For The Love Of Port

2011 Quinta do Crasto LBV - Dark purple red with Magenta rim. Aromas of grassy grape. Total lush fruit bomb. Puckery finish with touches of rhubarb followed by mouth watering. While great now, definitely has aging potential to even better heights.

90 Points

This tasting note is one of several related tasting notes. Click [here] to see the original note in context.

I very much liked the 2006 Crasto LBV, it was delicious and, like yours, showed potential. Not having the bottle on hand I cannot say whether it had a bottling date and would like to know if the 2011 has one.

Mahmoud

2015

An '11 bottled in '15 means the minimum four years so it's no wonder it has a tannic finish and some potential. I quite like the firmer LBVs.

Of ALL LBV producers, there is no other company that uses less of a "recipe" for creating LBVs by retaining juice in toneis for either 4 years, 5 or sometimes six years. I've watched this dynamic over many years and it is not formulaic and is based solely on what the grapes give them to work with. These decisions are not taken lightly. There is a reason why Crasto makes such find LBVs. I've said this to them in person: I wish they made the same concerted effort to make awe inspiring Vintage Ports.

I've not seen any other Port firm that does this. Most just stick to 4 years and that's it. A few then hold on to further bottle age; like Smith Woodhouse that releases their LBV with four years of bottle age AFTER the four years in wood. I love the Crasto philosophy when it comes to choosing 4, 5, or 6. In organizing many tastings of LBV vs. VP at Crasto, the overall quality of their LBVs is imrpessive. They age nicely too.

I think it's quite okay for port firms to choose when to bottle their LBVs, at either 4, 5, or 6 years of age. After all, LBVs are meant to be drunk when young, and vintage variatiation will affect the winemakers decision on when it should be bottled. All I want is that they put the bottling date on the label.

As for the Warre's and Smith Woodhouse using the 4-year "recipe" for their cellaring style LBVs, I think it is no bad thing as they want to make a traditional, cellaring style LBV that is unfiltered and requires decanting. It seems to me it is not very different from port houses using the two-year recipe for vintage ports.

Mahmoud.