Quinta de Ventozelo tasting

Tasting of a series of interesting Duoro wines with Pedro Silva Reis of the winery

• 2008 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Q.V. 88 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Blend of six native Duoro grapes, with 20% Viosinho dominant, along with a liberal splash of Muscat. Very aromatic nose, full of white flowers, some dried grassy herbs, and a schist and oyster shell like minerality. Rather different on the palate, very dry, with acidity almost a little sharp on the tongue without food, flavours of lemons and limes and some spice and herb at the finish. I thought I detected just that tiny bit of heat in there. Otherwise, a lighter-bodied, refreshing wine that went very nicely with calamari. Very good for what is supposed to be the entry-level showing.

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• 2008 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Branco 87 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Very unsual white blend this. 50% traditional Duoro grapes, another 50% new-barrel fermented Semillion. I actually thought that the lower-end and very consumer friendly QV fared rather better. Pretty intense nose on this wine, with gentle vanilla tones unfurling to show white fruit, shell-fish and chalk minerals and some spicy toastiness. Full-bodied and creamy on the palate, with plenty of sappy white fruit, again some agressive spice and toast, especially moving into the slightly hot finish, and a strong sense of structure and acid. Still very young this and, while drinkable, not immediately appealing. Needs food too.

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• 2008 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Q.V. 88 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinto Roriz. I feared this would be a modern monstrosity on first sniff, as it gave a first impression of sweet, sticky fruit. Much better on second view though - showing some earth and pepper, along with more toned-down, but still deeply aromatic fruit, like preserved prunes and soft plummy scents. Very plush on the palate - micro-oxygenation said the winemaker - along with fresh acidity and a little velvet-textured grip bringing some balance to more deep plum and prune flavours. There was a distinctly Chianti like tomato lilt to this, with the ripple of freshness working its way through the darker fruits, suggesting that it would pair well with a whole variety of foods. Finish was decent too, with a touch of heat, but otherwise interesting mineral, spice and raisin notes. with This is just what you want from an entry level wine - yummy enough, interesting enough, some structure and good balance.

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• 2005 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Tinto 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Yummy. Lovely aromatics on the nose, with spice and briary earthm along with deep plum flavours, some mahogany and a layer of buttery vanilla. While not the most complex, the palate was every bit as attractive, with a sense of nobility added by fine, plush tannins and plenty of depth in its prune and raisin notes. Finish was nice, round and long, with more of that raisiny seam and a dash of spice. All very nicely integrated and wrapped together, lovely balance too. A wine with quite a bit of character and drinking beautifully now. Nice effort.

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• 2005 Quinta de Ventozelo Touriga Nacional Douro 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Every bit as enjoyable as the red blend, with perhaps more character. Nose had dar kcherry compote, raspberry jam and blackberry jam and roesmary laden herbs. Deeply aromatic without the slightly confected sweetness of the entry-level wine. Palate showed fine powdery tannins arrayed under lots of charming blackberry fruit sprinkled with spice. Lots of sappy weight here - especially at the strong midpalate. There was a bit of herby bitterness at the finish, but plenty of raisiny charm along its impressive length to balance that out. A really interesting, enjoyable wine.

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• 2005 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Tinto Reserva 91 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  I actually liked this quite a bit. The nose was the deepest and lushest of those we had tried so far, with plenty of complexity in its chocolate, coffee bean, and vanilla tones wed to rosemary, thyme and sage herbs. Lovely sense of finesse and focus on the palate as well, with lots of clean balance along with slightly teeth-coating, powdery tannins adding grip to an interesting spectrum of dark fruits - berries, prunes and raisins. Brought a smile to my face. Nice round finish as well - with more raisins and sultanas lingering for awhile in the mouth. No pretense here, just a delicious, well-balanced wine with quite a bit of character.

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