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1 Home Explore Wines Hedonist's Gazette Article Archive Support Guided Tour Contact Us Portugal ho's got next? Whether you are a shell-shocked consumer looking for alternatives to soaring prices in familiar regions, or just someone wanting new experiences in wine, one good answer might be the dry, red table wines of Portugal. If you are a typical wine lover, when you think of the wines of Portugal your first thought has to be of the great fortifieds, particularly the famous Ports of the Douro Valley. If you know any of the dry wines, your most likely experiences have been with inexpensive low end wines, from simple reds to Mateus Rosé. Yet, quietly but steadily, Portugal has developed a dry table wine industry that provides both good values at the low end, and at the high end, some exceptional wines. Although more famous for the reds, on which this article focuses, many of Portugal s whites also pleasantly surprised me. This first article, while including wines from many regions, and even a few whites, is intended to turn the spotlight on Douro reds in particular for a few simple reasons. First, the Douro is certainly Portugal s most famous wine region, due to its Port wine production. The year 2006 marked its 250th anniversary as a demarcated wine region, making it the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. As such, it has a cachet that is unmatched by any other region in Portugal. The Port connection is meaningful for something besides public relations, too. The grape varietals typically used in the Douro dry reds are those that you will likely find in most Ports. These are the varietals with which the Douro winemakers are used to working. In one fashion or another, the Port industry has supplied human and financial resources for the dry, red revolution. At the most obvious level, noted Port producers, including The Symington Family Estates,

2 Niepoort and Ramos Pinto, have used their resources and knowledge of these grapes to create high quality red table wines. Additionally, individuals with strong connections to the Port industry have turned their attention to dry reds. To take one of the most notable examples, Cristiano van Zeller left Quinta do Noval to focus on dry wines, which he produces under the Lemos & van Zeller name from Quintas such as Quinta Vale D. Maria. Finally, my tastings confirm that no other region is making as many interesting and distinctive wines as the Douro. I do intend to focus on other regions as time goes on. The Southern Portuguese region of Alentejo is the next likely candidate, and it will likely emerge as Douro s principal competitor. The competition, in fact, is already heating up. I listened to Douro winemakers deride Alentejo as international. Meanwhile, one wine professional with ties to Alentejo made a crack about the rustic tannins still present in many Douro wines that make them seem like Port. While there is some validity to both comments, the blunt truth is that my tastings confirm that the vast majority of important producers making truly distinguished and distinctive wines come from the Douro as of this writing. If these wines have been flying under your radar, don t feel guilty even Douro winemakers describe an industry that is changing constantly and quickly, and only recently developing a respectable number of fine, artisanal wine producers. You can find lots of predictions from wine writers over the years concerning the potential of Portuguese dry, red wines, but the examples to back up the predictions have been relatively few until recently. Production in the past was often dominated by co-ops and other commercial entities known more for quantity than quality. Go back just fifteen years, and the industry would look completely different, which, incidentally, is roughly when I last surveyed them, finding not much of interest. In a single generation most people use Portugal s 1986 entry into the European Union as the starting point everything has changed. Without turning this article into a treatise on Portugal s increasingly complicated classification system, the most important appellations have DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada...similar to France s AOC ) status. Some of the better known DOC appellations include Douro, Daõ and Bairrada in the North, and Alentejo and Ribatejo in

3 the South. It is also common to see the broader, less restrictive Vinho Regional designation instead of DOC at times. If the wine does not qualify for or chooses to reject the Bairrada DOC designation, for instance, you may just see instead Vinho Regional Beiras wine from the Beiras region. Although in theory the Vinho Regional designation is not as prestigious as the DOC, many VRs are in fact very good wines that are fully the equal of many DOCs. Not surprisingly, other wine interests have taken notice of Portugal s progress, too. For example, Jean-Michel Cazes (Chateau Lynch Bages) has a cooperative project with Quinta do Crasto, one of the finest dry, red producers in the Douro. Bruno Prats (Chateau Cos d Estournel) has a cooperative project with The Symington Family (owners of Dow and Grahams Ports, among others). German winemakers own Quinta do Carvalhosa, and Frenchman Vincent Bouchard, of the Burgundy Bouchards, owns Quinta do Tedo, to name just a few foreigners investing in Portugal. That does not even include foreigners who are not actually owners. For example, Quinta do Crasto has a winemaking team that includes an Australian and a Spaniard. To be sure, this is still an arriving region, one that will look radically different in another decade or so, as current winemakers mature, and other talented ones start up. Even now, one winemaker suggested to me that there were at best only a couple of dozen quality producers in the Douro Valley. From my perspective, there were many good wines available that anyone should be proud to own, and a lot that were very well priced, but there were not yet many Omigod! moments. There were also examples of why this is a still a work in progress. Many of the most famous wines are so new that there is little evidence of how the wines will age and develop, an important issue in creating truly great wines. Sometimes, I could taste through a lineup, and it would be obvious that the winery was struggling to find its style. By tasting the wines, it seemed as if I could almost understand their thought process, and what issues they grappled with. Sometimes, too, it would seem as if the struggle was to find a way to justify the higher priced wines, the prestige bottlings. Often, I found the mid-level Tintos and Reservas to be the sweet spots in the lineup. They were frequently of high quality, sometimes about as good as higher priced bottlings, and sometimes better balanced as

