Sometimes my quest to taste 100 different grape varieties is, well, uninspiring. After all, there is probably a good reason why many of these varietals are rare, right? Well, a totally different story tonight as I knocked off number 98 and 99 on my list and sipped one of the most compelling wines I have tasted in 2008...The 2003 Quinta do Vale Meão (Duoro) was tantalizing on the nose - tomato sauce, bing cherries, spicy cedar and green pepper at first, later some wet slate, jammy fruit, cocoa, vanilla and cloves. Gorgeous mouthfeel and texture - a healthy dose of acidity combined with crisp, dense berry fruit and velvety tannins for a finish that went on for minutes. A blend of Portuguese varietals: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 18+/20
Price: C$59 (LCBO)
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12 comments:
Nice! I bought a bottle of this a while ago for a special occasion. High end portuguese wine can be breathtaking.
And I can't believe you only paid $55 for that. I don't even think it is that cheap in the US.
Hi Shea - never had the really high end stuff, but I have had more this year than in any previous and I like what I am seeing at all price points. I just checked - it was $59 from an LCBO special order 2.5 years ago.
Wow, it's going for $90 here now. I recommend checking out the single vineyard bottlings from Quinta do Crasto - amazing stuff.
Joe, you didn't mention that this was how you were going to be closing out your century. Wow! Your descriptors make it sound exactly like my kind of wine - that quasi-Loire tomato, spice and green pepper - but then I got to the price line and $60, even if it is a bargain, is some serious Portuguese wine territory and I am going to have to start my own century effort to earn this kind of reward! Do you remember what you had with it?
(Quinta do Crasto I love in 05, by the way, but I haven't had the reserve which is 06 here.)
Where did you say you checked where you bought the Vale Meao? I can't find any traces of it at the lcbo.com site. Are you saying it was a Spring 06 release and that was it?
Marcus - hard to call it a Loire, as there is jammier fruit here, but intriguing notes on the nose. This was actually opened simply to drink - two of my wine group were over and I wanted to surprise them with something they would never buy (they have all the good/expensive stuff, so I have to be quirky). Funny you should mention the Crasto - bought the "Crasto" (low end bottling?) at the LCBO last week and it was delicious - will look for that here. As for the price, I bought it in a special release, you won't find it on the web site, sold out long ago...
Shea - the single vineyard bottlings are not here yet, will look for those. Not surprised by the price, I think this wine got some good ratings in one of the mags.
Marcus - Crasto Reserve is 20$ - is that the same as the one at LCBO for $15?!
Joe - this is bad news all around.
No more Vale Meao 03 to be had.
And I thought I was taking the quirky route to making a favourable impression by serving you Portuguese wine last time you were over. Damn - guess not!
[grumble]
Meanwhile the Crasto connection at the LCBO does seem to be good news. Thanks for the info - will try to investigate.
Fear not, Marcus - one more bottle in my cellar - I will try to keep it for you. What's with the grumble? You got me excited about Portuguese...not sure if the LCBO Crasto is the same you are looking for, but it was good at that price.
Hi Joe - that was my rude response.
Here's a great white that is reminiscent of Montelena or some of the nice ones we tasted together recently:
Caparzo Le Grance (Toscana) 2004
You might have already seen it in Bill's column. It is quite exceptional at only $25.
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