Quinta do Vallado 2005

Quinta do Vallado was a grower for the big port houses for many years, but had branched out to produce its own table wines and ports.  A big rejunivation project over the past 10 or so years has seen loads of new plantings and a new winery built on the site.  

This wine is a field blend of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and National with a dollop of Sousao.  I'm calling most of these wine from the Douro simply: Douro field blends.  It saves typing.  Most of the wine is fermented in stainless steel, with 20% in 1 to 2 year old French oak.

A great douro nose of Sarsaparilla, clove, violets, earth, old fireplace and blackberry.  Savoury and textured in the mouth, well balanced and easy to drink.  After that great nose the palate is a bit lacking, not bad just flat.  A bit of sars, smoke, pepper, red cherry and plums.  If the palate lived up to the nose, this would scoring something in the low 90s, but its worth a look regardless.  88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadovallado.com

Flor de Crasto 2004

This is the early drinker from the guys and girls and Quinta do Crasto.  Its a blend of mostly Tinta Roriz and the two Tourigas: Nacional and Franca.  That's about all the info I have a the moment, I'll update this post when I get some more info.  Regardless, this is a very handy wine to have hanging around, highly drinkable and very different flavours.  Good winter/spring drinking.

Deep red at the centre with purple towards the rim.  Starts off with sarsaparilla, sooty earth, blackberry, blueberries and baking spices.  With some more air, a kind of salty note and the spices turn into cloves.  Very nice.  In the mouth its open and inviting, there is some good texture with nice tannins.  A bit low on acid, but this increases the drinkablity.  On the palate it shows sunny plums, pepper, clove and nutmeg, cherry liqueur and cola.  Good length and some minerals on the finish.  Drink over the next couple of years.  88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Vale D. Maria Vintage Port 2003

Cristiano van Zeller is a fairly big name in the Port game.  He was part owner in one of the most prestigious port houses, Quinta do Noval, for many years and branched out on his own in 1993.  He started off making table wines and when the lease came up on his wife's family vineyard, Qunta do Vale Dona Maria, they quickly took over and started a reno project. 

The wine is made in a more tradition way,foot trodding in concrette lagares etc, from vines from a particular area of the vineyard.

Now this is a port that is open for business.  Wide open.  I would challenge any wine lover to stop at one glass of this stuff.  Its full of raisins, currents, plum mixed with Christmas spice, hot cinnamon and black pepper.  Smooth and luscious, the tannins give great texture and the sweetness is well balanced by the acid and not over-powering.  There are some crunchy minerals and sarsaparilla/cola that add even more interest.  Great stuff, full of character and all the flavour you want in a good Vintage Port. 93 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $105 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.valedonamaria.com

Niepoort Vintage Port 2003

We are at last having a real winter here in Melbourne.  Loads of rain, cold nights and plenty of wood for the fireplace have kicked off port drinking season.  I've heard this theory that these "new wave" vintage ports from the Douro boys drink well for about 5 years from vintage, then need to sleep for another 10.  From what I've seen so far, it seems to work.  However, I think this applies to 750ml bottles, this half bottle was closed down on day 1 and started to open up when I finished it off on 2. 

So no real tasting note on this one, more of an impression.  There is some intense, pure fruit there waiting to come out, a bit of aniseed and Christmas cake spices (nutmeg, cinnamon etc).  The sweetness level is just right, with big brawny structure and to-die-for tannins.  I think it's going to be great in 10-20s years, whatever you do, don't drink it now.  If Tinto y Blanco in still going in 2017, I'll let you know.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $110 (375ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Meandro do Vale Meão 2004

A bit of a quiet week drinks wise, this week.  But I've had a couple of great wines over the last couple of days.  This fantastic wine is from the Douro Valley and is a blend of  30% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz, 30%Touriga Franca, 5% Tinta Barroca and 5% Tinta Amarela.  The vineyards here were originally planted by the Ferreira family (the famous Port house) in the 1870s.  The family has held on to this vineyard through all the corporate buying and selling over the years and is now run by Francisco Javier de Olazabal, the great grandson.It is an interesting plot of land, there are a range of soil types, some areas of schist with granite and alluvial gravel.  It also has a significant red wine history, it was used to produce one of Portugal's top red wines, Barca Velha, which has a status similar to Grange in Australia or Vega Sicilia Unico in Spain.  Meandro is the second wine, Quinta do Vale Meão  is the top wine.  These wines are great value at present, get on the train before the prices skyrocket.

