After a couple of weeks of demolishing kitchens, sanding and polishing floorboards, fitting a new kitchen and a few other things, I’m back tasting again. So to kick things off I’ve got this entry level wine from the Douro valley in Portugal. Many of you will know that Dominic Morris is involved in the operations here and he has made a very tasty and highly drinkable wine from the excellent 2007 vintage.

A really refined nose, but it still has that rustic, earthy/sooty edge that is one of the trademarks of the Douro. Plums and blueberries, with a dash of cherry for good measure, a little choclate, violets and wild herbs too. Just about perfect balance in the mouth, the acid is right where you want it and it isn’t overpowered by the fruit at all. Lush, flesh tannins and bit of Tang crystals (the organge concentrate) on the finish. I’d almost call this medium boddied, but it tips the scales just over I think.. Excellent drinking and great value. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2006

This nose is spicy and full of fruit, thats not to say there isn’t some smokey minerals and orange peel on the nose too. Fluffy, fleshy tannins with the acid in the background for support on the finish. Kind of rounded, and easy to glug down. The palate is more blackberry, blueberry and plum with a nice minerality to it. A touch of coco too. Not a bad little wine, a bit lacking in the mid palate, but finishes convincingly. 90 Pts.

Web: www.quintadovallado.com

Other Vintages: 2005,  2005

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $35 (375ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

Classic shisty nose of smoky, earthy and rocky fruit: a mix of red cherry, plum and blueberry.  It’s gungho with plenty of ripe fruit and chewy tannins. More about a rollicking good time than brain busting thought. The palate shows sunny, but savoury fruit, plums and cherries, wild sage, hot river stones and musk sticks. This value here is outstanding, perfect autumn/winter drinking on a budget. 87 Pts.

Source: Negociants Australia RRP: $17 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.symington.com

A really fresh and vibrant nose of peach, apple with a touch of apricot kiwi. The thing that gets me here is the sence of purity and freshness the radiates from the wine, confident but reserved. Perfect weight in the mouth.  The palate give up more white peach with some lanolin and lemon zest. A big long finish showing some minerally touches. This is excellent drinking now, looks like it would cellar as well. If you are going to look at only one Portuguese white this year, make this it. 92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

The nose comes on strong from the start: cherry and cranberry with some hot cinnamon and smokey, earthy rocks. Structured and textured in the mouth, velvety smooth with good length and acid. It’s quite a full on wine, full bodied but with the structure and restraint to gain and hold your interest. This wine swamps your palate with more red fruits, a bit of beef stock and plenty of minerals. Very enjoyable and an ideal intro to what the Douro can do. These guys make a stunning Vintage Port too. 91+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $50 Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Vale Meao is the top table wine here, with Meandro de Vale Meao being the ‘entry level’ wine. What really enhances the complexity here is the different soil types on the Quinta, while it is all what would generally called schist, areas of slate, granite and alluvial gravel show very different characters in the resulting fruit. The high percentage of Touriga National (60%) also helps a lot. The remaining 40% is 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca.

A really engaging nose of gun smoke, violets and wild flowers, blackberry, dark cherry and mulberry, wild herbs and hot tarmac. In the mouth it feels quite rounded at the start, gaining more more focus as it gets more air. Well textured with supple tannins, plenty of them too. Juicy and meaty, but smooth and very complex. Rocky/stoney minerals, cherry, blueberry and plum on the palate with plenty of complexity thanks to some spices, wild herbs and liquorice. An excellent wine, decant it for a bit to sharpen things up. The ageing is a question that is difficult to answer for these douro reds, they have only been around for 10 years or so, but this looks like it will improve over the short term, then go 15 years standing on it’s head. 96+ Pts.

 Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 Closure: Conventional Cork

The tasting was led by Aymeric de Gironde, the International Sales Director for Axa Millismes, who did a great job of bridging the gap between a straight forward lecture about a grand old port house and giving a sence of the place and the people that live and work there. There was enough information to start a profile on the Qunita, so I won’t bore you with all the gritty details right now. It should be up on the site in the next couple of weeks.

We ran through the table wines, then the tawnies followed by the vintage ports. A fairly big range, but I could see the quality from the cheapest tawny through to the top end table wine.

