Douro Blend
Niepoort Ruby Port
Ruby Port is considered to be the lowest level of the Port tree, but there are some good ones out there. Its called ruby port because it is usually stored in a way that prevents oxygen contact, and therefore keeps its colour better than a tawny port which is aged in oak. The result is generally a very sweet wine that has very dark, almost black, colour and plenty of fruit character.
Quinta Vale D. Maria LBV 2003
It feels like winter has come early in Melbourne this year, the mornings are bellow 5 degrees and the nights are cold. Not that its a bad thing, its perfect port weather.
Quinta do Noval Maria Mansa 2005
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 [...]
Cedro do Noval 2004
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 [...]
Quinta do Vallado 2005
I had a bottle of this wine back in September, at the time I loved the nose but thought the palate was a bit flat. This time around I had the wine in a blind line-up of 3 bottles to see if anything had changed. This is my note and score from the tasting.
Deep [...]
Quinta do Crasto ‘Crasto’ 2006
Another quick note. I've stolen GW's good work with the "Other Vintages" tag until I come up with something better. So you can get all the info on the wine from the my first write up.
2006 is looking quite good for the Douro so far, the 2005s are undoubtedly excellent however. A whole raft are [...]
Niepoort Late Bottled Vintage Port 2001
So what is an Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) port I hear you ask? Well basically, its a vintage port that is left in the barrel past the normal 2.5 years. Historically, it was left if barrel because an order had been cancelled or there was a lack of demand for that vintage. They usually stay in barrel [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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