2007 Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines - Portugal, Douro (9/10/2010)
Really inviting nose. Very suave in the mouth with great texture, but with obviously European structure. Really has a lot going on. Excellent finish with waves of fruit and some grippy tannins and solid acidity to keep it all focused. Still quite young, but impressive and suprisingly drinkable. Really deserves at least 5 years in the cellar. Is this the greatest Crasto Old Vines Reserva ever made? It's certainly possible. This rivals the 2004, and I suspect that it's better. If you don't have this in your cellar then you need to get some. Excellent QPR for a wine of this high quality. Great fruit. Great structure. Great wine! (94 pts.)
I really liked this as a cask sample in 2008 and 2009. The finished bottle I had several months ago was really solid but showing a bit too much oak influence at this point. I think there is good aging potential with the 2007 and also agree that it is up there with the great four year stretch of 2003-2006 that led up to this bottling. I am looking forward to try the 2008 and 2009 soon.
Roy Hersh wrote:but showing a bit too much oak influence at this point
The barrel samples were certainly showing a bit too much oak (not a surpise), but I thought that the oak on this particular bottle was in check and not as overt as I expected. Two days later, Joe picked it as his wine of the night. It beat out a 2006 Saxum Broken Stones and some other top wines. It definitely seemed reserved next to something like a Saxum.
-Dave-
I'm with Dave, the oak has certainly integrated quite a bit on this in a short time. Something that is also true of the 2007 Ponte when I had it a couple weeks or so ago. Crasto does tend to give a good oak treatment, but their wines seem to handle it very well. After a few years it integrates and is no longer a predominate feature. The 2007 Reserva is no doubt a great wine, maybe the best Reserva yet after the excellent 2004 (my attempt at tasting the 2007 and 2004 side by side sadly ended in the 2004 being corked and thus the comparison didn't happen).
