For The Love Of Port

On death row:

2014 Cedro do Noval and also Quinta do Noval, tinto.

2015 Cedro do Noval Vinho Branco - finally a white wine from the Noval stable, that I am really looking forward to trying.

2013 & 2014 Quinta do Noval Touriga Nacionals. I will have these side-by-side to compare and contrast them.

2015 Maria Mansa (by Noval too), a new table wine that is produced from TR/TF/TN and is from grapes of other properties in the Douro, looks to be entry level, but I am solely guessing that due to the shape/weight of the bottle.

I gave a local somm friend, with very little previous experience with Douro wines a bottle of 2009 Quinta do Vale d. Maria, Tinto a week ago. She told me that the promise of this particular wine was something special, and commented it was "world class", but was very surprised that at 8 years old it was almost too young to drink now and she wished she had decanted it longer than 45 minutes.

Welcome to Douro wine.

2007 Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa, tasting note is posted.

This evening, plans changed and I opened a 2007 Duas Quintas - Reserva Especial Tinto, and it truly was very special. The single best non-fortified wine I've had from this producer, which is saying a mouthful. IF any of you have access to this wine ... grab whatever you can find. Seriously!

Roy Hersh wrote:This evening, plans changed and I opened a 2007 Duas Quintas - Reserva Especial Tinto, and it truly was very special. The single best non-fortified wine I've had from this producer, which is saying a mouthful. IF any of you have access to this wine ... grab whatever you can find. Seriously!

Hi Roy, even at €74.60 a bottle (at Garrafeira Nacional)........ ???

Actually it is THAT good. I went a full 94+ points and think it may come in higher with more bottle age. Loved it.

However, GN has some awful prices at times. Are they the only ones to carry this still? I did not look it up.

2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional. Not many left in the cellar, just 3 750s and 1 mag.

Roy Hersh wrote:2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional. Not many left in the cellar, just 3 750s and 1 mag.

How's she holding up?

It is finally exactly where I like Douro wines to be. It has reached maturity, but not too far along. It is in the right wheelhouse now and showing every morsel of its complexity. Gorgeous and should remain this way for another five years. Not sure if it will continue beyond that point though. If you own some it is time to open at least one, to check in for yourself.

Last night Sandy B. opened a fabulous bottle of 2007 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva. Loved it. Not sure if he decanted it ahead but it was showing very well at a decade of age. Full integration of tannins and especially the oak, which when young, I felt was going to require some serious time for these to meld. It has now and is showing really well. Still lots of time to drink these, but in a nice point in its evolution ... I'd say, the mid-point.

2011 Niepoort Batuta. Didn't make any notes, but thought it was a lovely wine - albeit quite ripe and soft for Niepoort.

2006 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva - in a good place right now.

Roy Hersh wrote:2006 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva - in a good place right now.

Still have a couple mags of this...need to pull one sometime soon.

Two nights ago, I popped a 2004 Niepoort Redoma. Gave it four hours in decanter and it was drinking really well. Love these 2004s.

Also had a Vertice Gouveio to start the dinner and it was singing.

I am chilling a 2010 Niepoort Redoma Branco Reserva for dinner with friends later tonight. Already in decanter is a bottle of 2003 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional. I have always been a big fan of this ripe but beautiful wine.

Any thoughts on the best amount of time to leave it in the decanter?

4-6 hours seems to be good on Crasto's from that age.


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Thanks Andy, I was going to do 4, so GMTA. Following your reco, I'll likely try an extra hour.

2014 Herdade do Esporão Verdelho "V" from the Alentejano region. Really nice and more complex than I thought it would be.

I knew I shouldn't have thrown the bottle out so quick before writing down what is was. It was a Luis Pato wine in 500 ML that was aged in clay pots. White wine with effervescent and tasted really pure. Reminded me of pinot noir on the nose and nice round feel in mouth. They make both a red and white in this method and I prefer the white so far. Both bottles have a white wax capsule. If I can find the others in my cellar I will update this post (or if anyone else knows which wine I am talking about feel free to list it). Great fun wine for nice weather.

Moses Botbol wrote:I knew I shouldn't have thrown the bottle out so quick before writing down what is was. It was a Luis Pato wine in 500 ML that was aged in clay pots. White wine with effervescent and tasted really pure. Reminded me of pinot noir on the nose and nice round feel in mouth. They make both a red and white in this method and I prefer the white so far. Both bottles have a white wax capsule. If I can find the others in my cellar I will update this post (or if anyone else knows which wine I am talking about feel free to list it). Great fun wine for nice weather.

Hi Moses, could it be that the wine you mention is not from Luis Pato but from his daughter, Filipa Pato? Your description fits perfectly: 500ml bottles, white wax capsule and existing in both red (Baga) and white (Bical) and aged in clay pots. Personally I have never drunk them, but I hope to drink the red 2015 in a couple of weeks when I am in Portugal.