Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

Just to say I’ve posted my full report of my visit earlier this month to meet with the Douro Boys here.

It features tasting notes of new releases (2008 whites, 2007 reds and ports) and a report of vertical tastings with each of the famous five – Quintas do Vallado,  do Crasto, do Vale Dona Maria, do Vale Meao and Niepoort.  The highlights are too many to mention so I’ll content myself with some overview observations:

• 2008, terrific for whites and, based on a few barrel samples, some exciting reds in the pipeline;
• 2007 elegant, intense lifted red wines and ports;
• 2001, 2004, 2005 – my standout vintages of the verticals together with 2007.

I also summarise the results of a fascinating tasting of 2007 vintage ports 3 ways organised by Dirk Niepoort who, with others, is concerned about writers scoring vintage ports on the back of snapshot tastings – as he puts, “it’s port not whisky, it’s alive”.  Interesting to look at this with my report of two previews of the 07s in London in May this year.

All best

Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective