TN: 2005 Quinta do Crasto Douro

[Ray Barnes]

After reading so much about the critical acclaim of Quinta do Crasto, I absolutely could not resist the urge to go out today and pick up a bottle. This wine has been rated 88 points by WS and 87 by WA, the latter noting the labelling decision to omit the Quinta reference, so it claims, because some of the fruit was sourced from outside the estate's vineyards.

I agree with the esteemed German wine critic Michael Schmidt - the contributor to that country's chapter in the annual Wine Report - that a telltale sign of an outstanding wine estate is how much care and effort goes into its basic bottlings. Certainly the great German estates of JJ Prum, Maximin Grunhaus, Fritz Haag and Gunderloch, among others, produce wonderful so-called basic wines. Usually when I go into a restaurant, I try the soup first - and if that's good, then so will be the rest.

Having said this, I am pleased to report, on my first ever tasting of a Douro red table wine, that this $20 Cdn bottling is making a very good impression. It is very open on the nose, and shows cherry liqueur/kirsch, cassis, and wood. If I were drinking this blind, I would have guessed it was from Pauillac - very close to the second wine of Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste (Lacoste-Borie). Fine deep opaque colour with a bit of black cherry at the rim. This certainly does not smell like a $20 bottle. There is I think significant tannin, I have been letting it breathe for 20 minutes in the glass and it still tastes very dry. The initial sips were astringent. The flavour is a blend of dark fruit - I am not sure which - and almost a bit peppery. I find it quite petite syrah-like. The WA critic said it was a relatively simple wine. I respectfully beg to differ, I find it quite rich, complex and surprisingly powerful.

If this is near the estate's entry level then I sure hope to experience its premium wines. I think it could do with at least 2 or 3 years more cellaring, it's still too young. If the taste was as rich as the bouquet, I would rate it excellent; as it is, the wine is very good indeed and well worth buying at its very modest price.

It is a pleasure to be finally able to toast this estate's well-deserved recent critical acclaim. And also to this forum, for its far-sightedness and advocacy. Cheers! :)

[Ray Barnes]

Sorry, that should have read petite sirah, not petite syrah.

[Andy Velebil]

Ray,

Glad you enjoyed this. I've yet to have a bad Crasto wine and I've had lots of them spanning over the past 10 years of vintages. Your tasting note was spot-on and I thank you for posting it. Don't worry about not feeling up to scoring it, that will come with time whenever you feel comfortable. The hardest part is always those first few publicly written TN's. After that, thankfully, it's all down hill

[Ray Barnes]

Thanks Andy, I hope and expect you are absolutely right. I neglected to mention before that I agree with the WA reviewer on one very essential point, the wine definitely tastes good.

In looking through the November 2008 issue of Decanter, where 8 experts reveal where they think the best deals of the world are, one of them spoke very strongly of the transformation of the Douro. I happen to be a big fan of the wines of the Languedoc (aka Midi), and it would appear the Douro region has the potential to be every bit as attractive for value conscious drinkers. The more competition the better.

[Roy Hersh]

Yes, although many of us are enamored with the upper end of the Douro wines, there is not shortage of bottles that are reasonably priced and offer fine value for money. Lots are made in this style and I am personally very happy to see this happening with white wines as well, lately. This is the real opportunity at the moment for the Douro. Plant at elevation to obtain fine acidity and pick at the right time. There are some stunning examples of values in Douro wines and when the 2007 Quinta do Crasto hits the market, it will make quite a splash. There are others too.

[Ray Barnes]

We can be very thankful that there is such excellent basic wine - especially in these budget-conscious times.

In having another glass two days after opening, this wine is now showing a strong earthiness/leafiness on the bouquet that was not much in evidence at first. The dark berry character is more subdued. It is still quite dry and tannic. It has something in mouth feel very much like a fine Corbieres, especially the warmth and weight. I believe an appropriate term is garrigue.

This remains, very good, satisfying wine. I like it on its own, but arguably, its high acidity really needs food, the heartier the better - like minestrone.

It is so nice to have an inexpensive glass of high-quality red wine on a crisp, cool day.