TN: 2001 Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita Classico

[Rich Greenberg]

I finally got around to popping this one open (purchased in July.)

This is definitely not a fruit-forward "Napa-style" red wine. Upon opening, it was a bit thin, and there was a bitterness on the finish that, while not pronounced, was definitely noticeable. As it took on some air, the wine improved markedly. At about 1-1.5 hours, the fruit had perked up a bit (blueberry, cherry), but was by no means dominant. The acidity in this wine is definitely much higher than I am used to, and perhaps a bit out of balance at this time. A good amount of dry tannins in the finish retained a hint of the bitterness from earlier.

At $16, if you like this style of wine, then I woud rate it a buy. In it's current phase, it is not a wine for my taste buds, and I found it hard to tell if it would change for the better with age (again, for my tastes.) I much preferred the Vertente (Niepoort) I tried a couple of weeks ago (my first Douro red.)

Rich

[Frederick Blais]

Rich, this wine is not from Douro but from Setubal, South of Lisbon. I really like this wine, and yes it is not a fruit bomb but a classic wine with some rusticity. I don't find acidity out of balance but yes I agree this is not we are used to in many countries.

[Rich Greenberg]

Thanks for the correction, Frederick.

I had expected the higher level of acidity relative to what I normally drink (heavily weighted to California cabs and syrahs) based on reading your input on my TNR for this wine a little while back. Perhaps my sense of "balance", or lack therof, has more to do with the relative weight of each component in comparison to how they each contribute to the wines I tend to drink more often.

I would definitely put this in more of a bordeaux style than napa style. Whether it would balance out more to my tastes in a few years or not, I couldn't tell. Sadly, I thought that I wasn't a big fan of Leoville Barton (my first case buy -- '99), until I drank the last one a couple of months ago, and it was just starting to show what it could be. Ooops.

I like to have different wine experiences, though. That's what makes this fun. Something different in every bottle (even if it's a wine you have had many times!) :)

Rich

[Rich Greenberg]

I am revisiting this wine tonight (poured half in a 375ml bottle and placed in the refrigerator last night), and am enjoying it quite a bit. The fruit has blossomed, counterbalancing the acidity very nicely. The finish has some citrus notes to it, and still some solid, dry tannins. The whole experience with this wine tonight is much softer and approachable.

Based on the evolution of this wine over two nights, I would now guess that with some age it might be quite a nice QPR performer. I think I'll pick up a couple more bottles and wait 2-3 years before I try the next one.

The adventure continues! :)

Rich

[Moses Botbol]

I really like this wine, and yes it is not a fruit bomb but a classic wine with some rusticity. I don't find acidity out of balance but yes I agree this is not we are used to in many countries.

I had this the other night and do not remember the acidity out of balance either. Can't remember much else about this other than it seemed like a decent value. This wine should breathe for a few hours at least before pouring.

I thought the bottle price was $13? A friend brought it by.

[Rich Greenberg]

M-

$16 at K&L. They don't have this vintage anymore, so I'm going to pick up some of the '04, let it rest, and try again. They have the '04 listed at $8.99, so I need to verify that it is, indeed, the Classico.

R

[Frederick Blais]

At 9$ it is not the Classico. 2004 has not been released yet either.

[Rich Greenberg]

F-

You were right. Not the Classico. K&L changed the erroneous product description while I was on the phone, and made a note to let me know when the next vintage of the Classico does come in.

R