2006 Quinta do Crasto Old Vine Reserva

[Glenn E.]

WinesTilSoldOut.com has this on sale today for $44.99 with free shipping.

As always, it's only available until it's sold out. That can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours, though it's usually about half a day.

I have no association with WinesTilSoldOut.com other than being on their mailing list because I'm a regular customer.

[Andy Velebil]

They must have just gotten these in, as they have not been released in the US as far as I know. Interesting, but a smoking good REserva..grab what you can for free shipping and no sales tax.

[Glenn E.]

Yeah, they must have pre-ordered or something. Wine-searcher.com results in no hits in the US.

I went ahead and ordered 6. My wife has liked other Spanish and Portuguese wines that I've bought her, so since everyone here seems to really Crasto I figured it was a pretty safe bet.

[Roy Hersh]

A fine wine indeed. A year ago if you told me the price was going to jump by $15 for this bottling, I don't know that I'd have gone through with it. However, having tasted it now 9x, I'd say it was well worth that price. I had TNs on that wine in the last two newsletters if I am not mistaken. Gorgeous stuff. As mention in the other thread, I'll bring some along to drink at the Gala Celebration in 3 weeks.

[Roy Hersh]

An update from the importer re: the Crasto Reserva 2006 and the Douro white:

We received 200 cases in the United States. The following states are either now selling the white, or are in the (sometimes complicated) process of beginning to sell the white – New York, New Jersey, California, DC area, Washington State/Oregon, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana. For the immediate future – the wine will continue to be limited. The white will also be available for direct shipment to those states allowed on our website.

On Monday of this week, the 2006 Reserva was released. It is an item that is allocated based on sales of 2007 Douro Red to our distributors around the US. I expect we will start to see it in the general market fairly quickly.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Visiting my fave winestore downtown yesterday, I came across the `08 Crasto white. $24 Cdn.
They also have splits of the `03 LBV.
Any thoughts out there?

[Roy Hersh]

Bob,

I have a bottle of '08 Crasto Branco and one last bottle of '07 Crasto Branco, to compare side-by-side. I love the white and on Friday, shall receive yet another case of the 2007 Branco ... love it!!!

This time, I swear I will put 2-3 bottles somewhere that I will leave my hands off them for several years to see how they age!

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Can anyone tell me how the `03 is shaping up? What is the general opinion, hold or drink?

[Roy Hersh]

Bob,

It has been about a year or two since I last had the 2003. I have one or two left in my cellar, one from 375 if I am not mistaken. Anyway, it was a good year for the Crasto Old Vines Reserva but I preferred the 2004. I think you will be fine drinking this now or over the next 4 or 5 years, nonetheless, I don't see it improving from here.


Roy

[Mahmoud Ali]

I had a bottle of the '03 Crasto Old Vines Reserva a few months ago. I'm no expert, and I've never had this wine before, but I felt the wine was in a bit of an awkward stage. I recall plenty of fruit, plush-like, and some spiritiness but little of the structure I was expecting.

I found the '03 Crasto earlier this year, some on the shelf and a few stocked in the back. It is possible that the bottle I opened was a shelf wine and since the price was relatively low (C$27) I suspect it had been in the store for some time and that could have affected the wine.

Whatever the reason for the way my bottle tasted, either premature aging or in good shape, if you have some bottles in good nick I recommend waiting a while before drinking.

Cheers...............Mahmoud.

[Clark Anderson]

I do not have a bottle in reserves.
:-(