4 well. This is, to be sure, a generalization, with all that word implies. All that said, Portuguese cult wines are already here, and have been for some time. Barca Velha was launched in the early 1950s when Ferreira (a winery since sold to Sogrape, the largest wine corporation in Portugal) decided to make a dry table wine blended from the typical grape varieties that go into Port wine. Like Penfold s Grange in Australia, it was a seminal wine, something different and unusually prestigious. Plus, it created the style that most emulate today in the Douro blends of traditional varietals used in Port wines rather than single varietal wines. The success of Barca Velha guaranteed nothing, however. As Dirk Niepoort, of the eponymous Port house told me, after Barca Velha there was relatively little of importance produced for a long while, and Portugal certainly did not become synonymous with quality red table wines. Niepoort himself started producing red table wines circa Compared to many of the most talked about producers in the Douro Valley today, he counts as an old timer. Other important producers gradually emerged throughout the 90s. In short, the Portuguese red table wine industry was destined to grow slowly, and in fits and starts. Today, Portugal maintains an interesting blend of old and new. Modern techniques often seem to go together with old traditions. Many of the producers still have the grapes foot trodden at harvest time, for instance. The modern equipment is often right nearby. There are many good values, but don t expect big bargains on the famous wines, especially after you add the markups necessary for them to get into the United States. The price the wine can sell for becomes a status symbol, but that does not always equate to quality. These wines are not well-known in the USA, but they are highly valued in their own market sometimes, I think, a little too highly valued and prices can be high. Finally, from what I saw and tasted, in Portugal and in the USA, Portugal s time would definitely seem to be now. Simply put, the train is rolling down the tracks and gathering speed. It s time to take a ride. Some Pointers what to expect

5 Grapes As noted, the hallmark of Douro wines is blending grape varietals ( castas ) traditionally used in Port wine, per the Barca Velha model. You won t find many important single varietal wines here, although there are some and that trend seems to be increasing. You will, on the other hand, often find the polar opposite field blends, something from a particular patch or patches of a vineyard where there are numerous different varietals growing together. I tasted a few wines that had some 40+ varietals blended in. One winemaker pointed to the patch of the vineyard from which the wine had come, and told me that he himself was not sure any more what the varietals were, but they were old vines, produced quality fruit, and he was not ripping them out. One necessary consumer adjustment is getting used to unfamiliar varietals. Individuality is a double edged sword. On the one hand, it gives the Douro an identity of its own. On the other, consumers need to be convinced to try something different and unfamiliar. Portugal as a whole is said to have some 200 indigenous varietals, and its official wine institute (the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho or IVV ) lists some 350 varietals of all types in use in the country. In the Douro alone, over 80 different varietals are permitted in Port wine. Familiar international varietals can be found on occasion in dry wines, but most estates rely primarily on native varietals, many of which are obscure to the rest of us, to say the least. The biggest star is Touriga Nacional. Also very common are Tinta Roriz (one of the few grapes familiar to international audiences, known as Tempranillo in parts of Spain and Aragonês or Aragonez in Southern Portugal), Touriga Franca (formerly known as Touriga Francesa), Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cao. Not coincidentally, these are all varietals that were identified as having the highest quality potential for Port wines. Remember these comments apply to the Douro. In other regions, there are other issues, and other prominent varietals. In Bairrada, you will see the Baga varietal, for instance, and down South in Alentejo you are more likely to find so-called international varietals like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. A handful of important grape varieties. Blending. An emphasis on

