Tasting - Charme, Douro Red 2005

I had a big expectation with this wine. With a ruby colour, the nose shows a oak aroma at first impact. Passing a few minutes the wine shows a intense matured fruit (blackberrys, cherrys) . On palate i felt, another time, the balance betwen the oak flavours and the fruit mature. I found the right struture with soft tanins. Had a medium/long finnish. The wine didn't show a lot of concentraction ( as a normal douro wine), but, like the name says, is very elegant. A very good wine in a different style. 75€, 94 pts

P.S. The picture is from Charme ´04... :)

Tasting – Quinta do Côa, Douro White 2006

Yesterday was the Carnaval and I took this day to go to the Douro Superior for pruning some vines there, spring is coming fast. After a hard working morning, lunch and time to choose the wine…
The Quinta de Côa belongs to CARM, a wine company which is also known for producing top quality olive oils. Their vineyards are located around the village of Almendra, within the finest area of the Douro Superior. This 06 white is made from the grape varieties, Côdega de Larinho, Rabigato and Gouveio and aged in new French oak barrels.
Light straw yellow colour. Mineral nose, lemon, tropical with hints of pineapple and passion fruit. Attractive mouth feel, citrus, minerality again, freshness, lots of fruit combined with toasty flavours from new oak. Nice acidity with medium finish. Not profound but nice enough and a versatile food wine.
I really liked it, so much so that I drank the full bottle by myself.
Unfortunately, I’ll not buy this wine again. It’s bottled with synthetic corks. I’m Portuguese and proudly protect what is ours. A bottle of wine has to be bottled with corks. Simple as that! For me, Wine is culture, tradition and identity.
Bottom line, no pruning in the afternoon and three hours sleeping before return back to Porto with legal alcohol limit to drive… €8, 90 pts

Tasting - Muxagat, Douro Branco 2004

Well...Saturday night and time to go out for dinner with some friends!
Once again, a typical Portuguese dish...Codfish. :)
For me, Codfish can be appreciated both with red and white wine, so this time we decided to taste a white wine called Muxagat 2004.
This wine, Douro Superior, made with rabigato, codêga and viosinho, 13% vol, with a nice yellow-straw, golden colour, excelent nose, very aromatic with lemon, honey, also some smoked notes and with a elegant cask background also. Once on the mouth, very fresh, balanced, nice acidity and again elegant and well integrated wood, showing a nice barrel work.
With a persistent and equilibrated finale, makes a very nice set!
Drink now or wait a while. 84 pts.

Tasting - Quinta da Castaínça, Grande Escolha Douro Red 2003

It's a blend wine, Touriga Nacional 60%, Touriga Franca 30% and Sousão 10%, fermented in Lagar and aged 12 months in French oak. With dark colour, this wine shows a intense floral aroma, very typical from Touriga, with some red fruit. In the mouth has a light fruit and a intense mark from oak. Not a well balanced wine and missing some concentration/structure typical from a reserve wine. Medium finish. € 14. 78 pts

Tasting – Meandro, Douro Red 2005

This wine, the second brand of the famous Quinta do Vale Meão in the Douro Superior, reached the 64th on the 2007’s top 100 Wine Spectator with 91 pts. Made from 5 grape varieties, 40% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 5% Tinta Barroca & 5% Tinta Amarela. The crush was done in lagar and the fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aged in oak barrels of 2 and 3 years until the bottling in June 2007.
Dark and concentrated colour. Very lovely nose, floral, rosemary, black berries, resin with some hints of smoke and tobacco. Shows all of its youth on the palate, full bodied, powerful flavours of cassis, mint and ripe fruit. The tannins still aggressive, but the good acidity with a pleasing structure backup, gives it a promising future. Medium/Long finish with layers of dark chocolate and spice. Superb QPR! I’ll buy some more of these for sure. €10, 90 pts

Tasting – Churchill’s, Douro Red 2000

Tonight, with a home-made chicken in the hoven, I decided to taste one of Churchill Graham´s first table red wine, the Churchill´s 2000. Made from Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional, with 12% of alcohol content.
This wine said hello to me showing a clean colour with some brown shades, a little bit oxidated and not very deep but slowly sliding down through the side of the glass...
On the nose, mineral notes, also some oak and well rippen fruit making a elegant and complex aroma even if not too expressive. On the mouth I could find a surprising freshness, probably due to the good acidity and firm tanins, but well matured with a good atack and finishing with some bitterness without being unpleasant. A nice wine to drink, but not one of those to save for a special ocasion. Drink it now. 75 pts

Tasting - Redoma, Reserva Douro White 2005

Made by Niepoort, a house with good quality in Douro and Port wines, from very old vineyards, fermented and aged in french oaks, it's a wine with a light gold colour. The nose is intense, with mineral notes and well matured fruit. The palate is complete: good acidity, fruit, mineral notes and a strong cream flavour. Has a very long finish. Excellent wine. €35, 95 Pts

Tasting – Gouvyas Vinhas Velhas, Douro Red 2001

This wine done by Bago de Touriga, a “join-venture” between Luís Soares Duarte and João Roseira, is made from old vineyards in the Douro Superior. The fermentation occurred in lagar and the malolatic in tanks. The wine aged 21 months in new french oak and were produced 3500 bottles without filtration.

Intense colour, nice and concentrated chemical and ripe fruit aromas, mushrooms and blackberries. Good mouth feel, strong fruit well balanced with oak, dark plums, strawberry jam, medium finish. Ready to drink. €30, 90 pts