For The Love Of Port

Brought a 2005 Pintas with me to a BYOB this weekend. This one really shows why Sandra Tavares da Silva is one of Portugal's stars!

The project Wine & Soul which she runs with her husband Jorge Borges is produced near Pinhao in Vale de Mendiz. They own some parts themselves and the rest is bought in. All the vines have impressive age, between 40-80 years and the grapes are the usual suspects and a couple of dozen unknown

The 2005 Pintas is dark as the night. It oozes of fresh crushed blue berries, beetroots, rose hip, wet rocks and prunes. A most impressive bouquet filled with character. It don't fall in the trap as many table wines do, taste and smell like a port, no this is a unique wine!

Enormous concentration, awesome tannins, clean refreshing blue berries, plum skins, beetroot and rocks, rocks, rocks! What fine fruit it has. probably needing 5+ years but it's so gooood already. Bravo Sandra!

My fourth bottle and all rated around 94-95 p.

Best,

Niklas

Hi Niklas,


Pintas is really a great wine!!! And i'm impressed with the capacity to age of this wine. The 2001 and 2002 are so youthful today and showing amazing potential for an extended nap in the dark. I did't buy the 2005 as i was "loaded" with other vintages but seems i have to re-think my policy :)

Still my favorite remains the 2004 (didn't try the 2007...yet)

Hi Pedro,

A friend of mine bought a six-pack of the 2007 and I was allowed to buy two of them! I know I should keep them for a long time but I will have real issues in doing so. Curiousity finding out if 2007 is the best ever as I've heard will mean at least one bottle will have to be sacrified for academic reasons

What's your opinion on the Pintas Character? Have you had any chance to taste them with some maturity?

Best,

Niklas

I have tasting notes of the Pintas and Pintas Character 2007 DOC wines in this month's newsletter which is a week away from release.

I remember tasting the 2005 Pintas from cask during a visit to see Jorge and Sandra a few years ago and it was a "monster" of a wine. Pure blackstrap and dripping with grippy tannins and massive fruit. Good to hear it is now drinkable as it showed incredible promise right from the barrel, it also showed that it would take years for this to be ready to drink. It may not have tasted like Port, as they make earthy terroir driven wines, but it had the largesse and structure of a VP.

Niklas J wrote:Hi Pedro,

A friend of mine bought a six-pack of the 2007 and I was allowed to buy two of them! I know I should keep them for a long time but I will have real issues in doing so. Curiousity finding out if 2007 is the best ever as I've heard will mean at least one bottle will have to be sacrified for academic reasons

What's your opinion on the Pintas Character? Have you had any chance to taste them with some maturity?

Best,

Niklas

I only tasted the Pintas Character once (2005 i guess)...when it was very young. Although it doesnt have the same aging potential as the big brother, its probably the best of the douro´s 2nd wines...and the more expensive Even so i would not be afraid to keep it for 10 years after release. I find it less austhere than the Pintas, without the mineral coat i usually find in the Pintas. As mentioned the price is a bit off-putting....