6 Estates ( Quintas ). Sound familiar? You can summarize this Douro model by saying Bordeaux. Terms A couple of helpful and basic tips on nomenclature: Quinta means farm or estate. Many producers blend wines from different Quintas, while still others are single Quinta wines. It is not unusual for a producer to own several Quintas and blend their output. Tinto means red, Branco means white, and Vinhas Velhas means old vines. Grande Eschola means, colloquially, special selection of lots to put in the wine. Note: Other regions may have other terminologies. For example, you will see Herdade used in the same sense as Quinta elsewhere. Climate The Douro s climate varies, but the Douro region can be blisteringly hot. There are in fact three sub-regions. Baixo Corgo is the coolest. Cima Corgo is hot and dry. Douro Superior, extending to the Spanish border, is the hottest and driest sub-region. Many winemakers spoke of the struggle to maintain balance in the wines in many years, and there was considerable discussion of whether it was better to have vineyard sites that did not get intense sun. For many, in fact, elegance was a watchword, although with some of the more powerful wines, elegance is obviously a relative term. Producer styles vary widely, and you certainly shouldn t assume that everything is alike. You can get anything from massive blockbusters, to graceful wines with a Burgundian feel. As in every region, some people simply get it right, no matter the style, and some do not. Recent Vintages Current vintages are principally 2003 and 2004 (although some 2005s are being released, and some late released older vintages are also current). They both are quite good, but a little different. Vintage 2003, as in most of Europe, was exceptionally hot, with record breaking temperatures at various points, sometimes for more than a week at a time. After a very dry, very hot summer, some welcome rain occurred at the end of August. The vintage is susceptible to

7 producing very ripe, big wines. Where the 2003s are successful, they are superb, ripe and rich, but most winemakers preferred their 2004s, claiming better balance was also a hot year, but most winemakers noted that it was easier to make balanced wines in this vintage. The 2004 vintage produced excellent harvest conditions when heavy rainfall in the late summer, as dramatic as 2003 s heat wave, gave way to weeks of uninterrupted sun at harvest time that turned the vintage around. On a winery-to-winery basis, there was dissent among the winemakers as to which vintage was better, depending, no doubt, on their preferred styles and results. I, too, often found myself choosing one from Column A and one from Column B. It was frequently a matter of which style you preferred, and who executed it best in which year. The 2003s certainly show better at the moment, but as time goes on, I would expect the 2004s to be the collective pick for their superior balance. Many 2004s were not quite in bottle when I was there. Of those included in this report, all but a few were retasted from bottle in the USA for this article. In terms of other recent vintages, the 2005s look promising, but I only had a few, very young barrel samples of the top wines, not enough to begin to evaluate the vintage as a whole is certainly the most erratic recent vintage, less concentrated, and likely to be problematic, but I did taste some good ones. As a group, they seem to be maturing more rapidly, and frankly, the fact that they are not go-for-broke brutes sometimes works in their favor. The better ones can be quite pleasing to drink at the moment, which is not always true for the 2003s and 2004s. Rain interrupted the harvest in 2002, and as often occurs in such circumstances, when the winery picked made a difference. As the folks at Quinta Vale D. Maria put it, after making a decision to harvest and get the grapes in, The skies opened up and rain fell for days in a row like never seen in many decades. Finally, 2001 was a year noted for its balance, and some restraint. There are some older wines as well in this report, which were all presented as current stock items by importers. They are usually upper level bottlings.

8 Methods There are some exceptions, but wines for this article were almost all tasted from bottle in controlled tasting glasses from Impitoyable. Some wines were decanted, held for many hours, or re-tasted the next day where it was thought necessary. I need to believe that a wine will cellar well to be really impressed with it. I don t hand out big scores otherwise. On occasion, where time and availability allowed, I tasted some wines from a second bottle, and I should note that I saw my share of variations from bottle-to-bottle at times, more often than I would normally expect in relatively young wines. Where significant variations occurred, I have either noted it or omitted the wines. Defining drinking windows is always a problematic issue, and it does not help that so many important Portuguese wines have little or no track record. Note that I tend to err on the side of allowing people to drink early, even though many might feel the wine is unready, and I tend to be cautious in setting an end date. I d rather have you be surprised by a wine that has more life in it than be disappointed by a wine that died years ago, i.e., it is better to drink too young than too late. A word on suggested retail pricing. These prices are usually set by the importers, who are eager to give their retailer clients a lot of leeway. Shop around. Unless the wine is a scarce, highly sought after product, you will likely do better on price than what is typically listed here, sometimes by quite a lot. To take just one handy example, the 2003 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserve has an official suggested retail price of $ As I was proofreading this article, a member of our Bulletin Board indicated that he could buy it for $22.00 with discounts (which makes it a steal, by the way). Finally, you can ultimately make your own determination, but I would describe myself as a rather stingy scorer at the upper end. On the other hand, I am probably a little lenient at the bottom end. Nice little value wines deserve some mention.

