pours a lovely dark opaque purple. big fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, plum. secondary notes of tobacco, chocolate, damp forest. on the palate, the same as well as a pleasant crisp note of cranberry makes an appearance. the balance here, impressive. tannin and acidity follow through on the finish with a really nice sweetness that hovers. wow. i've been slowly working through these for 9 years and this one is the best showing yet. highly recommended.
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Last tasted in 2017. Much better now. Really very good. No formal tasting note. Fruit is well integrated and mellow, lots of secondary notes. I imagine this will hold up for quite some time.
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This has always been one of my favorite Portuguese wine but the 2007 vintage doesn't seem quite as good as previous vintages. Pulled from cellar and let stand for a week before serving. Dark deep purple color. Palate initially dominated by oak but settled to become more balanced about an hour later with dark fruits and plum. Tannins fully integrated, medium finish. In drinking window now but can store for about 5 more years but I'm not sure it'll get much better. Drink now.
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Very big wine that builds across the palate to a very punchy and rich finish. Nice acidity to help balance the 14.5% alcohol in this wine. A little over-the-top for my taste. Tannins are starting to become integrated. Much more fruit (rich dark berry) than forest in flavor, with secondary flavors still somewhat lacking. Still showing its oak.
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This is an amazing wine. Very subtle notes of pepper and chocolate. Long refined smooth finish with all the subtlety of age and experience. Deep colour.
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Pretty dark red and smells of creamy oak. This has the richness that I associate with 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape. The wine is big and creamy so you can see why it got big points from Parker. A tad bit of heat from the 14.5 abv. I would like this more if the oak influence was less.
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consistent with other notes. drinking well now but I say no rush to drink this - i think it will likely develop further with time over the next 10 years.
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Bought recently, at a local wine shop. The cork crumbled. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour, turning garnet towards the edges. It offered dark fruit, dark cherry, dark chocolate, spices, anise and liquorice on the nose and palate, with medium-level acidity, fine, medium-plus tannin, a good mouthfeel and good to very good length. This full-bodied red had good concentration and complexity and should continue to age well. We liked it; I wish I had more. Drink now and over the next ten to fifteen years.
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Well-rounded wine. Look for complex aroma containing wildberries, vanilla and cedar. A full body wine that has rich mouth feel, balanced acidity and integrated tannin. Overall length falls short than expected from a wine with such a good/solid structure.
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Four years since my last bottle and it is still largely intact. The color is deep and dark ruby, throwing a little sediment. A little softer bouquet now, and based on my sense of the structure being limited, the palate is probably cruising at peak altitude for a few more years before descending. Enjoyable with a wide range of cuisine.
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Decanted 2 hours, consumed the following 3. This had massive amounts of oak dominating the nose and palate. It did blow off some, but still overshadowed the fruit on the nose and palate. Fruit that is now starting to slowly shedding it's baby fat. I am concerned about how dominating that vanilla oak is, as I don't see it subsiding enough to allow the aging fruit to show what it has. It was still a decent bottle but I would recommend drinking sooner rather than later. I don't see it getting better from here. 88 Points
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My last bottle of this and it is still going strong. It is continuing to show a fruit-forward style but more elegant than in its youth. Not sure how long this will keep on shining or if there is more complexity around the corner but this drinks so well at the moment.
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This is a big and bold Douro red that could have used a bit more time in the cellar to become more interesting. Very good, but perhaps a bit too fruity and polished for my taste. A whiff of port wine on day two, but otherwise the aromatics were dominated by ripe red fruits and chocolate.
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D+0h: some deposit in the filter and the bottle, smells of currant D+3h: purple red, has a portwine nose, smells of raspberry, eucalyptus and maybe some minerality, full body, the 14,5 % alc. are well integrated, has also a nice dash of residual sugar without being too sweet, smooth in the mouth (the tanins, if there are any left, are quite round), in the mouth raspberry, in the aftertaste raspberry and acidity, quite long finish (30+ seconds), a tasty Douro red, but I had expected more complexity
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Fabulous! A unique wine. Seems almost disjointed at first and any specific varietal notes are hard to find (which makes sense given . Tough to match with food unless you are in Portugal. Medium to full body with cassis, caramel, and dark berry flavours. Incredibly balanced and complex with subtle tannins and a long finish. Last bottle boo hoo!
