Roy's Tasting Notes - March 2008

Written by Roy Hersh

Wednesday, 26 March 2008

It was a crazy month with over 45 other Ports, (beyond the recent TNs included in this article) consumed and documented. Finding time to transfer notes here, while developing the new FTLOP website, has been challenging! SEEN, HEARD, SAID: This is a little bonus section for those that take their time to read my tasting notes. • I ran into Cristiano Van Zeller up in Vancouver who mentioned that the 2007 harvest was, “the finest table wine vintage I’ve ever seen” and as for the Vintage Port, it is “as good as 1970 and 1994 and even better than 2000 and 2003.” • Separately, Miguel Roquette from Quinta do Crasto told me that he “can not believe how great the 2007’s seem at this point.” When I asked if he thought it was as good as the fruit that went into his astonishing 2004’s, he said, “it is probably the best vintage Crasto has ever had and certainly for our red wines.” • There is a new website for Sandeman which should be explored. Check out www.sandeman.eu • Great news, from a solid source: it appears that in 2008 there is going to be a brand new debut of a table wine from Quinta do Vesuvio. You can say that you heard it here first! Now on to the tasting notes! DOURO WINE: 1997 Real Companhia Velha’s Quinta de Cidro Tinta Roriz Douro red wine – At a surprisingly low 12.5% alcohol by volume, this single-grape juice provided lots of pleasure for the first hour (after a half hour decant) then seemed to hit a peak. The fruit started to fade rather quickly and dried up. Initially dense and chewy, with smoky prunes, cranberry and leather coming to the fore. Silky smooth with fully resolved tannins and a dry but very tasty presence. There was plenty of acidity and a really fine finish too, but this has hit the point where it needs to be consumed quickly. My score represents my early impression while it was still lively. Drink soon! 91 points 2/6/08 2001 Casa Ferreirinha Esteva DOC, Douro red wine – “Esteva” translates to an aromatic bush that grows in the heart of the Douro. The wine is vinified from Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca grapes. Scents of smoky plum, cherry pipe tobacco, black licorice and a significant underbrush nuance provide a fine bouquet. A better food wine than a sipper, this offers medium weight, a mildly coarse texture and tart cherry flavors. The tannins are still lively, yet round. The fruit is starting to fade and is at risk of losing out to the tannins. This Esteva needs to be consumed by 2010. 86 points 3/20/08 2003 Crasto Maria Teresa Vinho Tinto Douro DOC Red wine – Blair brought this down from BC for the night before the big STG tasting. The MT shows lots of promise but is not as great as the 2005. I preferred this wine when it was a real young pup and it may return to that level with some more age. It is in an awkward phase yet still has lots to offer. Coffee beans, minerals and dark berry flavors prevail with plenty of acidity to keep this going, but it’s very light in the tannin department right now. Maria Teresa is big, bright and rich with a really soft mouth feel and a smooth, lingering finish. Revisit this in another two years to see where it is heading. I am sure it will provide a better show at that time. 93+ points 3/14/08 2003 Quinta de Tourais “Reserva” Vinho Tinto Douro DOC red wine – Although there is no mention of Reserva on the label, in fact it is and there is a regular Vinho Tinto bottling as well. This was confirmed by the importer. The Quinta is actually located in Lamego and the grapes included in this cuvee are Touriga Franca, Amarela, Souzao, and Touriga Nacional, all of which are foot trodden in lagar. Stewart was over for dinner and we were both blown away by the intensity of the aromatics which were captivating. There was a gorgeous earthy “sous bois” note along with cherry, red licorice and cinnamon. It was hard to take my nose out of the glass but the scent filled the entire room. On the palate this showed that same earthy quality, in a very Douro way with bright red raspberry flavors along with a complex mid-palate. Slightly coarse in texture as this was a massive wine with big chalky tannins. This has a long life ahead and will drink well for 15 years. 93 points 2/6/08 2003 Casa Ferreirinha Callabriga Reserva Douro DOC red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. 60% Tinta Roriz and 40% blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. The nose is a bit tight, showing just hints of floral notes and a peppery nuance, but the bottle had just been opened a few minutes before. The palate is more lively, with bold flavors of boysenberry and blackberry fruit in a rather dry profile. Simple at the moment, this really is almost unfair to evaluate a wine with a glimpse like this. Plenty of structure for cellaring this for a full decade. 100% of the fruit came from Quinta da Roeda, which is interesting to say the least. $40 Canadian. 88 points 3/1/08 2004 Quinta de la Rosa Vinho Tinto Douro DOC red wine – Enjoyed on our last night of the Fortification Tour at the Naval Club in Funchal. A fine nose of black pepper, spice and primary dark cherry fruit. Smooth, simple in the mid-section and very easy to approach. This is definitely a food wine that is enjoyable but quite straight forward and tasty, with harmonious red fruit. It finishes gently, with round and light tannins and a finish of moderate length. Drink now through 2012. 