9 "from WA #169" Sorted by Rating (305 wines) Page 1 of Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa Rating: 96 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Drink: Estimated Cost: $ The 2003 Vinha Maria Teresa is the latest version of this special bottling. The fruit here is a little closed on opening, but with air it goes from closed to simply stunning and utterly delicious. It is sweet and fragrant, chock full of beautiful fruit and full bodied. The succulent fruit has a certain raspberry note turning to black cherry in the background. The tannins keep emerging with aeration, demonstrating this wine s ageworthy nature and providing considerable grip on the finish. As it wakes up, it becomes rather piercing, penetrating and pointed in the mid-palate, then the fruit begins to expand and the flavors become ever more exuberant. The deft hand with the tannins provides support and firmness without being overbearing. This was simply beautiful on Day 1, and it was vibrant the next day as well, although it took a long while to soften even then and become more harmonious. There were times early on when it seemed a bit disjointed and a little heady, but this ultimately resolved beautifully, so well, in fact, that it might just be the pick of the litter. Although I think that this will cellar well, I d hate to lose that gloriously sweet fruit with age. I d suggest drinking some early and holding some, but given the small production levels, most people won t get much of this. Take comfort in knowing that no decision will be really wrong. It could use

10 a couple of years to pull together. Drink This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list for the designation best dry wine producer in Portugal, and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level good vintage wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under Roquette e Cazes. The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) Quinta do Crasto Vinha Da Ponte Rating: 95 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Drink: Estimated Cost: $ There were approximately 750 cases produced. The Vinha da Ponte is a field blend from a vineyard first planted in 1914 by the current owners grandfather. It has become one of Portugal s priciest, best and most famous wines at this juncture. The 2004 Vinha da Ponte is unfiltered and was aged in French oak barriques for eighteen months. Fragrant and seductive, this is a wine you can have fun just smelling at the outset. Its nose is one of its best features and worth a couple of points right there. The tannins are relatively refined, but clearly there, providing grip on the lingering finish, and becoming more obvious as the wine airs out and wakes up. It has a lively, sunny feel to it, although some oak is obvious around the edges at the moment. The mid-palate is elegantly crafted, not

11 particularly thick, but with significant aeration, it fleshes out, expands and becomes lusher and more flavorful. This does not wins first prize in any category depth, intensity, power but it is impeccably balanced, very flavorful, refined and a pleasure to drink. It projects a suave feel, and the purity of its bright, flavorful fruit is a wonderful thing. Utterly closed when I first opened it, showing pretty much nothing and requiring nearly four hours in a decanter, it finally began to expand in the glass and flesh out, showing more depth, flavor and intensity. The more it opened up, the more beautiful the fruit became. I look forward to great things from this wine as it evolves in the cellar. It is not always an obvious wine, although no one will ever mistake it for austere. Give it a chance, think about it, and sit with it. I am betting that this will become more complex and more interesting as it evolves in the cellar. There were approximately 250 cases produced. Drink This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list for the designation best dry wine producer in Portugal, and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level good vintage wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under Roquette e Cazes. The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa Rating: 95 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Drink: Estimated Cost: $92.00

12 The 2001 Vinha Maria Teresa is sourced from 80-year-old vines. This bottling is an occasional luxury sibling to the Vinha da Ponte. It is quite a sibling rivalry. The 2001 is beautifully constructed, impeccably balanced and elegant in the best sense of the word. The tannins dance around the finish, and the wine has a rather lively demeanor to support the delicious fruit in the mid-palate. Although lively, with obvious tannins, it is coming along well and can be approached now. It is still developing, however, and as it sits in the glass, it expands and blossoms, the fruit becoming richer, and drier tannins emerge. The flavors become rather exotic and sweet, and it is simply delicious. It seemed to drink better for awhile the next day, although a bit of funk on the nose had not blown off, marring it just a little. I can t ignore its virtues, though, and it retained its vivid sweetness and fleshed out. Drink This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list for the designation best dry wine producer in Portugal, and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level good vintage wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under Roquette e Cazes. The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) Niepoort Batuta Rating: 95 points Producer: Niepoort Drink:

13 Estimated Cost: $80.00 The 2004 Batuta (Batuta means conductor s baton in Portuguese) is aged for 20 months in French oak, and sourced from very old vines. The principal source of grapes is Quinta do Carril, a 70-year-old vineyard. In addition, grapes are sourced from older vines exceeding one hundred years in age. The first vintage of this bottling was Concentrated, intense, focused, impeccably balanced and beautifully structured, this beauty delivers on all fronts. To my mind, it is a much more complete, complex and successful wine than its Redoma sibling. The sweet mid-palate is obviously young and primary. The tannins are ripe, but clearly provide support for aging, and obvious intensity. The mid-palate remains elegant, but the sweet fruit shines through. This is elegant in the best sense of the word. I think this wine will be approachable fairly young, but its exceptional performance the next day suggests that it has the ability to age gracefully, too. In fact, it really did not show its stuff until Day #2. I think this is potentially one of the most complex wines I tasted in Portugal, and I hope its evolution in the cellar proves that conclusion to be true. Drink Dirk Niepoort is the principal of this familiar, family-owned Port house. However, dry wines are hardly a sideshow for Niepoort, and he has become one of the region s driving forces in establishing the table wine industry. His dry wines date back to circa 1990, which seems to be a very long time ago considering how many new wines, wineries and winemakers have emerged in the Douro in the last decade or so. It occurred to me that if the Douro has a Robert Mondavi, a relative pioneer who seems as interested in pushing the brand as himself, it is probably Dirk Niepoort. One ironic thought also occurred to me. While the winery is justly considered a quality house for reds and a driving force in the dry, red revolution, it ultimately may become most famous for another reason: Niepoort is perhaps without equal for whites. Importer: Eric Solomon, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) ; Martine s Wines, Inc.; tel: (800) Domingos Alves de Sousa Abandonado Rating: 95 points Producer: Domingos Alves de Sousa

14 Drink: Estimated Cost: $59.99 The 2004 Abandonado is a limited production new bottling that comes from a single vineyard, 80 years old, that was almost abandoned, hence the name. The winery calls it our tribute to these old vineyards that are slowly disappearing but that show well the viticultural knowledge of our ancestors. It is powerfully constructed, with drying tannins on the finish, but this structure is balanced by ripe, succulent fruit that is utterly delicious. The wine is fairly shut down. If you tasted this quickly it would be entirely deceptive, since the fruit is definitely taking a back seat at the moment to the structure, but holding it overnight gave me a very different picture of the wine. Although closed and a bit hard to read at the moment, I think it potentially is a significant winner. This was bottled about three weeks before being tasted, and though it gave evidence of some bottle shock on Day 1, on Day 2 it seemed as primary and fruity as the barrel sample it recently was. There were only 275 cases made. Drink This estate makes wine from several different Quintas, including Quinta do Vale da Raposa and Quinta da Gaivosa, which are adjacent to one another. Their first vintage was I didn t like everything that this Estate did, but their lineup included some of the most enjoyable wines I reviewed. Importers: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) , in New York and New Jersey; Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) Maria D P G Serodio de S Borges Fojo (Quinta Do Fojo) Rating: 95 points Producer: Maria D P G Serodio de S Borges Drink: Estimated Cost: $80.00 The 2000 Fojo (Quinta do Fojo) has already thrown a heavy sediment. It is

15 reasonably deep, although not quite as deep as the 2000 Manuela reviewed here, and the fruit is flavorful, bright and persistent in its flavors, throwing off plums and black cherries. There are astringent tannins on the finish that are initially fierce, then fade as the wine seems to come around quickly, the stress there being on the word seems, as in fact it is rather dumb on opening and in need of a couple of hours to hit its stride. It continues to evolve impressively with air, and the fruit becomes ever more flavorful as it begins to assert itself. Actually, I began thinking that this was quite delicious. It remained rather intense and focused with further aeration. This is more open and elegant than the Manuela, if you need a comparison. This needs to develop well in the cellar to justify its score, but obviously I think that it will. I think it is another wine that Bordeaux lovers will like a lot. Drink This producer is related to the co-owner/co-winemaker Jorge Borges of Pintas fame, and makes some cult-y wines of her own. From what I saw here, they walk the walk, and this was one of the more impressive groups of wines I reviewed. They are certainly pricey, and they have a rather old-fashioned approach to tannins to some extent, but they deliver. Borges makes wines under different labels, including Manuela and Fojo. She is listed as the producer on each label, and thus I have chosen to group them together here. Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.; tel: (914) ; Vinum Importing, Redmond, Wa.; tel: (206) Maria D P G Serodio de S Borges Tinto (Quinta Da Manuela) Rating: 94 points Producer: Maria D P G Serodio de S Borges Drink: Estimated Cost: $73.00 The 2000 Tinto (Quinta da Manuela) has remarkable depth, fine structure and simply sensational fruit. The tannins become a bit drying with thirty or so minutes of air, the first phase that this wine goes through. As it airs out, ninety minutes on, the wine fleshes out and picks up weight and the dense mid-palate becomes the wine s most noticeable feature. It is nuanced with a chocolate note, although