A nice deep red/purple colour in the glass with aromas of blueberry,light red fruit, licorice and spice with a little coffee.  Suave tannins provide excellent mouthfeel.  Well balanced, but powerful and full of attractive fruit.  Blueberry, blackberry, currents, crunchy minerals with hints of chocolate and vanilla. Long finish with minerals and a slight orange note. A great place to start adding a Portuguese section to the cellar.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Vale Meao Vintage Port 2003

I visited Porto on my first Iberian trip and its an amazing place .  Loads of history, you can just walk into most of the big name houses and do a basic tasting, fantastic people and amazing old buildings while that classic tile work.  If the food was more to my taste and there were more Portugese wines available back here, this site might be called Tinto y Brancho.  Anyway, I love port and its great to see very good affordable examples arriving.

This is one of the newer style vintage ports that show really well for about 5 years from harvest, goes into a dull phase for 10 years and comes out fresh, complex and amazing.  Its also more Burgundian, softer edges, more like a structured, powerful table wine than a big solid vintage port.  Its made from 50% Touriga National, 40% Touriga Franca and 10% Tinta Roriz.

This gets off to a ripping start with black current spice, almond, slight spirit, apple, licorice and pepper on the nose.  Deep red with a ruby edge.  In the mouth there is loads of flavour, the wine remains balanced with good acid, soft, fleshy fruit tannins with a sweet/savory thing going on.  A warming bit of alcohol reminds you that this is actually port, not a table wine.  Already a complex wine with plum, blackberry, a lick of aniseed, hot cinnamon, mocha coffee and pepper.  Amazingly approachable at this age, drink until 2008 then put it away for 10 years.  94 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $110 Closure: Conventional Cork

Luis Pato Vinha Formal 2004

The Vinha Formal is 100% Bical.  Again, this wine needs to be a bit warmer to really show its stuff.  Too cold and it looks all angular and awkward with loads of acid, let it warm up a bit and its a lovely drink.

The wines in this range (there are 3) aren't currently available, but they should be available later in year.  If you're really desperate to give one a try, call the guys at TSA and they might be able to help you out.

Light gold in colour, with aromas of lemon, roasted pineapple and fennel bulb with ginger, spice, candle wax, some kind of nut and a wiff oak good oak.  Luxurious mouth feel, waxy and oily with flavours of lemon, minerals and a mix of suitable herbs.  The finish is very long with touches of mineral.  This is a world class wine that shows real character and great winemaking.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: N/A Closure: Conventional Cork

Quinta do Crasto ‘Crasto’ 2005

This is the first, of many probably, Portugese wine I've tasted for Tinto y Blanco.  Spain remains my focus, but its good have something different from time to time.  I've had others in the past, I've even been to Portugal years ago on my first trip to Spain.  There is some Portugese wine around, but the guys at The Spanish Acquisition have recently landed their first commercial shipment and its a great range.  There are tastings of the range in most states over the next month or so, it really is worth while taking the time to have a look.

Quinta do Crasto is one of the leading makers of table wines in the Douro valley. It also has an aussie connection.  Dominic Morris is head of the winemaking team here, you might know him from his work at Pondalowie in Bendigo.  This wine is a blend of four grapes, Tinta Roriz (Portugese for Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Tourigas Franca and Nacional and sees no wood what so ever.  I drank this with a few friends, and opinions were split: two loved it and asked for a second bottle, the other two liked it but weren't that phased.   I like this a lot.

Dark purple/red in colour, the nose is a bit shy but shows plum and blueberry with some tobacco.  Like drinking velvet, lush tannins, ripe fruit and meaty juby fruit.  In the mouth its open an inviting a red and dark fruit jubes: plum, red currents and blueberry.   There is a cola element with some earthy spice layered over the fruit, but that fruit is the real attraction here.  A Perfect wine for late summer and autumn.   90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $28 Closure: Conventional Cork