87 points 5/19/07 2004 Van Zellers & Cº Vinho Tinto DOC Douro Red wine – Cristiano poured this for me at the Trade Tasting at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Spicy, with a very dark impression showing blackberry, Kalamata olive and road tar. Much nicer than it reads and very flavorful with intensely ripe tannins and a big splash of a finish. The structure and fruit are both so powerful at this early stage and the stuffing is all there to carry this for a solid 15+ years. Drink 2010 through 2019. $38.00 Canadian. 90 points 3/1/08 2005 Quinta do Vale Dona Maria DOC Douro Red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. I liked this as much as the “CV” which might sound like heresy, but this is really fine juice too. Ripe and complex dark cherry and grenadine flavors show their youth but have plenty of tannins to take this for a long ride. Smooth and tasty with a lush and long finish. Given the BC pricing structure, this is a heck of a deal. Drink now through 2020. $47.50 Canadian. 92+ points 3/1/08 2005 Curriculum Vitae “CV” DOC Douro Red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. Great aromatics with blackberry, anise, tar and lots of smoky notes. Dark side of the grape with vibrant tannins which are powerful and puckering. Solid mid-palate nuances with cassis and black currant and a touch of oak. The structural components are in synch and built for the long haul. Lots of personality and deeply concentrated fruit in this young red that culminates with a profound finish and a hint of chocolate. Drink 2010 through 2023. $92.50 Canadian. 92+ points 3/1/08 2005 Quinta Crasto Reserva Old Vines DOC Douro Red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. 6% of the cuvee is made up of Vinha da Ponte. Powerful floral fragrance and vanilla perfumed the glass. Elegant, smooth and full-bodied with a raspberry profile. Soft but ripe tannins with a luxurious aftertaste of great length. I definitely prefer the 2004 version, but 2005 is solid too. $36.50 Canadian is a very good price for up here. Drink now through 2022. 93+ points 2/29/08 2005 Quinta Crasto Touriga Nacional DOC Douro Red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. 8,000 bottles produced from 27 year old vines (avg.). Insanely concentrated and mouth filling. Stuffed with brilliant ripe blackberries and a solid dose of vanilla from the oak, which will certainly integrate. To say that this has great structure is an understatement. It should be illegal to open bottles of this so young. Possessing a great and long chocolate laden finish. $78.50 Canadian. This can be first approached in 2010 and will drink well through 2020+ 94+ points 2/29/08 2005 Quinta Crasto Maria Teresa DOC Douro Red wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. Miguel kept this well hidden and Blair and I had a nice glassful that we took our time with. Primary dark fruits dominate the nose with a touch of cedar and mocha. Dense, ripe and chewy and seemingly quite luxurious with zippy acidity and powerful, astringent tannins that were absolutely punishing. Whoa, what a mouthful of impressive juice. The mix of 97 year old vines brought the concentration to a crazy level. Great intensity on the profound finish, the MT clearly needs years in the cellar to do it justice. An enormous effort by Crasto! Drink 2012-2025. 95+ points 2/29/08 2006 Antonio Esteves Ferreira Soalheiro Alvarinho Vinho Verde – Served with our first course hors d’oeuvres at the Naval Club in Madeira this made a light and fun opening statement. Yummy white peach and pear flavors with a modest backbone of acidity that stood up to the various food offerings quite well. Typically I look for even more acidity but this passed the course. The light body and good length made up for the structural shortcoming. Drink up. 85 points 5/19/07 2006 Crasto Vinho Tinto DOC Douro Red Wine – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival this was just a snapshot glimpse from a “pop ‘n pour” bottle. I noticed the label only said, “Crasto” and Miguel explained, “grapes came from other properties too, so we could not put the words Quinta do Crasto on it.” Dark ruby, smoky plum and cherry. Balanced and very easy to drink. A bit toasty with a fine finish. $21 Canadian. 90+ points 2/29/08 2006 Crasto Vinho Tinto Douro DOC Red Wine – Decanted for 6 hours. Some Marionberry and mocha on the nose with a touch of tanky aromatics. Lots of acidity and soft tannins. Blueberry flavors with a very juicy and approachable presence. Persistent finish. 88+ points 3/14/08 MADEIRA: Broadbent’s 10 Year Old Malmsey Madeira – Light medium tea color with a golden rim. I love the salty nose of this wine and swirling scents of toasted walnuts, citrus peel and torched sugar. There is plenty to enjoy here, with viscous, chewy and smooth waves of flavor. I always seem to get a sinful mouthful of butterscotch when drinking this Malmsey, but today there is also a lime essence and a salty/sweet nut profile as well. The ample acidity is well-defined yet balanced and prevents this from becoming the world’s greatest pancake syrup. An excellent showing of the Broadbent, with a remarkably decadent aftertaste, it’s just stunning for the price. 