Table wines:

Maria Mansa 2003: This wine was Noval’s first commercial attempt at a Douro table wine and its a good drink. It’s mainly a blend of the two torigas. Shisty and earthy on the nose with beetroot, plum and cherry. In the mouth it’s medium boddied and fairly straight forward but enjoyable with blueberry, cherry and plum with some pepper/hot cinnamon. 88 Pts. $33

Cedro de Noval 2005: This is named after a big old cedar that provides some shade in the courtyard at the Quinta. This is a blend of mostly syrah with the torigas and some Tinta Cao making up the balance. Flinty, shisty nose with cherry, plum and mulberry with herby undergrowth. In the mouth, it’s bright and fresh, well balanced and stylish. Silky, fine tannins frame the fruit with a bit of tar and mint. Minerals show throughout, but mostly on the finish. 91 Pts. $44

Quita do Noval 2005: This is the flagship table wine, and for the price it is excellent value. I don’t expect this to last for ever however as the prices of the top level Douro wines are heading north. This is similar in many respects to the Cedro, however the minerality and finesse are taken up a couple of notches. Gunsmoke and hot rocks on the nose with perfectly ripe plum, red cherry and blueberry.  The fruit is really expressive and the fleshy, soft tannins deliver a lush texture. At the same time, it has a backbone of acid that I think will allow it to age for quite some time. Excellent stuff. 95 Pts. $141

Port Wines

Quinta do Noval Tawny: this is the basic tawny which uses fruit from Class A growers and is made in an auto lagar. Toffee and raisin mixed in with some plum and spirit on the nose. In the mouth its tangy cherry and plum with hot cinnamon and a touch of clove. Fresh and fruity. 87 Pts. $35

Quinta do Noval 10 year old Tawny: Spirity raisins with Christmas cakes spices and mixed nuts. The palate is a bit rum and raisin with plum, rosewater and more nuts. Fresh and full of life. 90 Pts. $79

Quinta do Noval 20 year old Tawny: Smokey and nutty, with soft spirit, light raisins, old wood and an almost salty note on the nose. Very complex on the plate with layers of flavours: rose, raisins and currants, roasted walnuts, smoke and clove. Driving spirit and fairly dry too. Excellent drinking. 93 Pts.

Quita do Noval Colheita 1995: The nose on this wasn’t really giving up too much, some old wood, something a bit floral and raisins. But on the palate it explodes with vitality and fresh cherry and raisins. There is more acid here, but there is also plenty of sweetness to provide balance. Very long finish with a touch of warmth. 90 Pts. $95

Quinta do Noval LBV 2003: Plenty of fruit on the nose here: plum and dark cherry with clove and anise. This really is like a baby VP in character with plum, cherry and rosella fruit with liquorice and clove. Meaty and dense this is a ripping LBV for drinking now. 92 Pts.

Quinta do Noval ‘Sival’ Vintage Port 2005: This is made from a leased Quinta called Sival. The style here is for a lighter and earlier drinking style of vintage port than the traditional vintage from Noval. Nice juicy fruit, rosella and cherry for the most part, there is a bit of plum in there too. Anise and earthy herbs add some complexity. It’s quite brooding at the moment, but highly drinkable. 89-90 Pts. $95

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2004: This is the stuff. Its quite grapey and raisiny with plum and dark cherry, a little blackberry too. In the palate the first thing that hits me is the lush tannins, followed by some excellent fruit that shows perfect ripeness. More dark fruits, shot with minerals and earthy goodness. Very early in it’s life, this should grow to be a classic. 93 Pts.

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2003: If I thought the 2004 was good, this takes things to a different level. The nose is fully of classic douro notes: smoke and hot rocks, gun smoke and clove. Intense blackberry, dark cherry and rosella. The tannins are fleshy and ripe which give the wine luxury texture. This has all bases covered and will live a very long, full life. 97 Pts. $185

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1967: It may be the only time I ever taste this wine, so I jumped at the offer of a refill when it was offered. Old coffee beans and smoke with quality cigar tobacco, lifted up by some dried currants, varnish and some floral notes. Amazingly complex in the mouth too, layers of flavour, some grape notes, anise, raisins and old leather.  Excellent mouthfeel and the length here is amazing. The only way to describe this is: Wow. 95 Pts.

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2000: I was thinking that I would be in for a bit of a struggle here, 8 year old vintage port is generally closed down and hard going. But this was so very open and drinking like the 99 point wine that it clearly is. I was supprised that this was my favourite wine of the tasting, thinking the 67 would surely be. The nose is dense and floral with bright fruit and overwhelming sense of welcoming. Seductive and fleshy in the mouth, the wine seems delicate and light but has deep intensity, integrity and complexity. If there is a port you should have an epiphany with, this is it. If you don’t get the port bug from this wine, you don’t like port. 99 Pts.

These mid-priced Douro seem to be were it’s at, I think you get the best expression for the price at around $40-60, with good value at the low end. The top end wines, while outstanding, are starting to get up there in price ($170 for the Meao top bottling, the new Vallado super deluxe job will come in over $300 here if it’s imported). It’s not that they aren’t great wines…

That classic sooty, rocky shist note kicks things off on the  nose followed by some juicy plum, blueberry and cherry with a bit a clove pepper. The acid level is quite high for a Douro red and gives a good balance to the meaty, flesh tannins. Savoury and flavour packed on the palate: plums and cherry, with a touch of rosella with subtle christmas cake spices and a mineral crunch. A generous long finish. Very moreish in this cold weather. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55  Closure: Conventional Cork

After a week off from drinking, I thought I’d ease myself back into tasting with a bottle of port and some blue cheese on Sunday afternoon. The cheese is Valdeon, made in the Picos de Europa areas of Léon and Asturias from mostly cows milk, with a little bit of goat for tang. It’s fairly punchy, but still quite creamy. It goes well with the quince paste and port, so I’m a happy chap.