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Tett og mørk. Ganske bløt frukt, veldig god konsentrasjon. Greit med friskhet, men savner spenst. Litt kladdete avslutning. Skogsbæryoghurt, blå plommer, vanilje, krydder. Bra vin, men ikke helt for meg. Topp til vilt, sikkert. Ikke tapt seg noe dag to. 88p.
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Still going strong. Fruit is beautiful and after one or two hours of decant some mature notes are appearing (forest floor) together with some herbs. All in all a fantastic wine at the moment. It should last for another few years given the solid structure with plenty of soft tannins still at play.
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Really gorgeous bottle at this point. A fair bit of sediment, so make sure you decent. Fine, silky tannins that compliment plum and dark cherry. Drinking well, but you can hold for a few more years with no problem.
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Plum and cherry fruit, with strong nutmeg spice, graphite, smoke, balsamic vinegar, deep attractive cocoa, and a long finish. This is quite nice.
Some people compare these Douro wines to Bordeaux and the flavor profiles are similar, but this wine doesn’t have the canopy of subtle flavors that the nicest Bordeaux wines have. This is a nice wine for $50, but I would rather pay $75 for the subtle nuances of a good Bordeaux. I would prefer to compare this wine to a Spanish Tempranillo, maybe a Ribera del Duero – same river after all – than a Bordeaux. Especially on day 3, I noted more balsamico flavor profiles (chocolate, exotic spices, sandalwood, laurel) that reminded me of Tempranillo. I’m not sure how much Tinta Roriz (Douro’s Tempranillo) is in this Old Vine Blend (Crasto’s web site says there are up to 30 grape varietals in it), but, to me, it tasted like it had solid amount of Tempranillo.
The wine needed a good 1 hour with cork off before it was ready to drink. This one definitely drank better out of the Hermitage glass than the Vinum Bordeaux glass. It drank fine on day 3 (I missed day 2).
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wow wow wow. what a great wine. beautifully dark in colour but not a fruit bomb but a well executed pkg of dark fruit, rounded out nicely with a solid back bone of tannins with a great silky feel. very very impressed with this. was not a Portuguese wine fan before this.
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I absolutely love this wine! A few bottle years has brought this into a gorgeous bottle. Ruby red in color with a enchanting nose of red fruits and spice. Succulent fruit with touches of sour cherry and lush strawberry. I all my bottles were as good as this, I would likely be dead and in heaven. What a nice treat on a cold winter night.
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Drinking really well. Sure wish I had more of this. Opened about an hour before drinking. Opened up nicely. Nose a bit muted but smooth, sweet fruit. A nice long finish capped it off. A very nice wine.
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Decanted for an hour and was best after 2. Dark sweet fruit on the palate with a long finish. This was amazing on its own but not as much with roast organic chicken. Better after diner where it showed really well. Will continue to improve over the next few years but good to go now with some air. Would probably drink on its own next time or with cheese after the meal.
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Needs a good 90-120 minute decant. Opens up nicely thereafter. Consumed with beef and rice. Not as good on the second evening though. 89-90 This remains one of the best value reds available in the UK (or one of many overpriced bottles in the duty free in Porto's airport).
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Hazy notes from last night. Nice deep nose with a fairly complex medium-full bodied palate, with mainly red fruits and tar. A little sweet fruit on the end of the palate. As always, a nice wine and fairly good QPR (A-).
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this wine is a bold douro wine. fruit driven, spicy with supple and well integrated tannins. Decanted for 2.5 hrs before first sip, showed nose of dark plums, berries and licorine. on the palate it showed all of its complexity and silkness. I would wait 1-2 yrs before uncorking another one. i am sure it still can improve from some more cellaring.
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Could not keep by hands off this. It is such a supple and great wine. Decant for at least 2 hours at the moment. Will try to wait one year + for next try.
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1h decant. This is still fruit driven but the tannins are softening. Approaching maturity. Balance is perfect. Super stuff that will be interesting to follow during the next 5-10 years. Next bottle in 2 years.
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Zwart fruit, mokka, kruiden en luxe hout in de geur, een echte snuffelwijn. Goede concentratie, vol en rond. Zachte, afgeronde tannines, mediumlang tot lange afdronk.
