I've been drinking a lot of Douro wines recently ...

For Discussion of Table Wines from all regions of Portugal

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Roy Hersh
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I've been drinking a lot of Douro wines recently ...

Post by Roy Hersh »

My next newsletter will be well adorned with TNs from many a Douro wine enjoyed over the past couple of weeks. I had a killer RCV bottling of Touriga Francesa (before it was renamed FRANCA) from the '99 vintage.

Tonight I will be opening a 2000 Fojo for the very first time. Anyone else have this specific vintage before?
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Frederick Blais
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Post by Frederick Blais »

Got this wine 3 times already. On 2 occasion it was glorious and once it was shut and tannic. Haven't have it for over a year and a half now, so I'm curious to see how it is right now. It should still be quite tannic, concentrated with some sweet wood in the back.

Share with us your comments :wink:
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Jay Powers
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Post by Jay Powers »

Sorry Roy, I've not had this one and cannot comment. But recently we had a couple of freinds over and I thought, "why not make it Portugese night" so we had some:

2005 Niepoort Redoma Branco (with crabcakes)

2004 Quinta do Crasto Reserva "Old Vines"
2004 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional
2003 Quinta do Crasto vinha Maria Teresa (the three reds with some grilled grass fed filet mignon, potatos, etc)

Coffee (with Carolyns wonderfull French silk pie)

Warres 1966 (with assorted cheeses)
Sandeman 20 year tawny, bottled 2007 (after we finished the Warres and still had some cheese left).

The Branco is a nice wine and went well with the crab, crisp and dry. The reds were all great..I would put the Reserva at 92-93 points, and the next two just got better than that. I would score them all higher than when I had them in the Douro in 1996...amazing what a year can do.

The '66 Warres was sublime (dcanted ~3 or 4 hours), very very nice, need to get me some more of this! The Sandeman was very similar to the 2006 bottleing, and remains one of my very favorite 20-years.

Other Douro reds: We have been drinking through some of the Quinta do Vale Donna Maria 2004, and this has been only getting better as well! At ~$30/bottle this is excellent QPR, and I just ordered another case of six to complement the ~10 or so bottles we have remaining. 92 points and will be better probably in each of the following three years at least, at which time it may plateau.

I need to get myself a Portugese cookbook (I just found a local source for Bacalau), but it is amazing how well Douro reds go with steak or lamb. The '03 Maria Teresa actually brought to mind the 2000 Shafer Hillside Select to me. If the producers could get enough of these Douro reds into blind tastings with CA cabernets, I'm sure prices would rise significantly.

Jay
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Roy Hersh
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Post by Roy Hersh »

Jeez, thanks for the invite. :(

Actually a very impressive evening Jay. I enjoyed the read and just the red flight alone had me salivating on my keyboard. Do you like Crasto or something? :wink:
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Jay Powers
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Post by Jay Powers »

Roy

I do like the Crasto, which I would rank as my favorite Douro reds overall. I did manage to find a few bottles of Ponte as well but figure three reds would be enough for this particular dinner!

Any time you come to SF we can repeat, although that was my only bottle of the Warres 66. We will just have to substitute a Grahams, or by the time you make it here I will probably have acquired some more of the Warres, it was certainly good enough!

Jay
Bob Parsons Alberta
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Post by Bob Parsons Alberta »

Roy.

It was great seeing you in Edmonton today! I should have mentioned I have just opened another `04 Crasto Reserva, lots more on the shelf!

Hope to see you again soon. Thanks for coming our way again.

Bob P
Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

Bob, were you at the tasting tonight? I was there as well, it is shame we missed each other.

I tried the 2004 Quinta do Crasto Reserva "Old Vines" as well tonight and what a wine it was... WOTN (hands down) for the dry red we tried after the main Port Tasting... kicked the snot out of a (100 pt) Flor de Pingus 2004...

Todd
Bob Parsons Alberta
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Post by Bob Parsons Alberta »

I came in just as you were finishing up. I too just had that `04 Crasto!
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Roy Hersh
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Post by Roy Hersh »

Todd,

Welcome back. I hope all turned out well for you. It was a pleasure to finally get to meet you (and see Bob again, of course!) and glad we got to drink some fine bottles of Port and wine thereafter. What a fun time and I was thrilled to have three FTLOPers in the group of 20, although two of them are basically "just lurkers" :shock:
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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