93 points 3/17/08 1969 D’Oliveira Sercial Vintage Madeira – I opened one of these last year and it did not show as well as this bottle. It was opened for a Vancouver offline dinner at “MF’s place” and finished the next night with a group of Bronwyn’s friends and they all loved it. Dark golden with a tawny edge, it then delivers a citrus edged fragrance with some grapefruit, sea breeze and minerality. We only had a short amount of time with this the first night but the next, it really showed well. A mélange of dried apricot, lime and blanched almonds integrated well with the nervous acidity. It was quite impressive given its age. Much more round and complex than I remember the last bottle showing. What I enjoyed most was that it delivered true Sercial typicity along with a succulent, tart lime/grapefruit aftertaste. 91 points 3/1/08 1940 H.M. Borges Malmsey Reserva Solera Madeira – Writing my Madeira article last month reminded me to break out one of these fine bottles to share with B&B up in Vancouver. It showed the best of the three bottles of Madeira I brought up there. Smoky, mahogany, overripe pineapple and pralines provide a complex perfumed profile. Smooth and refined, Borges again delivers a “complete” Malmsey with not only acidic verve but the textural pleasure and balanced sweetness that I love in a fine Malmsey. Note to self: I need to buy more of this when in Madeira in May! 94+ points 3/1/08 Rare Wine Company “Historic Series” New Orleans Madeira – I drank a bottle of this back in October of last year and liked it a lot. This was no exception and I shared it with some friends after a great Barolo tasting at Vancouver’s “offline Mecca.” Orange-gold hue and perty to look at, but far more fun to drink. Nutty and no shortage of bouillon cube and that onion thang that LeVine likes, along with some lemon-lime zest. Although TNM dominated, there is 15% Terrantez which really brings it all together. A focused beauty with waves of complex flavors that are ever-changing; the tell tale sign of fine Terrantez. Elegant and powerful, yet focused and vibrant, this provides a great drink and ultra-long aftertaste. With more time in decanter, it would’ve shown even better. 92+ points 2/29/08 Manuel Eugenio Fernandes “More than 40 years of age” Verdelho Madeira – Writing about this wine in last month’s newsletter had me drooling and of course I then realized I had some tucked away in the cellar too. Decanted well in advance, I wanted some good friends to have the opportunity to try this, so I opened it for a special dinner with my tasting group and then again with Stewart as we finalized our plan for the new FTLOP website last night. From a blend of Verdelho held in cask between 48-51 years of age. Bottled in April 2002 by the Madeira Wine company for the commemoration of the 96th birthday of Manuel Eugenio Fernandes. Having tried this on several nights over a seven day period of time, (a very long for me to have a bottle of Madeira around) I saw this evolve considerably and it is a superb wine of precision. This Verdelho exhibits a meticulous mid-palate structure which is endowed with focused cleansing acidity. This was on the drier side of Verdelho and blind I’d not be shocked if someone told me it was Sercial. There is a gorgeous sense of dried apricots, a thinly veiled nutty edge and strong citrus/grapefruit that is more prevalent on the deftly delineated aftertaste. I am finishing the very last sips of this as I write my note here and mere words do not do justice to the pleasure this delivers! I am still tasting this a full five minutes after my last swallow. 97 points 3/21/08 PORTS: 1966 Morreira Colheita Port – This was opened for a group of a dozen WA winemakers from Paul Gregutt’s tasting group on Feb. 21st and like the previous renditions, I knew to keep some of these a few weeks. In fact, I held onto this for exactly two weeks and finished it off with Stewart. Early on it always seems disjointed with tons of spirit poking through and a weird marmalade nose that seems “off” and the flavors also not to my liking. With a couple of weeks of air time in a re-corked bottle, somehow this morphs into a much more pleasant Colheita that is worth drinking. Butterscotch color with a golden/greenish meniscus. There is a unique cinnamon streak with tangerine and baked apple aromatic profile, which I can’t say I experience in any other Port. Light bodied and smooth with far more overall balance and appeal. Complex in the mid-section as well as the finish which shows a slight amount of heat, but nothing like two weeks ago. This is the weirdest Port yet it is consistent for me and the others I know who own bottles of it. Drink two weeks after you open the bottle and it will do just fine. Not bad for $25, just two years ago. 90 points 3/6/08 1994 Martinez’ Quinta da Eira Velha Vintage Port – We were over at Mike McCune’s home for a mini-vertical tasting of Quinta da Eira Velha. Decanted for 15 hours. Dark cranberry colored with a pink rim. Herb, licorice and dark cherry scents show a nice mélange of aromas and some spirit presents itself too. It is quite viscous and rich, dry in style and with a slightly hot center. If the heat did not integrate after 15 hours of decanting, I doubt it ever will. On the palate, the Eira Velha depicts an earthy, red berry profile with some leather and minty qualities, in addition to raspberry flavors. Typical of many ‘94s, this delivered mild-mannered tannins, which led to a really hot medium length finish that was almost unpleasant. Otherwise, this would have been one heck of a nice Vintage Port. Drink now or through 2020. 