how this develops. Very good+
Touriga Franca/ Tinta Roriz 2000 (cask
sample)
85% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz from the Baixa Corgo and Cima
Corgo. Rich, lush chocolatey blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Intense,
chewy, spicy palate with firm tannins. A rich style with a savoury
undercurrent. Concentrated. Very good/excellent
CARM
back to top
CARM stands for Casa Agricola Rui Madeira, a relatively new project
whose first vintage was 1999. It’s a family owned operation and
winemaker Rui Madeira sources grapes from several Quintas.
CARM Premium 1999
80% Touriga Nacional with Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and others,
aged in French oak. Really interesting forward spicy nose is herby
with some liqouricey notes. Lovely savoury cherry fruit palate with
good tannins and acid. Medium bodied and savoury; perhaps a little
savoury and austere, but quite interesting. Real typicity. Very good+
CARM Reserva 2000
Aged in fine grain American oak. Tight spicy berry fruit on the
nose, which is a little muted. Quite rich palate showing chunky,
savoury fruit with tarry richness. Very good+
CARM Grande Reserva 2000
This comes in a huge bottle with an elegant label. It’s mostly
Touriga Nacional and spends 12 months in French oak. Lovely expressive
forward spicy nose: very vivid with lifted spice and herbs.
Brilliantly herbal, savoury palate is quite striking with good
acidity. A vivid forward wine with lots of spicy Touriga Nacional
character and some underlying acidity. Striking. Very good/excellent
Quinta das Verdelhas 1999
A varietal Touriga Franca. Nice chunky fruity wine is nicely
savoury and quite rich. There’s a herbal character to the fruit.
Interesting stuff. Very good+
Poeira
back to top
Jorge
Moreira, talented young winemaker with six years’ experience at Real
Companhia Velha, has his own project in the Pinhão valley at Quinta
de Terra Feita de Cima. He purchased the estate in March 2001 and now
has 3 ha of old vines, plus another hectare planted this year,
predominantly on north-facing slopes. He says that his goal is to
learn to manage the natural power of Douro wines and produce something
elegant: ‘I want to make something that will age gracefully and gain
a bouquet instead of just keeping fruit’. The first vintage was 2001
seems to be on the right tracks. Note added
later: Jorge is now working for Sophia Berqvist at Quinta de la Rosa.
Poeira 2001
Trodden in lagares without the stems. Lovely elegant nose is spicy
and slightly smoky with tight berry fruit: bright and focused with an
acid lift. The palate has great concentration and power with savoury,
spicy tannins and good acidity. Quite elegant although at the moment
the wood is showing quite a bit. Good potential. Very good/excellent
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Kolheita de Ideias
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A high-quality, small-scale negociant operation established in 2001,
this is a collaboration between Luís Soares Duarte, Francisco
Ferreira and Rui Moreira.
Esboço 2001
The second wine, this is mainly Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca,
40% of which is aged in French oak. Bright, herby forward nose with
vivid cherry and berry fruit, together with some tarry richness. The
palate shows juicy fruit and high acidity. Really approachable: a
lovely expressive wine. Very good+
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The Kolheita crew: Luis, Rui (eyes
closed) and Francisco. Not my best ever picture... |
Kolheita 2001 (cask sample)
6000 bottles made. Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca aged in Allier
oak. Vivid purple colour. Wonderful nose is rich and striking with a
deep tarry complexity and a toasty edge. Dense concentrated palate is
massive and ripe with lots of spicy, brooding dark fruits. Lush
texture: a modern, striking wine. Very good/excellent
Quinta do Vale D. Maria
(Lemos & Van Zeller)
back to top
See
also: report of my visit
Quinta do Vale D. Maria 2000
Wonderful forward nose, with some spicy toasty notes from the oak
together with rich, forward black fruits. Ripe, sweet and herby.
Lovely, juicy elegant palate with concentrated herb-tinged fruit.
Quite a rich wine but great acid structure and tannins back up the
elegant fruit well. Impressive already, and will be even better if the
oak integrates more. Very good/excellent
Manuel Viseu (Quinta de
Baldias)
back to top
Manuel Viseu is the winemaker; the Quinta, located near Pinhão in the
Cima Corgo, is owned by his father. This is an old vine blend of
Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, 5000 litres made. The first
vintage was 1998, but the first commercial release will be this 2001.
Quinta de Baldias 2001
Brooding herbal-edged nose is quite high-toned with a slightly
leafy edge to it. Nice density of chewy, spicy fruit on the palate,
with some savoury tarry richness and a bit of elegance too. Good
balance and potential for development. Very good+
Quinta do Vallado
(Maria Antonia Ferreira)
back to top
See
also: report of my visit
Vallado 1997
The first vintage. Made just from the old vineyards (the new
plantings hadn’t come on line) and unoaked, this is a really open
herby wine. Rich, juicy and leafy edged this is quite savoury,
although there’s a trace of sweetness to the fruit. Medium bodied
and approachable.
Very good
Vallado 1999
30% of the grapes for this wine came from the new vineyards. Ripe,
sweet chocolatey edge to the fruit on the nose. The palate shows a
good density of herbal fruit. Very good
Vallado 2000
Savoury, tarry edge to the vivid, intense nose. Wonderful rich
palate is very intense with lots of ripe fruit. Very full. Very
good/excellent
Quinta da Casa Amarela
back to top
A 12 ha Quinta in the Baixa Corgo owned by Laura Regueiro. Susana
Esteban, previously winemaker at Quinta do Côtto and now at Crasto,
makes the wines here.