16 there is still a touch of dusty bitterness on the last moments of the finish at that point. Despite the occasional alcohol intrusion (14.7%), there is an awful lot to like here, given this wine s wonderful fruit and serious structure. The longer this was open, the better it showed, and I became more entranced by its wonderful fruit, and less concerned with possible flaws. It may not be a perfect wine, but its merits are many, and I d be pleased to drink it. Drink This producer is related to the co-owner/co-winemaker Jorge Borges of Pintas fame, and makes some cult-y wines of her own. From what I saw here, they walk the walk, and this was one of the more impressive groups of wines I reviewed. They are certainly pricey, and they have a rather old-fashioned approach to tannins to some extent, but they deliver. Borges makes wines under different labels, including Manuela and Fojo. She is listed as the producer on each label, and thus I have chosen to group them together here. Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.; tel: (914) ; Vinum Importing, Redmond, Wa.; tel: (206) Niepoort Redoma Reserva Branco Rating: 94 points Producer: Niepoort Variety: Proprietary Blend (a dry white table wine) Drink: Estimated Cost: $45.00 The 2005 Redoma Reserva Branco is sourced from high altitude old vineyards with vines averaging 60 to 100 years old. This is principally a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto. It spent eight months in French oak. It smells of oak at first, but with every moment open, the steel and acid come through. It is somewhat fuller in the mouth than the regular bottling, with a better finish, and somewhat higher perceptible acidity, an earthier, more intense and more powerful wine than the regular bottling, which seems open and drinkable now. The Reserva could use a little cellar time, at which time it should surpass the regular bottling. It is beautifully structured, and grows on you. This is a very serious white wine from a Douro producer who obviously intends to make a statement for white wines as well as reds. The winery calls it a white Burgundy

17 ringer, and it does have that feel to it. There were approximately 833 cases produced. Drink Dirk Niepoort is the principal of this familiar, family-owned Port house. However, dry wines are hardly a sideshow for Niepoort, and he has become one of the region s driving forces in establishing the table wine industry. His dry wines date back to circa 1990, which seems to be a very long time ago considering how many new wines, wineries and winemakers have emerged in the Douro in the last decade or so. It occurred to me that if the Douro has a Robert Mondavi, a relative pioneer who seems as interested in pushing the brand as himself, it is probably Dirk Niepoort. One ironic thought also occurred to me. While the winery is justly considered a quality house for reds and a driving force in the dry, red revolution, it ultimately may become most famous for another reason: Niepoort is perhaps without equal for whites. Importer: Eric Solomon, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) ; Martine s Wines, Inc.; tel: (800) Lemos And Van Zeller Cv (Curriculum Vitae) (Quinta Vale D Maria) Rating: 94 points Producer: Lemos And Van Zeller Drink: Estimated Cost: $83.00 The 2004 CV (the initials stand for Curriculum Vitae ) (Quinta Vale D. Maria) is another blockbuster, full in the mouth, round, with a gorgeous, lingering finish. In its youth, it has a touch of oak and licorice noticeable. Its attack is subtle at first, and then it increases in intensity to the point where it is rather focused and penetrating. It is structured and remarkably flavorful, with lovely red berry notes on the finish. Yet, I think it is also better balanced than the It is equally delicious. To me, this looks like a big winner. It adds another layer or so of fruit to the regular tinto. There were approximately 416 cases made. Drink Importer: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914)

18 2004 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines Rating: 94 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Drink: Estimated Cost: $35.00 The 2004 Reserva Old Vines is an unfiltered field blend from 70-year-old vines, raised in a mixture of French and American oak barrels. Intense on the attack, with fine depth, this beautifully constructed wine projects flavor with focus. It has good concentration, and a lingering finish, with some grip provided by the tannins that sneak up on you. The longer it is open, the more apparent the structure becomes. When I was at Quinta do Crasto, tasting this bottling next to the $125 Ponte also reviewed here, I said to co-owner Miguel Roquette that this was the sweet spot in the Crasto lineup not quite as good as the Ponte, perhaps, but very distinguished, not too far off, and a way better value. He said he had just finished saying more or less the same thing in Portuguese to someone else. I suspect, though, that I liked this even more than he does. Let me go out on what I think is a very sturdy limb this winery s ageworthy, complex and concentrated Old Vines Reserve is, from year-to-year, simply one of the best and most consistent wines that you can get for reasonable money in the Douro. The 2004 is a very young wine, of course, rather tight and closed, going through multiple stages at the moment. It was fun watching it wake up and expand in the glass after four hours of decanting, which finally allowed the structure to show, and the wine to flesh out. This winery is not aiming to be a value producer, but if you are looking for value in this lineup, this is probably the biggest intersection between high quality and reasonable price (although that 2003 Tinto is no slouch!). As between this and the very fine 2003 Reserva, a great one-two punch, I d give the nod to the 2004 for its impeccable balance, but admittedly the young 2004 is a little more mysterious today and has some things still to prove. If you prefer the sexpot 2003, I won t hold it against you. Note: In terms of my predictions of aging capability, there is actually some track record here. I had a nice vertical lineup of the Old Vines Reservas going back to 1994 presented to me, and every one was alive and delicious. As they aged they became very Bordeaux-like, by the way. Stick one in a blind tasting for fun. I d say winemaking at the estate is even better now. There were approximately 6,000 cases produced. Drink