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Followed the bottle over 3 days open. Dark and radiant ruby color, about 70% opaque. Clear, medium speed legs. Wonderful mix of flowers, baby powder, cut lumber, and sweet spices on the nose. Light to medium bodied, big and powerful palate of crushed dark berries and stony white fruit with plenty of hints at Portuguese origin, ie. a feeling of VP sweetness and flavors. But it stays very dry with the help of some long, and as of yet, un-integrated tannins. Alcohol is certainly high, but not to the point of being out of balance. Another two or three years and this should be really singing. 5+12+17+8= 92
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Excellent with lots of structure and depth. A bit of a food wine. Big tannin and acid to go with nice berry fruit, tobacco, and earth. Decant. This should last some time. 91-92.
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Big and fruit-driven with ripe plums and spice. Perhaps leaning a bit too much towards a new-world side but this backed off from being jammy. Good structure and length.
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Decanted for ~1h. Drinks fantastic right now. Plenty of fruit without getting jammy. Very smooth and with a refreshing acidity. Will it be better in a few years??
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Cor cereja, aroma finos com madeira bem integrada. Elegante com estilo. Em boca tem personalidade, talvez com final curto. Nao é uma boa relaçao qualidade / preço mas é um bom Douro. Pronto a beber.
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I had one bottle of this right when I was first learning about wine and really liked it. I've now come back to it with much more tasting experience and was n-o-t impressed. Hot and turpentine-volatile, with overripe purple fruit. Some aggressive tannin too. Reminds me of a gross El Nido I once had. I'll buy another to see whether this is bottle variation or just an unpleasant wine.
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App: dark, dark red Aroma: dark fruit with hints of dried fruit. Chocolate, vanilla and oak. Full-bodied with good acidity and firm tannins. Dark fruit with hints of dried fruit, chocolate and vanilla on the palate. Quite oaky, but with fruit to carry it. Very good length with a slightly bitter finish. -Nice!
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Had without decanting and then let the rest sit. Pop and pour this is a different wine entirely. It needs time in the bottle or at least an hour decanting before it begins to open up. More notes of cherry and blackberry and is a very big wine.
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Wow! This wine is complex, fruity, elegant, delicious, drinking well now but will cellar well also. Black fruits and baking spices on the nose translate to the palate with hints of black licorice and very slight smoky oak notes. Silky silky silky. We drank this at a steakhouse after decanting for 2 hours then recanting. It went up against big boy Cali cabs and zins that cost 2 to3 times as much and was a far and away the fAvorite on the table. It didn't last long :). Glad I was able to find some more to put on the shelf.
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Old World and new world colide. This has black licorice and black cherry on the nose. The balance is superb and the wine is very much a big player. The palate shows that this wine is full on serious. Blackberry fruit, coupled with good secondary flavors and a significantly long finish. This dances all over the palate. A real winner and a great showing. This wine drinks well now but can be put down for years. Tasted after a 3 hour decant.
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I wonder if some of the ratings aren't biased due to this being a portuguese wine vs. If it were french or italian. This is a fabulous wine with a dark berry frame but with a great sense of balance and elegance. Drinking very well at the moment bit will certainly last.
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This is an elegant fruit bomb (decanted for 3 hours). I made a chili and was looking through my wines for something that may work. This was fabulous. I make chili with 3 or 4 different dried varieties of chili with different characters. Slightly sweet raisin, slightly smooky or aromatic plum but none of them hot. The match turned out extremely well. This wine has oak that is just right, there is lots of fruit without getting too sweet. The balance is perfect. Perhaps it will be more complex in a few years but it is great now.
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Fantastic wine - drank this at the famous Antonio's restaurant in Macau. Lots of fresh berries and a hint of oak. Elegant is a word that comes to mind. Everyone at the table loved this wine.
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Certainly not as stunning as the '04, but fabulous nonetheless - Dark purple, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, cherry, raisin, spice and vanilla, early, but good balance, interesting, smooth as silk, dry on the palate with terrific length (92 Points).
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Nose - Redcurrent, rasberry, ample fruit. Nice nose. Palette - Medium full body. Redcurrent. Abit of complexity. Some tannins. 90 to 91 on openning. Tannins receded abit on 2nd day. 92 by 2nd day. A generally well made wine. Good QPR. Only negative - not much delicacy.
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Tight upon opening, tannins were very forward. Opened up and softened over the 6 hours it was consumed. Lots of black fruit, velvety texture. Almost like a port without the sweetness. Excellent QPR. Hold remaining bottles for 2 years and drink until 2017-2018?