One thing I’ve noticed around town is how much the price of these imported cheeses vary a lot. I buy most of my Spanish stuff from Casa Iberica (25 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 4420) and just about everything is half the price of the ‘gourmet’ stores around Melbourne (i.e. Valdeon is $38/kilo at Casa Iberica and $70 from the Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder cheese club).

Very dark in the glass with aromas of clove, pepper, nutmeg, dark cherry and plum with a bit of shisty rock. Dense and intense in the mouth, a mix of sweet and savoury that I pick up in a lot of Niepoort’s wines. The palate shows more dark cherry, rosella and plum with Dr. Pepper, christmas cake spices and a touch of chinoto on the finish. I think this may need some chill out time in the cellar (it’s not filtered, so it will improve) to show its best. 88+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $48 (750ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

Browsing through their website I noticed that they don’t make a lot of this wine, just 9,400 bottles of the 03 were made. I think I will need a six pack for the cellar, hopefully there is enough to go around.

A smooth, exotic nose of plum, dark cherry, star anise, rosella, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg with a hint of spirit in the background. The palate is open with Class A, Export Quality tannins the provide a luxurious mouth feel. Some mild sweetness and some acid to back it all up. Warm blackcurrant, plum and cherry fruit with cola and more star anise. Very minerally. The finish is very generous and leaves the taste of Christmas cake spices and plum pudding in the mouth. This is very enjoyable now, and had me reaching for a second glass every time. Drink over the next 2 years, then cellar for 10 after that. 93 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $115 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.valedonamaria.com

However, the the chaps at Niepoort have decided to use very large wooden vats for their ruby port. So this wine gets a bit of oxygen contact, but still retains a very deep red colour. It stays in the vats for about 3 years, then into bottle and then its off around the world.

Its starts of with a nose of spirity blackberry and dark cherry and adds some Christmas cake spices and nuts. In the mouth it’s smooth and quite long with a hit of quality spirit. Loads of dark cherry on the palate with some blackberry and blackcurrant, more spices and a touch of minerals. Plenty to like hear, and very cheap for what it is. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.niepoort-vinhos.com

This LBV is made from Tinta Amarela, Rufete, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, Touriga Nacional, and Sousão. The fruit is crushed by trodding in the traditional lagares. Then into old woodern vats for 4 years until it’s bottled. This wine is not filtered and will have a bit of a crust. So decant if that bothers you. This gets a bit better if you leave it open for a few days too.

Lovely nose of walnut and clove with some plum and cherry pie, notes of fine spirit. Smooth with some grippy tannins in the mouth, restrained sweetness, good integration of fruit and spirit and a very long finish. The palate is all class: sweet plums and blackberry, pepper and cinnamon, liquorice and chinotto. A good way to kick off the port drinking season without blowing the budget. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $36 (375ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.valedonamaria.com

I spent saturday diving in and out of air condition spaces, hopefully we'll get some relief later this week. I dropped over to a mate's place for long overdue catchup on Saturday night. Thankfully he has air con, so it was quite comfortable to sit back with a couple of reds. I have a stack of good wines on the way (Mostly 05s: Clos Mogador, Numanthia, Flor de Pingus, with Roda 04s being released soon too), but I won't get the them until after Easter I think, its just too hot. Anyway this went down well.

A fairly straight forward, but quality Douro red, aromas of plum, mulberry and cherry with pepper and clove.  Warm and inviting in the mouth, a bit rustic with big, soft tannins and a lick of acid on the finish.  The palate is more toward the plum end of things, but also shows cherry and mulberry with some earth and clove.  Very enjoyable, it would do well with a good lamb dish. 88 Pts.

If you've ever had even a passing interest in Port, you will have heard of Quinta do Noval. This most be one of the most iconic Port houses going and they are now making table wine in the Douro. They have come a bit later to the game than many, but the wines are bloody good. This is the second wine and its a winner, friendly, plenty of Douro character and it doesn't break the bank. Well packaged too.

The nose starts off with something that I'm calling schisty: soot, hot rocks and earth along with some clove, sweet plum, cherry and pepper. Well balanced and smooth with supple tannins and loads of minerals on the finish. There is some great savoury fruit on the palate plums, cherries and rosella mixed in with some chocolate, pepper and minerals. Its a bit meaty, but very stylish. As is usual for Portuguese wines, acid is more of a supporting player, but here it plays its part well. An excellent addition to the growing range of Douro reds available in Australia. 91 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $44 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadonoval.com