Casa Amarela 2000
The first vintage, made in lagares. Vivid red/purple colour. Lots
of lively fruit on the nose (this is unoaked). The palate is juicy and
rich with good acidity and lovely herby complexity. Midweight. A
pretty authentic style of wine in a fruity style. Very good
Casa Amarela Reserva 2000
This spends 9 months in new French oak. Dense herby, spicy nose
with brooding dark berry fruits. Lovely intensity on the palate, which
shows great concentration, herby/tarry notes and firm tannins. The oak
is very well integrated. Very good/excellent
Lavradores de Feitoria
See
also: report of my visit
Quinta da Estrada 2001 (cask sample)
Vivid purple/black colour. Quite intense spicy nose with ripe
fruit and tight herby character. Rich palate with lots of spicy fruit
and some oak, together with ripe tarry elements. A ripe, full
attractive wine but noticeably Douro in style. Supple tannins. Very
good/excellent
Quinta de la Rosa
back to top
David Baverstock helps with the winemaking
at this well sited Quinta in the Cima Corgo.
Quinta de la Rosa Branco 2001
This fresh white wine is modern and fruity. Good/very good
Quinta de la Rosa 2000
Herbal-edged nose leads to a lovely savoury chewy palate, with
good acidity. Good commercial style. Very good
Quinta de la Rosa Reserva 2000
Lovely forward nose with spicy herby fruit: quite sweet and
seductive – the oak is quite prominent. Chewy, herby spicy palate
with some tarry richness to the fruit. Great concentration but the oak
is a bit prominent at the moment. Very good+
Real Companhia Velha
back to top
Real
Companhia Velha are the biggest property owners in the Douro with
almost 600 ha of vines. Well known already for their Evel Grande
Eschola, they’ve recently resurrected their Grantom brand, which
used to be a blend from the Dão and the Douro. The 1999 Grantom
Reserva isn’t yet released, but is a big, concentrated ripe wine
with some tarry richness: lots of character here, in a semi-modern
mould. Unusually for the Douro, there’s some Cabernet Sauvignon in
the blend.
Grantom Reserva 1999
A premium Douro wine that blends Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca
and Cabernet Sauvignon. This 1999 spent 18 months in a mix of
Portuguese and French oak, and hasn’t been released yet. Lovely
forward nose is rich, ripe and lush with sweet blackcurrant fruit. The
palate displays fine texture and savoury, herby berry and blackcurrant
fruit. A concentrated, ripe wine with some tarry richness. Lots of
character here in a semi-modern mould. Very good/excellent
Evel Grande Eschola 2001 (a component;
from cask)
Very fruity woody nose with a raspberry edge. Palate has a nice
texture and is quite elegant with good acidity.
Pintas (Sandra Tavares
Serôdio Borges)
back to top
See
also: report of my visit
Pintas 2001 (cask sample)
Vivid red/purple colour. Ripe, intense fruit on the nose with good
acidity and a liquoricey streak. The palate is dense and tight, with a
huge concentration of rich, herby, complex fruit. Good structure from
the acidity and tannins. A big, concentrated wine with lots of
potential. Let’s hope Jorge and Sandra don’t set the release price
too high! Very good/excellent, and potentially excellent
Domini (Soares Franco & Van Zeller)
Domini is a joint venture between Christiano Van Zeller and JM da
Fonseca. Unfortunately both the bottles of top wine Domini Plus were
suffering from mild cork taint.
Domini 2000
A tank-fermented blend from Rio Torto and Pinhão fruit, this
spends 6 months in a mix of used French and American oak. Sweet spicy
lift to the herby fruit on the nose. The palate is savoury and juicy
– the fruit dominates. Herby and medium bodied. Very good+
Soc. Agr. Com. Vinhos
Vale da Corça
back to top
Encostas do Tua Branco Reserva 2000
This spends 8 months in French oak with some battonage (lees
stirring). Rich toasty nose with lemony, nutty fruit. Nutty palate is
quite rich and full: an attractive oaky style. Very good+
Brunheda Branco 2001
Modern, crisp fruity white wine with an attractive approachable
herby palate. Good/very good
Encostas do Tua 2000
Slightly volatile herby nose shows lifted berry fruit. Nicely
structured chewy palate with bright fruit and an old fashioned lifted
character. Good/very good
Encostas do Tua Reserva 2000
Similar nose to the regular Encostas. Palate shows dense
herb-tinged fruit. It’s quite chewy and structured but it is a
little bit old fashioned. Good/very good
Brunheda Reserva 2000
Dense, lifted berry and blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Nice chewy
palate with cherryish herby fruit and good acidity, but still a
slightly old fashioned streak I’m not too keen on. Good/very good
Brunheda Vinhas Velhas 2000
Attractive sweet herby, caramelly edge to the slightly porty nose.
The chunky, tarry palate shows good concentration and interesting ripe
herby notes. Good acidity. Very good
Gloria (Vicente Leite
Faria) back to top
Vicente’s family own 100 ha of vines, and since 2000 he’s been
making wine from some of the grapes.
Gloria 2001
This spends 12 months in French oak. There’s something odd on
the nose, which shows a bit of volatility and some Port-like
character. The palate is cherryish and herby with some caramel notes.
Fruity but quite unusual. Good
Gloria Branco 2001
This is better. Lots of modern fruity character with a bright,
spicy edge. Quite an interesting modern-styled white wine. Very good
Casa Agricola das
Mimosas (Chocapalha) back
to top
Not a Douro wine, but one from Estremadura. This was sneaked into the
tasting as it’s made by Sandra Tavares from a property owned by her
parents. A completely different style, but very attractive.
Chocapalha Touriga Nacional 2000
Estremadura
Very forward vivid spicy nose with a big blast of herby fruit and
meaty, almost animal undertones. The palate shows juicy, herby meaty
character with a pepper spice edge. Drinking well now, this is a
full-on, enjoyable wine. Very good/excellent
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