For The Love Of Port

I would be interested to hear forum member's opinions of this shipper. Thank you.

Here what I was saying about their LBV this fall:

Qta do Crasto LBV 1997: I was surprised by the complexity it gained on the nose. The mouth was simple on the attact but so silky, just like a 20 years old but then the finale was powerful showing dusty tannins.

The same night I've also taste the 2000 VP, it was showing nice concentration, full of fruits and spices, but the alcool was showing on the finale. A good VP but not in my top 10 from 2000.

I'd say that this house right now is producing wines that get more attention that their VP, they are also pricier.

Roy has posted some tasting notes for Crasto wines on the link from the home page, covering the vintages 1999-2003 and has been pretty impressed with them.

Suckling has noted that their ports seem to be steadily improving from their first independent effort in 1986.

But I have never tried one, although I was recently given a bottle of the 1995 as a gift.

Alex

It is probably true that Quinta do Crasto receives more praise for their Douro wines than for their port, but I like their ports very much.

IMO their LBV's belong to the best in the field (together with other producers like Niepoort, Passadouro, Warre, and a couple of others I can't remember right now...) VP: I've only tasted the 2000 (several times), and it is always a pleasant port, although it doesn't quite get into the top range. Most of the times I tasted this I scored it around 88/89 points. Sadly, the 2003 is still not available over here, so I didn't get a chance to taste that yet...

Just back from a tasting where among others we tasted some Q de Crasto:

LBV 1999 (Unfiltered)

A very savoury scent of tobacco and plums. The palate was very sweet, thick, extracted, but acidic and approachably tannic - also a little fiery (no idea if this was decanted or not - a problem with such tastings always). Very good, if a touch simple, but the balance and sheer fun of the wine make up for that amply.

VP 2003

Dark colour. Nose is inky and prominently floral with a touch of tobacco, but not as strongly as in the LBV. The palate was very sweet, very concentrated, very intense, very fiery (obviously not decanted long enough), but very good.

I actually preferred these ports to the few table wines on show. The table wines I thought over oaked.

Crasto is somewhat special to me: it was the first quinta I ever visited in the Douro - and what a lovely estate it is! That being said: of their VPs the '00 is also the only one I've tasted: very good, but not exceptional. I really enjoyed their LBVs from '96, '97 and '98 (and then especially the '97). I was a bit disappointed by the '99 - but I tasted this only once, from a 375.
And indeed, they make some stunning dry wines as well - Ponte and Maria Teresa, single varietals...a pity that prices for the recent releases have almost doubled.

Within a week to ten days the next newsletter (mega!) will be coming out and the wines of Crasto are in there, both Port and Douro red.

One of the most enjoyable visits on the last tour. I tasted their wines all over again in March of 2006. The Ponte and Teresa are fabulous from 2003. I prefer the 2001 to 2003 in terms of the Touriga Nacional. I recently posted a TN in the DOURO Forum on the 1996 Touriga Nacional by Crasto, a worthy entry.


Roy

I was lucky enough to attend the 2002 Port Wine Institute tasting in San Francisco. Most major houses were represented, and I made a point of trying every LBV there. (I got fairly smashed, because I just couldn't stand to spit most of it. :)) The 1997 Quinto do Crasto LBV was the "best of show", in my opinion. I'll note that I came to the tasting not terribly knowledgeable about the historic reputations of the various Port houses, hence pretty much without preconceived notions of which LBVs would be the best.

I haven't tried the '99, but I've read it wasn't quite as good as the '97.

Peter

Thanks for all the information. I am trying the '97 VP tonight.