BENTO AMARAL - from the IVDP

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Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

Is something missing to reply?

Hi everyone,
I think I’ve replied to everyone’s questions until now. If it’s something missing, please let me know.
Thanks,
Bento
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Roy Hersh
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Roy Hersh »

Outstanding responses, this has been perfect so far. We will see you tomorrow and hopefully others will weigh in with their questions. Thank you so much Bento!


Before my departure, as I have a guest from Porto arriving in a few hours, here is a quick question that would be nice to hear your thoughts on:

The 2011 vintage was very widely declared. What was your opinion of the 2011 Vintage Port samples that passed through your tasting panel, were they so much better than those in recent years? If so, or not, can you please explain what your impressions were of the 2011 Vintage Ports (VP) that you encountered?
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Daniel Jewesbury
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Daniel Jewesbury »

Thanks for such a comprehensive and informative reply Bento. Really appreciated! Daniel
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Stewart T.
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Stewart T. »

Thank you for being our Guest on the FTLOP forums!

What do you think the biggest challenge the IVDP faces in the next few years?

What are your thoughts on the consolidation we've been seeing in the industry, and what impact a if any do you think this will the have on the IVDP?

Finally, any plans to update the IVDP website? :-)

Stewart Todd
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Eric Ifune
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Eric Ifune »

My top 5: it’s a difficult question. Some of them could be: Ferreira Vintage 1815; Constantino Vintage 1948 and the very old Tawnies that have been released on the past couple of years (Scion, Wiese & Krohn, Niepoort, Vallado, 5G)
Initially I wouldn't wish a position with the IVDP, sounds like too much difficult work; but these wines make me think otherwise! [cheers.gif]
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Glenn E.
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Glenn E. »

Thank you for your replies, the are all very informative.

How many different people serve on your tasting panels, and what does it take to become an IVDP taster? You said in your earlier reply that potential tasters usually taste 800-1000 different Ports to build up their mental database, but are there other pre-requisites to becoming a taster? Do people serve as tasters for many years, or do the panels change frequently as new tasters join and old tasters move on to other positions?
Glenn Elliott
Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

2011 Vintage Ports
Reply to: Roy Hersh

I’ve tasted the majority of 2011 Vintage Ports for 4 times: for the approval (from January to June), on the world presentation (late June), in a tasting with Roger Voss from Wine Enthusiast (July) and for the control of the bottled wines (that is being made).
I’m impressed with the colour, the purity of the aromas, the body, the acidity, the amount and quality of tannins. I think these wines are going to last for decades and a large part of them have more time to live on earth than I have (I’m 44).
When I compare 2011 with the last 2 declared Vintage years (2003 and 2007), I think 2011 is more polished and well balanced than 2003 and more powerful and long lasting than 2007.
I’ve heard Charles Symington saying this is the best Vintage ever: good year for the vineyard vegetative cycle, better knowledge of the viticulturist, better knowledge of the winemakers, better techniques and equipment.
Dirk Niepoort has compared 2011 to 2 great Vintages from the last century. I’m sorry I don’t remember which ones (I think it was 1963 and 1927 or 1945).
So I think it’s a great Vintage!
Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

IVDP tasters
Reply to: Glenn Elliot (and Eric Ifune)

From my previous post “Number of samples per week. Tasting panel. Resubmitions and comparison tasting”:
We’re a group of 14 tasters, some of them only taste Douro, but all that taste Port, also taste Douro (with one exception).
A regular tasting of Port has 7 tasters and a Douro tasting has 6. This difference is due to the load of work of the tasters in other sectors of the IVDP (mainly laboratory)
.”

Usually when someone becomes a taster he remains as a taster until the end of his professional life, even if in some cases there’s a change on the other tasks that this person does at IVDP. Tasting is a nice thing to do and there’s a lot of people that would love to do it!
On the last 2 years we have included 2 new tasters, to have a bigger group (and also due to a retirement).
Before being a taster the candidate (that must have some knowledge in winemaking / wine tasting) has to taste during 4 months with the rest of the panel and we control statistically his results. He has also to pass test to identify aromas and faults, sensitivity tests (aromas and flavours)
To Eric Fune: when I taste officially at IVDP I don’t know what I’m tasting. The samples are anonymous. And mainly we taste new wines before being released (this were the cases of the old Tawnies I mentioned). The other wines I’ve tasted in other circumstances, like wine dinners. Anyway it’s a great job!
Moses Botbol
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Moses Botbol »

Bento:

1. What categories or styles of port would you like to see come to market?
2. Are there any styles that you feel should be more popular or are under represented in the market place?
3. Is it a fail if a sample that is supposed to be 10 year tawny tastes more like 20 year tawny?
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Paul Fountain
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Paul Fountain »

Great answers so far Bento!