91 points 5/24/07 1994 Taylor Vintage Port – I wanted to bring something very special down to LA to drink with my good friend Andy Velebil, as a thank you gesture for his recent work on the FTLOP Forum. He had let me know that this was one young Vintage Port that he’d never tried. The night after we enjoyed a large and wild Port tasting that he had arranged with a group of 16, the time came to drink this VP together. Decanted for over 9 hours, we started to drink this gorgeous youngster to see what it was made of. With an appearance of purplish ink (it could have been a 2005) the nose was nothing short of exotic with fresh flowers, cocoa powder, intense plum and a bit of heat. Expansive flavors, like swallowing a whole bunch of grapes. Gobs of dense, jammy blueberry and brambly blackberries with a full-body and chalky tannins that showed no signs of astringency. It provided one of the most long-lived and thrilling finishes of any young Port I’ve ever tasted; showing bright berries and a ton of chocolate on the aftertaste. I can only imagine what this would have been like had we decanted it six to eight hours earlier! This was the fifth time I’ve had this particular Port since early Nov. 2007, but it was my favorite and least rushed experience with it. We left enough so Andy could evaluate the remainder the following day. I am sure he must have enjoyed it. 98+ points 3/8/08 1995 Martinez’ Quinta da Eira Velha Vintage Port – This was the 2nd VP in the lineup at Mike McCune’s mini-vertical tasting of Quinta da Eira Velha. Decanted just four hours. Medium ruby with slight bricking on the meniscus. Very earthy with some forest floor, smoky sun-dried tomato, herbs and a medicinal note. Actually the aromatics were captivating and for me the best part of this drink. Medium-bodied and offering a very smooth mouthfeel, there’s no question a slightly oxidative nuance is part of this bottle’s makeup along with some spirituous quality. Round in the mouth with tannins rather resolved and dominated by the heat. Trying to look past the heat was not easy but there was some really tasty cherry and plum flavors and a touch of pine in the background which led to a remarkably long finish that was marred by intense alcohol protruding and obscuring pleasure. I wonder if three or four more hours in decanter would have helped. Drink now or hold for another dozen years and see if this integrates better with time. 83 points 5/24/07 1997 Martinez’ Quinta da Eira Velha Vintage Port – This was the 3rd VP in the lineup at Mike McCune’s mini-vertical tasting of Quinta da Eira Velha. Decanted for ten hours. Darker than the 1995 and lighter than the 1994. Black licorice stands out initially on the nose and is followed by some road tar, mocha and smoky plum notes. I liked this a lot as there was great purity of fruit that made this such fun to drink. Dry and feminine stylistically, the plum, prune and blueberry flavors are a real treat. The ‘97 provides the best overall balance of the three Eira Velha bottlings at hand with a fine core of acidity and gentle tannins. Its shortfall is the clipped finish and although there is a drop of heat, it is nowhere near as distracting as in either of the other bottlings. Drink now through 2022. 92 points 5/24/07 1996 Pocas Vintage Port – Purplish/ruby hue. Lovely notes of white pepper play on the nose along with a grenadine fragrance and VA. Medium-bodied with ripe, juicy purple fruit and a solid sense of chocolate and just enough heat that it became a distraction. Enjoyable mid-palate delivers some good depth and promise for the future with a sound structure. The long finish generates some heat and enough tannins to carry this for another 12=15 years. Hopefully it will become better integrated through further cellaring. 90 points 5/24/07 2004 Quinta Crasto Vintage Port – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. 18,000 bottles translates into 3,000 six-packs. Red berry profile, laced with grenadine, this Crasto VP exhibits a medium weight and very approachable style. Good balance, lots of acidity and gentle tannins provide the structure to keep this humming for 15-20 years. So very tasty now though, don’t ignore drinking this young! $67.00 Canadian. 91+ points 2/29/08 2005 Quinta do Vale Dona Maria Vintage Port – At the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. Cristiano poured this for me and I liked this much more than the sample I was provided early on. I had this side-by-side with the 2004 Quinta do Crasto VP and this won the battle. Inky and opaque. This is a fine bottle of VP and shows you can’t always go by cask sample bottles. Smoky nose with lots of spice, floral notes and dark berry essence. Full-bodied and smooth in the mouth with zippy acidity and enough tannins to carry this a couple of decades. Already showing some complexity in the mid-palate and a harmonious structure in synch with the boisterous fruit. Lots to like here. Drink now through 2024. $66.00 Canadian. 92+ points 3/1/08