Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

It’s International Port Day today (click here for details).  Ironically, I’m in the throes of packing my bags for the International Cool Climate Conference in Tasmania!  But I didn’t want the day to pass without a word on Port, a unique wine style from one of the most exciting wine regions in the world, the Douro, Portugal.

Now just in case your eyebrows raised at the mention of exciting in the same sentence as Port, trust me, there are plenty of Port-related developments in the Douro.  From a viticultural and vinicultural perspective, Fladgate’s Head Winemaker/Technical Director David Guimaraens nails it when he says “the Douro is the New World of the Old World.”

Laser guided bulldozers, infra-red technology and robotic lagares are just a few of the gizmoes that are rocking this momentous, mountainous region.  The quality of today’s bright fruited, perfumed Ports has never been better.   Nor has it been so stylistically varied.

Given all this excitement, far from being in decline, premium Port producers are on the rise.  New kids on the block include Pintas (Wine & Soul), Quinta da Gaivosa (Alves de Sousa), Quinta do Vallado, Quevedo, Duorum, Quinta de S.Jose (Joao Brito e Cunha), Conceito.  Below are my notes on some new new releases which impressed (new and established names).

Click here, here and here for previous notes on some terrific 2009 and 2008 vintage Ports from long established names (Symington, Fladgate, Niepoort, Noval), some of which, tasted again more recently, are reviewed once more below.

And with thanks to Roy Hersh of Fortheloveofport, who gave me the heads up, Port lovers take note of a new website BooksaboutPort which does what it says on the virtual tin.  More actually.  Dedicated to books about Port, founder Derek Turnbull whom I recently met at Niepoort has summarised the contents of his extensive (rare and aged) collection.  He’s also responsible for the reprieve of Port wine news website Infoportwine, a really useful resource on latest releases, tastings, awards, statistics, Douro tourism projects etc etc, which continues the good work of Elly and Herman Gerdingh.

Finally, if you’d like to engage in some Port banter, check out the International Port Day website here for news of events and tweet ups (#PortDay, @wineorigins).

Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port 2009

A very muscular, concentrated and compact Port, its firm clasp of tannins thus far only moderately fleshed out by sweet milk chocolate laced raspberry, black berry and currant fruit.  But there’s real depth to be mined.  Very good indeed;, great balance too.

Wine & Soul Pintas Vintage Port 2009

This inky, pitch black wine really pulls you in with its densely concentrated but vivid, coal-edged, small black currant and berry fruit supported by very polished but present balancing tannins.  As it opens in the glass it shows hints of violets and an underlying minerality.  Imposing; old vine heft suggests it’ll be a keeper.

Ramos Pinto Single Quinta Vintage Ervamoira Port 2009

Deeply coloured, this is a densely layered wine, chiselled with schist ‘n slate minerals which, together with a firm if fine frame of tannins, keeps its velvety dark, chocolatey fruit in check.  Heady gingerbread spice follows through on a long, involving finish.  Very good.  A little more yielding than the Pintas, but still terrifically concentrated – very Douro Superior in its velvety dark, spiciness.  (Tasted at the same time, the 2007 is similarly mineral, with dark chocolate and fruit, but much more floral – a hallmark of the milder summer/early autumn).

Ramos Pinto 30 Year Old Tawny Port

This so floated my boat when I tasted it last November that I wrote it up the day afterwards.  I make no excuses for mentioning it again today given its International Port Day!  Sweet mirin and savoury liquorice on the nose tickle the taste buds.  In the mouth it’s long, fluid and harmonious with plenty of depth and layer to its nam pla and spice edged tamarind fruit.  A long, long nutty but fruity, fleshy finish resonates with spice – liquorice, carraway and aniseed.  Wonderful precision and layer.

Churchill Quinta da Gricha Vintage Port 2009

Tasted in late November, this looked a touch firmer and grippier than my first tasting in April.  It shows esteva as well as flourishes of parma violets to its sour plum and concentrated dark cherry fruit which cleave tightly to its firm backbone of tannins.  Concentrated and very flavoursome.

Quinta de la Rosa Vintage Port 2009

Very deeply coloured, with a tight schistous nose, this is a drier style with an (attractive) stalky edge to its tight knit blackcurrant fruit and ramrod straight tannins.  Long and firm, with hints of dried violets, spicy gingerbread and earth.  Elegantly concentrated, linear style; good freshness.