As the production of large quantities of quality Douro table wine is a relatively new thing, did the IDVP taste wines from other regions or countries as a benchmark for establishing quality levels in Douro wines?
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Andy Velebil
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Andy Velebil »

Mr Bento,

Thanks for your answers so far.

What lead you to work for the IVDP and want to become a taster?
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Roy Hersh
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Roy Hersh »

Hi Bento, when a cask or two of old wood-aged Tawny Port is found and a claim is made that it is of a certain age, how does the IVDP tasting panel go about its business to verify this? Beyond checking paperwork, must that wine meet organoleptic taste tests as well?

This has been a wonderful learning experience for all of us. Keep up the great responses and thank you!
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Roy Hersh
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Roy Hersh »

Bento, I received an email from long time FTLOP member, Frederick Blais from Montreal, Quebec:
At the moment, I don't have a computer to log on consistently while traveling and write my question, so if you can please do it for me, it would be appreciated.

Dear Bento,
When a new category of Port is created, for example White Port with indication of age or Pink Port, how do you define what is good or bad or a Port that does or does not have the characteristics of this category?

Do you need to build a reference before the company submits the samples or do you build that reference from all the samples?
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Moses Botbol
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Moses Botbol »

Roy Hersh wrote:Bento, I received an email from long time FTLOP member, Frederick Blais from Montreal, Quebec:
I don't have a computer to log on and write my question so if you can do it for me it would be appreciated.

Dear Bento,
When a new category of Port is created, for example White Port with indication of age or Pink Port, how do you define what is good or bad or a Port that does or does not have the characteristics of this category?

Do you need to build a reference before the company submits the samples or do you build that reference from all the samples?
I was going to ask a pink port question too [dash1.gif]

How many samples were rejected for pink port and why were they?
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Miguel Simoes
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Miguel Simoes »

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and for doing so in such a structured way!

More on the topic of Douro wine:
- Given its explosion in volumes, how have you sensed the category evolve?
- Like for Port, do you have a Top 5 Douro wines that you've tasted?

Back to Port, wondering if you have a house Port that you drink when off-work. Can you share with us what it is? As someone who gets to taste pretty much everything, your sense for Quality/Price has to be rather accurate!

Thank you again,
Miguel
Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

Dear all,
I’m sorry I had a busy day and I wasn’t able to answer to your interesting questions. I’ll try to do it tomorrow morning (in Europe).
Um abraço,
Bento
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Roy Hersh
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Roy Hersh »

We totally understand and look forward to your responses on Wednesday!
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

Biggest challenge the IVDP faces in the next few years / Consolidation in the industry and impact on the IVDP / Update of the IVDP website?
Reply to Stewart Todd


These are not exactly my subjects, but anyway here are some thoughts what IVDP thinks about them, in a synthetic way:
- Challenge IVDP faces: The presence of the wines of the Douro Region and in particular Port Wine in the markets where it is, with an increase of the value of the wines

- Consolidation of the industry: We support companies strong and cohesive. Is the excess of concentration that is not necessarily positive. But this is not a subject that IVDP wants to influence (neither could influence).

- IVDP website: we’re working on it. You’ll have news soon!
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Glenn E.
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Glenn E. »

Bento Amaral wrote:IVDP website: we’re working on it. You’ll have news soon!
This is good news! You would probably be surprised at the number of us who reference the website to find specific rules and regulations... even though most of us do not speak much if any Portuguese! An official English translation of the laws and regulations would be very much appreciated.

Are there any foods or other drinks that you avoid on days that you will be tasting? In other words, are there foods and drinks that you find disturb your palate and make it more difficult to taste properly?
Glenn Elliott
Bento Amaral
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Re: BENTO AMARAL

Post by Bento Amaral »

New styles of Port
Reply to: Moses Botbol (part 1)

Port wine has more than 250 years. At this moment we have almost 3 dozens of Port wine categories; effect of the evolution of Port wine during this 2 and half centuries. The last ones were Port rosé and the old white Ports; you can also almost call a category (even if it’s not recognized as that by IVDP) the very old Tawny Ports that have been released on the last 3 or 4 years, like Scion, VV (Niepoort), 5 G… Finally we had also the first Lágrima (very sweet) young red Port wine (just a different style of sweetness for a Ruby). This means that in the last decade we had more innovation in Port wine styles than, probably, on the previous 30 years. At this moment I don’t envisage the need of a new Port wine category, but, who knows if some company will propose a new one?
I think there’s a major concern, regarding this subject: has we’ve a lot of Port wine styles, it’s difficult to communicate the identity of Port wine to someone new to this topic as well as it’s difficult to him to memorize the different categories and which one he prefers (and wants to buy), so I think we should be cautious with the development of new Port wine styles.
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