19 This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list for the designation best dry wine producer in Portugal, and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level good vintage wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under Roquette e Cazes. The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) "from WA #169" Sorted by Rating (305 wines) Page 2 of Ramos-Pinto Duas Quintas Reserva Especial Rating: 94 points Producer: Ramos-Pinto Drink: Estimated Cost: $61.00 The 2003 Duas Quintas Reserva Especial has a pungent nose, and sappy,

20 young fruit, but the tannins take over the wine fairly quickly. The mid-palate is elegant, but the power indicates that this is a wine built for aging, and I think it will age very gracefully. It was raised in new oak casks for 12 months. The wine is then aged an additional two years in-bottle before release. There is superb, ripe, flavorful fruit underneath the haze of tannins, but it will be easier to find in a few years. I predict that this is going to be utterly delicious when it is ready to drink. In the shorter term, however, you will likely prefer the regular Reserva, which is more accessible, and equally tasty. Drink Importer: Maison Marques & Domaines USA, Inc., Oakland, CA; tel. (510) S A Sogrape Vinhos Barca Velha (Casa Ferreirinha) Rating: 94 points Producer: S A Sogrape Vinhos Drink: Estimated Cost: $ The 1999 Barca Velha (Casa Ferreirinha) is Portugal s equivalent of Grange, the seminal cult wine for a nation. The winery (Ferreira; hence, the labeling Casa Ferreirinha, hearkening back to a famous owner from days gone by) that first made it has long since been sold to Sogrape, Portugal s biggest wine corporation. Some younger winemakers openly questioned whether Barca Velha was a bit of a dinosaur. Nonetheless, in this vintage at least, it seemed superlative to me, a blend of a more modern styling than seen in Casa Ferreirinha wines like the 1996 Reserva, together with a slightly old-fashioned air lingering in the background. No one will confuse this wine with some of Portugal s well-known, high-end, modern reds like the Symington s Chryseia or Quinta do Crasto s Maria Teresa. It is powerful, with significant tannins and fine structure. With decanting (which it had here), it can be approached. Deep and intense, it has a focused attack of fruit on the palate, some darker fruit notes like a touch of plum, some earthiness, and grip on the finish from that fine structure. It also manages to have a little brightness and a certain refreshing note, cutting through the muscular presentation. The texture has some velvet and it was a pleasure, too. It also shows some gracefulness and complexity, and it should drink well for

21 a couple of decades, improving steadily in the cellar over the next several years. There were 2,500 cases produced. Drink from Sogrape is Portugal s 800 pound gorilla, a huge company that has holdings throughout the country, from Mateus to Barca Velha, Portugal s equivalent of Penfold s Grange. The crown jewel for dry wines is the Casa Ferreirinha line, acquired when Sogrape bought Ferreira, probably the Douro s most historic estate for dry, red wine, and the creator of Barca Velha. Although Sogrape maintained Casa Ferreirinha with its own labeling, new releases (albeit in small print) include Sogrape s name on the label, and I actually had a cork from a wine in the Ferreira lineup which just said Sogrape. Thus, I have chosen to list the Casa Ferreirinha line of wines here rather than separately. Additionally, note that all of the Ferreira wines were represented to me as being in stock items, at least at the time this was written, including the older vintages, like 1989 and There are no archival wines here. Importer: Evaton, Inc, Stamford, CT; tel. (203) for wines under Sogrape s own label; for Casa Ferreirinha wines, indicating wines Sogrape acquired from the Ferreira house: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) S A Sogrape Vinhos Reserva (Casa Ferreirinha) Rating: 93 points Producer: S A Sogrape Vinhos Drink: Estimated Cost: $70.00 The 1994 Reserva (Casa Ferreirinha) is full bodied, with moderately significant tannins on the end, and deliciously sweet fruit in the mid-palate. This is showing an occasional secondary note around the edges and some earthiness, but it retains lots of fresh fruit, too. Everything about this wine is appealing, from its structure, to its fine flavors. It is complex, powerful, intense and focused. The more I tasted it, the more I wanted more. If I had a criticism, it is that the wine, after being open awhile still projected plenty of fine fruit and power, but it began to seem a bit older than its vintage date would suggest. Still, this is pretty fine

22 stuff, it still has a lot of life left, and those who appreciate mature wines may love it even more. Lovers of mature Bordeaux could easily gravitate to this and the 1989 Reserva also reviewed here. Drink now Sogrape is Portugal s 800 pound gorilla, a huge company that has holdings throughout the country, from Mateus to Barca Velha, Portugal s equivalent of Penfold s Grange. The crown jewel for dry wines is the Casa Ferreirinha line, acquired when Sogrape bought Ferreira, probably the Douro s most historic estate for dry, red wine, and the creator of Barca Velha. Although Sogrape maintained Casa Ferreirinha with its own labeling, new releases (albeit in small print) include Sogrape s name on the label, and I actually had a cork from a wine in the Ferreira lineup which just said Sogrape. Thus, I have chosen to list the Casa Ferreirinha line of wines here rather than separately. Additionally, note that all of the Ferreira wines were represented to me as being in stock items, at least at the time this was written, including the older vintages, like 1989 and There are no archival wines here. Importer: Evaton, Inc, Stamford, CT; tel. (203) for wines under Sogrape s own label; for Casa Ferreirinha wines, indicating wines Sogrape acquired from the Ferreira house: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) Quinta do Vale Meao Tinto Rating: 93 points Producer: Quinta do Vale Meao Drink: Estimated Cost: $50.00 The 2004 Tinto (Quinta do Vale Meao) is what other estates would call a reserve wine, in essence, a selection of their best lots. It is a blend of Touriga Nacional (60%), Touriga Franca (20%), Tinta Roriz (15%) and Tinta Barroca (5%). It is a more refined, elegant wine than the Meandro, but most importantly, far more flavorful, with some of the most charming, delectable fruit you can possibly find. The fruit is simply delicious, red berry nuanced, sweet and wonderful. The gorgeous flavors and the lively, bright presentation add a dimension that the

23 Meandro cannot come close to matching. The wine is not particularly intense, and tannins are fairly controlled, but there is a backbone and it has a certain, elegant, Burgundian feel to it. Still, this is not, in my view, the best structured wine, nor the most complex, and it will likely not be the best cellar candidate, legitimate issues for a wine in this price range. However, the fruit is so tasty dare I use the technical term scrumptious? that it is simply hard to resist. This charming, graceful wine is one of the wines in this report that I most wanted to keep drinking. That counts. Drink Francisco Olazabal, the former president of Ferreira, owns and runs Quinta do Vale Meao with his sons, one of whom (Francisco) is the winemaker. (Francisco, Jr. is also the winemaker at the well regarded Quinta do Vallado, separately listed.) This winery is another in the Douro s new wave, and another example of how the Douro mingles tradition with something completely new. This historic estate was founded in 1887 by Olazabal s great-great-grandmother. The Ferreira house, of course, became Portugal s iconic dry red wine producer. Here, the tenth vintage has not yet been released. Importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Harrison, NY; tel. (914) Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines Rating: 93 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Drink: Estimated Cost: $35.00 The 2003 Reserva Old Vines is a field blend from 70-year-old vines, raised in a mixture of French and American oak barrels and bottled without filtration. It is a whopper, rich, ripe and rather oaky at first, with the American oak seeming to show a bit initially. The texture is soft and sensual. With air, the wine goes through some radical changes, from the fruit and the tannins becoming far more assertive, to the oak beginning to integrate beautifully. It is a very fine, very sexy, very voluptuous Reserva that actually showed better the next day. Drink

24 This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list for the designation best dry wine producer in Portugal, and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level good vintage wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under Roquette e Cazes. The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) Quinta do Crasto Tinta Roriz Rating: 93 points Producer: Quinta do Crasto Variety: Tinta Roriz (a dry red table wine) Drink: Estimated Cost: $75.00 The 2003 Tinta Roriz is a mouthful, round, full and rich, with beautiful flavors on the finish. It has a fragrant, seductive nose, and red berry overtones. With air, the wine evolves beautifully, and the tannins emerge to provide some intensity and grip. This is probably my favorite single varietal bottling of those that I reviewed for this report, with impressive structure, and delicious fruit. With more air it became harmonious and rather sensual, although not terribly complex, and perhaps it thinned a bit faster than I would have expected. I t will mature fairly quickly. Still, the succulent fruit lingering on the finish makes this a big winner. If it develops as well as I hope in the cellar, it might even merit a score increase. Drink This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone s short list