Douro
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Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Vintage: 2010
Type: Red Blend
Country: Portugal–Douro
This is a wine that I sampled at the Tesco Wine Fair held at the Royal Horticultural Halls this past autumn. I wasn’t considering buying any Portuguese wines to stock the racks at home but after swirling this wine around and around my glass, it grew on me. This is a perfectly acceptable blend of various regional grapes, appropriate to serve with a basic dinner or selection of cheeses. Tesco describes this wine as, “a deep coloured, rich and warming red wine with aromas of violet and black fruits.” I would not disagree but I do recommend swirling small amounts in your glass for a few minutes in order to encourage aeration. After some minutes, taste it. If it is still highly tannic and a bit sour, just give it a bit more exposure to air.
Technical Review
Appearance
Clear, medium Ruby.
Nose
Clean, with aroma characteristics of flowers (violets, in particular) and dark, black fruits.
Palate
Medium acidity. Strong tannins. Medium body.
Conclusion
Good.
Posted in Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 2010, Douro, Portugal, Tesco's Finest
Saturday, September 10th, 2011
Vintage: 2006
Type: Red Blend
Country: Portugal – Douro
I am generally a fan of Douro table wine, though I was a bit disappointed with this one. The wine has a deep colour, typical of the area and the grapes used (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz.) The flavours of dark berries are evident has hints of pepper with a decent finish.
Posted in Wine, Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 2006, Douro, Portugal, Quinta de la Rosa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, Touriga Nacional
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Vintage: Non-Vintage
Type: Port
Country: Portugal – Douro
Ink black. meant to be served chilled, but tastes excellent at room temperature. Full flavours of blackberries and prunes. Great value for money and an excellent LBV styled port.
Posted in ED Silver Award, Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: Douro, Non Vintage, Noval Black, Port, Porto, Portugal, Quinta do Noval
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Vintage: Non vintage
Type: Tawny Port
Country: Portugal – Douro
This tawny port is quite nice, despite being a younger port. The fruit flavours a well developed, though I find that younger tawny’s taste less refined and elegant. It is a good drinking tawny, and certainly good value for money. Personally, when I have the chance to drink port I prefer a tawny with more panache.
Posted in Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: Douro, Imperial Tawny, Non Vintage, Port, Porto, Portugal, Sandeman, Tawny
Saturday, December 25th, 2010
Vintage: Non vintage
Type: Tawny Port
Country: Portugal – Douro
This tawny port is exceptional. A great heady nose of dried fruits and nuts, caramel and incredible legs. The flavours are smooth and refined with a finish that seems to last forever. One of the best 20yr Tawny’s on the market!
Posted in ED Gold Award, Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 20-year, Douro, Non Vintage, Port, Porto, Portugal, Tawny, Taylor
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Vintage: Non vintage
Type: Tawny Port
Country: Portugal – Douro
This is a great Tawny port. Full of sweet nuts and dried fruits and a great viscosity that creates legs that seem to never end. I find that this tawny is a bit softer and subtle compared to the Taylor’s 20, but it is still exceptional. The only thing that makes me sad about this port is that it is hard to find in the UK!
Posted in ED Gold Award, Wine Fair | 1 Response »
Tags: 20-year, Douro, Fonseca, Non Vintage, Port, Porto, Portugal, Tawny
Sunday, December 5th, 2010
Vintage: 2004
Type: Red Blend
Country: Portugal – Douro
I quite like the table wines that come from the Douro region of Portugal. They tend to be great value for money and taste superb. This one is no exception. The nose is full of deep red fruits, the colour is almost black and the flavours are berries, cherries, plums, hints of cinnamon and cassis.
Posted in Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 2004, Aliança Douro, Douro, Foral, Grande Escolha, Portugal
Friday, October 15th, 2010
Vintage: 1994
Type: Tawny Port – Colheita
Country: Portugal – Douro
This Colheita was very good. A Tawny port made from a single vintage year and set to age for a period of time — in this case 15 years. As to be expected, it falls between a 10 and 20 year old tawny in terms of flavours and complexity. Full of dried fruit and nutty flavours with hints of caramel. Overall quite smooth a good finish.
Posted in Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 1994, Barrão de Forrester, Colheita, Douro, Offley, Port, Porto, Portugal, Tawny
Sunday, October 10th, 2010
Vintage: Non-Vintage
Type: Tawny Port
Country: Portugal – Douro
Overall, a nice Tawny with good flavours of dried fruits and nuts. I found that the complexity was a bit lacking, though I did try it at the same time as a few exceptional 20-year olds and a great Colheita. If you like your Tawny you’ll enjoy this.
Posted in Wine Reviews | No Responses »
Tags: 10-year old, Cálem, Douro, Non Vintage, Port, Porto, Portugal, Tawny
