TN: 2004 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte Douro

[Andy Velebil]

This was one of the dry wines, and only Douro wine, I opened at a small BBQ at my house on Halloween. Decanted about 8 hours before we started drinking it. Still a very youthful purple with no signs of aging at all. A friend aptly described the nose as "amazingly seductive" and I'd agree with that summation. The one thing that amazes me is how, even with such a long decant, this wine seems to improve with every sip. Deceivingly restrained at first, this quickly blossomed to reveal a fullbodied, balanced wine full of black cherries, tar, and black pepper with a spicey finish. The oak has reallly integrated and doesn't protrude like it sometimes can when these Ponte's are just bottled, actually you really have to look to find it now. This is a baby and if you only have a couple I'd say let them sleep for another 10 years. However, if you've got a few extra, give it a long decant and then slowly enjoy this over the course of an evening.
95 Points