Is Douro a candidate for your christmas table?

[Pedro Guimaraes]

Just wondering if anyone of you is choosing a Douro for the epic date....

Im going (besides others from different regions) to open a 1985 Barca-Velha....

[Andy Velebil]

Depending on who shows up i will most likely be taking a Douro wine...not sure which one though.

BTW, I say depending on who shows up because outside my brother, his fiance, and me, we are about the only ones that drink wine in the family. All the rest have an occassional beer now and then and thats about it. Since I'm not sure my brother and his fiance are coming down yet or not, most likely not, it may be just me. In which case I'll forgo any wine for the evening.

[Frederick Blais]

Choosing Douro .... Indeed!! I'll be there between the 27th and the 7th for celebration in the main land :)

Not sure yet what I'll drink but some good bottles will be bought and opened once I'm there!

[Jan-Tore Egge]

Probably not on Christmas Eve, but I hope to get a friend to open a bottle of Barca Velha 1991. :)

And I might open some Niepoort Redoma Branco sometime during the Christmas week.

[Pedro Guimaraes]

[quote="Jan-Tore Egge"]Probably not on Christmas Eve, but I hope to get a friend to open a bottle of Barca Velha 1991. :)
quote]

I had one just a few days ago and it was in a wonderfull stage...peak!!!! Extremely elegant and complex...

[João Rico]

Fred, you are coming to Portugal?

[Roy Hersh]

I'd never pour one during our Christmas meal. However, I do plan to pour two!

[Frederick Blais]

Fred, you are coming to Portugal?

Yeah baby :)

Got an invitation I could not refuse. I'll be visiting some friends, towns, step family of my sister and maybe 1-2 tasting but this is more a friendly casual trip than an intense tasting experience. I'll be base in Amarante but I'll move a lot. I should be back around June for the tasting part

[Moses Botbol]

Who celebrates Christmas?

[Andy Velebil]

Who celebrates Christmas?

I celebrate all holidays, world-wide, and across all religions....more excuses to drink more wine and have fun :joker:

[Moses Botbol]

Who celebrates Christmas?

I celebrate all holidays, world-wide, and across all religions....more excuses to drink more wine and have fun :joker:

I don't even get paid holidays, bah humbug

[Roy Hersh]

From my experience the past few bottles I've enjoyed of the 1991 Barca Velha are fully mature and need to be consumed. I had 2 pristine six packs which I had bought from a distributor closing them out, while I was still in the business ... at $29 per bottle, not a bad price, even back in 2001. The last one I had was almost Burgundy like. Delicious, elegant and with great symmetry ... but in my opinion, nearing the end of its glory days. I have kept one last bottle for a special occasion and I can see one coming at the end of January.

[Jan-Tore Egge]

Well, we shared a bottle last year, and it did not seem OTH to me.

[Roy Hersh]

Agreed, not over the hill yet. But it is time to drink these, for sure.

[Ronald Wortel]

Friends, who live in the Douro, are over on a visit and I'm sure we'll open some Douro wines on Christmas dinner. And a nice port as well. :)

[Pedro Guimaraes]

My Christmas in terms of Douro wines....

White

2004 Wine&Soul Guru - the wood is finally gone and the wine is showing itself finally...good but not great!!! Still there is a very pure mineral side to it....i guess going against the Raveneau Chablis Valmur 2001 was a tough match :)

Red

1985 Barca-Velha - not sings of fading away, instead there is a pure essence of cherry fruits wrapped in very perfumed dried herbs and flowers....very good indeed!!!!

1994 Duas Quintas Reserva - i was not expecting such a wine....commanding ripe red fruits, full-body and velvety long end....still a keeper!!!!

[Jan-Tore Egge]

Probably not on Christmas Eve, but I hope to get a friend to open a bottle of Barca Velha 1991. :)

Well, we did drink this, and it was much more developed than a bottle we shared last year, which seemed young and almost tight in comparison. I just managed to get the cork, which broke in two, out of the bottle, and I suspect it was responsible for the state of affairs. Not a bad wine, showing complexity, but a very different mouthfeel from the previous bottle. Well, now we have an excuse for cracking his last two bottles...