Tasting of red Douro wines

[AlexR]

This tasting took place at my house a month ago. As with the Burgundy tasting, I was hosting the event so did not focus quite as much attention on my notes as I might have otherwise.
The scores (out of 20) are all my own. What I learned from the tasting is that the overall quality of red Douro wines is very good (there were no duds) and also that the varietal wines fared very well.

FIVE VARIETAL WINES
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1) 2009 Quinta do Portal
Touriga Franca - 13°5
Good purplish color and a nose of chalk and incense. Upfront and fruity on the palate with some cranberry flavors. Gummy texture with good grip and a tangy finish. Rather commercial style.
14

2) 2009 Quinta do Portal
Tinta Roriz - 14°
Nice color and a cosmetic, rather understated nose. Tasty brambly and black cherry flavors on the palate with some tartness.
14 ½

3) 2010 Quinta do Vallado
Touriga Nacional
16 months in barrel - 14°
Striking violet color. Deep, classy bouquet. Soft and elegant on the palate with a polished aftertaste.
15

4) 2010 Quinta da Pacheca
Touriga Nacional
Grande Reserva
14 months in American oak barrels - 14°
Very deep, dark color. Plenty of oak on the nose, along with chocolate and black fruit. This wine definitely tasted like Port without the sweetness and was somewhat overdone.
12 ½

5) 2007 Quinta da Pedra Alta
Tourga Nacional - 14°5
Dark with an intense, lovely nose of candied fruit and sour cherry. Both tart and smooth on the palate, one of the wines that seemed most in balance and suited to food.
15

TWELVE BLENDED WINES
====================

6) 2008 Quinta das Colmaça - 13°5
Great color with a good, but undistinguished nose. Gutsy, virile, rich wine, but lacking in finesse.
13

7) 2008 Quinta dos Poços - 14°5
Fine color with something not quite clean on the nose. Average quality on the palate, but some alcoholic heat on the aftertaste.
12

8) 2008 Quinta Gaivosa
Domingos Alves de Sousa
vines over 80 years old
a blend of 20 indigenous grape varieties - 14.5°
Deep color with a delicate bouquet. Delicious on the palate with sweetish violet and plum overtones. Full, long, silky, rich, and vivacious.
15 ½

9) 2009 Quinta dos Bajanca - 14°5
Purplish color and a nose of currants, tar, and jujube. Simple, but “sweet” and mellow on the palate.
11 ½

10) Quinta dos Pios - 14°5
Very dark color and a suggestion of volatile acidity. Better on the palate though, with strong tannin and a tart finish.
12

11) Roquette & Cazes - 14°
Deep, good color with a slick, aromatic nose. Very deep fruit and violet on the palate (not that I’ve ever eaten violets…).
15

12) 2011 Quinta da Pacheca
Reserva
Old Vines - 15°
Very dark color with oak and chocolate on the nose. Modern international style rather than vin de terroir.
12

13) 2008 Quinta da Pedra Alta
Reserva Pessoal
Production: 2,500 bottles - 15°
Dark and not altogether limpid. Odd celery root overtones on the nose. Big, spicy and peppery on the palate. Tight and needs to age for a long time.
12

14) 2007 « Duas Quintas »
Reserva
Ramos Pinto
(Quintas Ervamoir et dos Bons Ares) - 15°
Dark color and a subtle, somewhat jammy nose. Lively and soft on the palate with good grip and a granular aftertaste. Attractive now, though will age well.
14 ½

15) 2009 Charme
Niepoort - 14°
Medium-deep color with watery rim. Earthiness on the nose and a medley of red and black fruit flavours on the palate. Very good.
14

16) 2009 Quinta do Noval
Very dark color with a fine spicy bouquet. Big on the palate with waves of flavour. Great potential for this well-made wine.
15

17) 2009 Quinta de Gaivosa
Vinha de Lordelo
Domingos Alves de Sousa
vines over a hundred years old
30 native grape varieties - 14°5
Very dark color and and an elegant nose. Well-integrated oak and classic development on the palate. Excellent representative of what the Douro can do.
16 ½

Best regards,
Alex R.

[jmccready]

I love the lively fruit flavors from these varieties. There seems to be reliable quality here-just what we need, one more wine to add to the buying list. JM

[DavidG]

Nice report. Other than Port, I don't think I've ever tried a red Douro,

[Tom In DC]

Some of the dry reds from the port houses are very good for the money - Calvert Woodley sells Dow's dry red every year (Vale do Bomfim?) and it's really good for $10 or so.