For The Love Of Port

Decanted at 4 p.m. and will have a go at both of them tonight and leave some of each for tomorrow too.

Looking forward to trying these before they hit the market. I'll be back with some impressions.

It has been quite awhile since I have been blown away by a Douro wine. Actually there was one during the Fortification Tour. 2000 Quinta do Portal Tinto Reserva. Phenomenal.

However, although this was a very different pair of wines, the Quinta do Vesuvio debut vintage of Douro red and the second label, Pombal do Vesuvio both made a very impressive impression.

I had half of each bottle last night with my wife and tonight I grilled beautiful 18 oz. bone-in prime rib steaks. The perfect foil for these beautiful Douro wines. I will provide full details and TNs in the newsletter, but to suffice it to say that the Vesuvio itself, may just be the best young Douro wine I have tasted since last Oct.

This is a must buy for any serious Douro collector. No joke, we are talking about the quality of 2004 Vinha da Ponte here. It is a very different wine than that, so you'll just have to trust me until I can print out my handwritten TN. I am still deciding (with my last 3 oz.) between 94 and 95 points.

The Pombal do Vesuvio is also a seriously delicious wine and those who appreciate earthy style of Douro wines ... with some old vine mixed plantings ... this is the real deal. I need to find out the suggested retail price on this one, but if it is under $50 ... I'll be buying a case, if I can find one.

Very good to hear positive feedback on Vesuvio. We are very proud of these wines.

I posted an image of the bottle in Portraits for those interested.

Dan

Sounds great, thanks for posting Roy. Any idea on the suggested retail price of the 'grand vin'?

I must say that I don't like the label at all, too old-fashioned for my liking. But that's personal taste of course.

Thanks for the preliminary note. I was impressed when I tried the 2006, which never got released, so to hear that the 2007's are better is great news. The Douro is capable of some amazing dry wines.

Ronald,

As I don't drink labels, per se, I certainly did not pay a ton of attention to it although admittedly, I did notice the wine inside the bottle WAS more to my liking as well.

No offense Dan!

Andy, I hope you will get to try this when we visit the Symington Family Estates in a few weeks. As much as I have enjoyed the 2006 version (and I really did think it was worthy of a release) I must give it to the Symington Family for holding out for a simply awesome debut of this particular bottling.

I am hoping Dan or Paul will stop by and tell us what these are expected to sell for in the USA!

Roy,
The 2007's are wines that I am very much hoping to try in October. As I mentioned, I really like the 2006 and was a bit bummed when they didn't end up getting released. I agree that they were good good enough to warrant a release. So I am looking forward to trying the 2007 version. But I must give kudo's to the Symington's for what sounds like waiting for an even better vintage to release as the first.

Hi Roy,

Before leaving Portugal (i moved back to Prague...it´s the women Roy ) i went to buy this hyped wine though i didnt have the chance to taste it. I was wondering how long will it seat in the cellar improving? Also i remember that the Pombal do Vesuvio was about 25€...so i guess your case is a must.

I actually liked the label as im kinda fond of old style labels.

My tasting notes on both wines are completed and in the newsletter that you should all receive by this weekend.

Let me know what you think!

Pedro Guimaraes wrote:Hi Roy,

Before leaving Portugal (i moved back to Prague...it´s the women Roy ) i went to buy this hyped wine though i didnt have the chance to taste it. I was wondering how long will it seat in the cellar improving? Also i remember that the Pombal do Vesuvio was about 25€...so i guess your case is a must.

I actually liked the label as im kinda fond of old style labels.

Pedro,

In Portugal you can buy Pombal for 14 Euro and Vesuvio for 40 Euro.

Very good prices Daniel. I saw them on wine lists in the Douro for CONSIDERABLY more than that, but compared to pricing here in the USA ... very solid indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Is the 2007 Vesuvio going to be imported to the US? All I see is Pombal.

Yes it will be, although in small quantites.

Here are the TNs for anybody who has not already seen them:

2007 ~ Quinta do Vesuvio ~ Pombal do Vesuvio ~ DOC Douro Red wine – The baby brother to
the Vesuvio release, this is no wall flower. Stuffed with earthy notes of leather and dark black cherry
fruit, it proffers a distinctly drier profile than its sibling. With a fine palate presence that is sumptuous
and immediately approachable, the blackberry and well integrated gentle hints of oak are not only
food friendly, but will make for a solid sipping wine. The old vine blends used in this distinctive Douro
effort show greater structural components the 2nd day it was open and it drank with even more verve
and body weight. With a couple of hours in decanter, this can be enjoyed today but there’s no
question that it will improve over the next decade, so put a few bottles out of reach for at least a few
years. ~ 92+ points ~ 9/29/09

2007 ~ Quinta do Vesuvio ~ DOC Douro Red wine – Decanted 2.5 hours in advance, which helped
to deliver aromatic profundity with briary scents, cocoa bean, ripe raspberry fruit and a wonderful
interplay between black licorice and vanilla spice. This really needs air time and I urge you to decant
this Douro red. The Vesuvio delivers the impression of a wine with considerably more age and
finesse, yet on the contrarian side, it truly shows the character of a beautifully young and evocative
wine. An explosive entry of concentrated wild berries offers a smooth and sensuous texture with fine,
round tannins that appear to gain grip as the wine continues to evolve. I left some to evaluate (and
enjoy) for a 2nd day and it appeared to gain a lovely cassis profile and further overall symmetry.
Sublime and a gorgeous youngster that will improve in cellar for at least the next 15 years. An
outstanding debut by the Symington’s whose 2006 version of the Vesuvio was absolutely good
enough to release a year ago, but they were wise to wait. ~ 95+ points ~ 9/29/09

Hello everyone!
I am new to the forum. I want to become a regular contributor here. Though I am not-so-experienced with wines but still, I can contribute a little.