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Really inviting nose. Very suave in the mouth with great texture, but with obviously European structure. Really has a lot going on. Excellent finish with waves of fruit and some grippy tannins and solid acidity to keep it all focused. Still quite young, but impressive and suprisingly drinkable. Really deserves at least 5 years in the cellar. Is this the greatest Crasto Old Vines Reserva ever made? It's certainly possible. This rivals the 2004, and I suspect that it's better. If you don't have this in your cellar then you need to get some. Excellent QPR for a wine of this high quality. Great fruit. Great structure. Great wine!
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Reminds one of a rich fruity Bordeaux, but Portuguese style and without all the funk. Tested on well-aired bottle, about 3 hrs. Alluring nose of deep dark berry fruit and floral and hints of smoke/licorice. In the mouth heavenly blend of savory dusty ripe deep red fruit with a metal wrapper. Finishes with drying tannin at the front of the mouth. This was excellent. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium plus.
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Tested from a preservation machine. Alluring nose of creamy vanilla cake and dark red fruit and perfume with notes of warm spice (e.g. cinnamon) and hint of earth (dust). Well-balanced in the mouth with tasty red berry and dark cherry fruit in a noticeable earthy wooden envelope with hints of the warm spices. Fruity and a bit watery but quite pleasant in the finish. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium minus.
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Stunning, heavy, smooth with a long, long finish that I can still taste 60 minutes after my last sip. So powerful but very drinkable now. 1 hour decant with strawberries and cream.
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I didn't decant this prior to drinking and at 2-hours in this is starting to pull together nicely. One thing I noticed early on was how more restrained the fruit was and how much more acidity there was compared to prior vintages. Early on the oak was a bit too prominent but 2-hours later it has really integrated and subsided as the fruit has become more expressive. While there is plenty of cherries, some tar, and spices from the oak, with some vanilla showing up late, what I am most taken by is the minerality, the freshness, and the length of the finish this has compared to prior vintages. Not to mention all that acidity that should lend this to being a long lived wine. This is a slight departure in style from recent vintages, with their largeness, yet one of the finest Reserva's since the 2004, if not better. I think I need to open a 2004 to compare side by side..... 93-94 Points
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This is just a baby but still drinking very well now. The 05 took two years to soften up. 2007 was a declared vintage in port which means it is an excellent year. The nose is of deep dark fruits and spicy notes,almost syrah like. The palate is lush spicy yet smooth and a liitle tart. This will smooth out in a year or two and could go up a point or two. Great QPR at $37. I'm glad I scored a case.
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Popped this to share with a friend who had not tried this wine before. No shortage of fruit, that's for sure. Deep, intense berry pie nose. Powerful and dense wine. Incredible structure. I may be under-rating this (if I can hold on to a few bottles for 10 years, we'll see). This is a very well-made wine from a great Douro vintage. How could it be wrong?
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Dark red. Blackberry, and oak. Lots of fruit but not too much else. Doesn't really open up that much despite the waiter pouring the wine through one of those Vinturi things. I think that may have hurt more then it helped. needs years to come into it's own. Drink the 06 for instant gratification not this one.
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Tightly closed-in. Some hints of what's in store. Possibly entering a slighly dumb phase. Still indications of rich, brambley fruit in there, along with a remarkably silky palate. But this needs time. Plenty of time. The rest of my case is now going away until 2012-2015 or so.
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Deep, rich color matched by depth and length of flavor of this wine. From the Douro region, it's what a fine port would taste like without the sugar. Will only get even better with age.
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10/18/2022 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking so well 😁🍷
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6/23/2021 - Rickets wrote: 93 Points
drinking really well. no hurry to drink.
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4/15/2021 - mouki Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome, great fruit and some nice acidity, held up well to the Cinghale tortelini.
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2/3/2021 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 94 Points
pours a lovely dark opaque purple. big fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, plum. secondary notes of tobacco, chocolate, damp forest. on the palate, the same as well as a pleasant crisp note of cranberry makes an appearance. the balance here, impressive. tannin and acidity follow through on the finish with a really nice sweetness that hovers. wow. i've been slowly working through these for 9 years and this one is the best showing yet. highly recommended.
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11/27/2020 - signotim wrote: 88 Points
overripe on night 1, better balance of flavors on night 2
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9/8/2020 - Rickets wrote: 94 Points
Last tasted in 2017. Much better now. Really very good. No formal tasting note. Fruit is well integrated and mellow, lots of secondary notes. I imagine this will hold up for quite some time.
