New Year's Eve bottle?

[Roy Hersh]

I am deciding between two or three Douro reds for that night. One comes from either 1999 Crasto Tinto Roriz, another is the 2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional and another is a 2004 Vinha da Ponte. I may even open two of them, but doubt it.

What about you, I hope to start to hear about more Douro wines being opened ... especially on NYE! Maybe that should be the FTLOP New Year's Resolution for everyone.

[David Spriggs]

Wow. Great line up!

[Rune EG]

Well Roy, while you are considering which bottle to open up on NYE, I hope you (or anyone else) can help me with the choice between the following Crasto alternatives:
Maria Teresa 2005 / 2007 / 2009
Vinha da Ponte 2003 / 2007

I do not have too much experience with these wines.
Decanting time 5-6 hrs?

The food will most probably be raindeer.

[Ronald Wortel]

It was Lavradores de Feitoria Meruge 2004 for me. Showed well, although it may not be 'serious' enough for proper ageing.

[Mahmoud Ali]

New Years Eve was dinner and a movie with my mother and partner. Because of logistical problems dinner in Chinatown was a no go so we ate in a pub near the Cineplex. The movie was The Hobbit in 3-D. There was no wine that evening but we got home just in time to ring in the new year with an inexpensive Cava.

However, on the theme of Roy's bottles, a couple of weeks later, at a birthday dinner an '04 Vinha da Ponte was served. I cannot remember how the guessing went but nobody came close to identifying the wine. I must say that even though it was a wine of considerable potential, in it's youth it was left in the dust by the older wines served, the '83 Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, the '82 Ampeau Volnay-Santenot and the '90 Tignanello. The Vinha da Ponte needs time.

Mahmoud

[Andy Velebil]

Ive had the 2004 Ponte over a dozen times since 2006 and Yes the 2004 needs time. Last I had it, last year, it had really closed up. I've stopped opening them for a bit till this phase passes. Can't wait to start drinking them again as its a rocking bottle.