Niepoort Vintage Port 2009

Very deeply coloured but bright and sumptuous with sweet ripe red and black cherries, briar and raspberry, dark chocolate, violets and esteva hints.  Since I last tasted it in March and April, the velvet glove has slipped just a bit (as with others previously tasted – the Pintas and Churchills), revealing a touch more iron first, here in the form of a very long (stretch limo long), firm chassis of tannins which draws out the fruit over a super long finish.

Niepoort Vintage Port Bioma 2008

Aged in smaller wood, its bright blue and black berry and currant perfumed fruit is exceptionally polished, fluid and very focused.  Wondrous florality brings plenty of lift, though the fruit is well anchored by very firm, mouth cleaving tannins, more pronounced than I remember when I tasted it in March.  Like the first vintage (called Pisca, after the vineyard), it’s a very singular wine as befits a Single Quinta Port.

Quinta do Vallado Adelaide Vintage Port 2009

This is a maiden release and, so the press release goes, “for the very first time since the recorded founding of the winery in 1716, Quinta do Vallado has declared a Vintage Port”  (previously the estate’s fruit went into the Ferreira brand).” With 40% young Touriga Nacional estate fruit (from the slightly cooler, wetter Baixo Corgo sub-region) and old vine fruit from the Douro Superior, it’s an intense but relatively upfront, elegant style, with cool, peppery, lifted violet and damask notes as well as spicy liquorice to its dark berry and cherry fruit.

Quinta do Vallado Tawny Port 10 Year Old

A hint of mouthwatering nam pla to the nose adds a savoury dimension to its brown sugar sweet accents.  In the mouth, it’s delicately yet intensely nutty, with toasted and smoked almonds, barley sugar and spun sugar to its lingering finish.  Lovely.

Quinta do Vallado Tawny Port 20 Year Old

Much paler than the 10 year old and, as you’d expect, its patina of age is reflected in a drier/more savoury palate with walnuts, nam pla, liquorice and an aniseed spine to its barley sugar and demerera-edged dried fruits.  The finish is well balnaced, with fresh acidity.

Quinta do Crasto Finest Reserve

This maiden release is Crasto’s new entry level and very smooth, upfront and delicious it is too with its dark chocolate edged peppery round plum fruit, raisins and supple tannins.  The aim is more firmly to position Crasto as a Port brand and next month sees the release of Crasto’s first Colheita (1997)

Quinta do Crasto Vintage 2009

Dark, deep fruited and brooding with rich, glossy, chocolatey tannins supporting its svelte black and baked cherry and plum fruit, gingerbread and bergamot.  Hedonistic, very ripe style.

Quinta Vale D. Maria 2009 Vintage Port

Deep but bright in hue and tightly coiled with mouth-coating tannins, so seemingly quite fiery at the moment, with low slung black currant and cherry fruit yet to open up, though it has violet and lavender top notes aplenty.   Very concentrated; lots of potential.

Andresen Vintage 2009

Rich, bright fruit with a dark chocolate edge is firmly supported by a backbone of tannins; good acidity makes for a peristent if tight finish, a little lean just now, with violet lift. Showing a little spirit now.  Needs time to flesh out but promising.

Andresen Colheita 1998

Youthful reddish glints and a youthful, very well balanced, fruity palate, well, fruit and nut, with a delicious soft sugared almond quality.  Already appealing mellow.

Joao Brito e Cunha Quinta S. Jose Single Quinta Vintage Port 2009

This maiden vintage is  relatively medium-bodied, which makes it elegant, approachable drinking now (though it’s bound to close up in a year or two).  Leafy edged and linear with a dark chocolate undertone to its succulent blackcurrant and raspberry palate.

Quinta da Gaivosa Ruby Special Reserve Port

Really liked this poised and charming entry level Port.  Bouncy fruit but elegant in delivery – very smooth and well balanced – with baked cherry, plum and milk chocolate.

Quinta da Gaivosa Tawny Special Reserve

A very naughty but nice sweet and upfront entry level tawny with rich, supple palate of dried fruits, nuts, buttered popcorn, kid glove leather and soft demerara.   Moreish.

Quinta da Gaivosa Vintage Port 2008

This elegant, linear, slightly stalky (in a good way) Vintage Port has a real sense of the cooler Baixo Corgo about it.   Well-defined, animated blackcurrant fruit is juicy and succulent; tannins are ripe but present.  Neither big nor showy but well balanced, it’s for mid-term drinking.