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7/8/2020 - Stevey wrote: 90 Points
This has always been one of my favorite Portuguese wine but the 2007 vintage doesn't seem quite as good as previous vintages. Pulled from cellar and let stand for a week before serving. Dark deep purple color. Palate initially dominated by oak but settled to become more balanced about an hour later with dark fruits and plum. Tannins fully integrated, medium finish. In drinking window now but can store for about 5 more years but I'm not sure it'll get much better. Drink now.
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11/7/2019 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very big wine that builds across the palate to a very punchy and rich finish. Nice acidity to help balance the 14.5% alcohol in this wine. A little over-the-top for my taste. Tannins are starting to become integrated. Much more fruit (rich dark berry) than forest in flavor, with secondary flavors still somewhat lacking. Still showing its oak.
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3/24/2019 - PeterSM Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is an amazing wine. Very subtle notes of pepper and chocolate. Long refined smooth finish with all the subtlety of age and experience. Deep colour.
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2/23/2019 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep dark colour in the glass. Loads of fruit on this one. Decently smooth. Weight seemed a bit disjointed vs the powerful finish
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8/10/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Terrific bottle. Finally it has become harmonious. The oak was fully integrated with lovely underlying fruit. A tiny bit of heat on the finish.
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9/29/2017 - Rickets wrote: 90 Points
a little heavy on the oak at this point - day 2 was much better. will hold my remaining 6 bottles for another few years and hope for the best
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8/24/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pretty dark red and smells of creamy oak. This has the richness that I associate with 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape. The wine is big and creamy so you can see why it got big points from Parker. A tad bit of heat from the 14.5 abv. I would like this more if the oak influence was less.
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7/11/2017 - Rickets Likes this wine: 91 Points
consistent with other notes. drinking well now but I say no rush to drink this - i think it will likely develop further with time over the next 10 years.
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2/15/2017 - VinToronto wrote: 88 Points
Rustic, with plummy dark red fruit, decent acidity and fully resolved tannins. Nice sipper on a cold winter's day, but time to drink up.
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1/21/2017 - hitechnomad wrote: 91 Points
In a good place now. Powerful. Loads of body, optimal tannin/fruit balance, and a good length finish. Has another year or two?
Good value.
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1/2/2017 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Bought recently, at a local wine shop. The cork crumbled. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour, turning garnet towards the edges. It offered dark fruit, dark cherry, dark chocolate, spices, anise and liquorice on the nose and palate, with medium-level acidity, fine, medium-plus tannin, a good mouthfeel and good to very good length. This full-bodied red had good concentration and complexity and should continue to age well. We liked it; I wish I had more. Drink now and over the next ten to fifteen years.
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12/26/2016 - Rickets wrote: 91 Points
no hurry on this one. in a nice place right now.
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12/14/2016 - alba_br wrote: 90 Points
Excelente. Muito equilibrado. Taninos definidos. Frutas vermelhas marcantes e com um final persistente
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12/12/2016 - PSKC wrote: 90 Points
Well-rounded wine. Look for complex aroma containing wildberries, vanilla and cedar. A full body wine that has rich mouth feel, balanced acidity and integrated tannin. Overall length falls short than expected from a wine with such a good/solid structure.
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12/9/2016 - fingers Likes this wine:
Four years since my last bottle and it is still largely intact. The color is deep and dark ruby, throwing a little sediment. A little softer bouquet now, and based on my sense of the structure being limited, the palate is probably cruising at peak altitude for a few more years before descending. Enjoyable with a wide range of cuisine.
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11/30/2016 - cofidis2 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours, consumed the following 3. This had massive amounts of oak dominating the nose and palate. It did blow off some, but still overshadowed the fruit on the nose and palate. Fruit that is now starting to slowly shedding it's baby fat. I am concerned about how dominating that vanilla oak is, as I don't see it subsiding enough to allow the aging fruit to show what it has. It was still a decent bottle but I would recommend drinking sooner rather than later. I don't see it getting better from here.
88 Points
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10/21/2016 - geppetto Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a great wine. The nose is still intensely fruity and the flavor profile follow suit. Still has a lot of life ahead.
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10/16/2016 - Wine Poor wrote: 91 Points
This was nice but lacked the complexty of previous bottles.
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9/24/2016 - Rickets wrote: 92 Points
In a very good place right now. 2nd bottle of a case. But no hurry to drink. Decanted 2 hrs.
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9/14/2016 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has become a real beauty
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7/10/2016 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great bottle.
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5/11/2016 - Cesar1963 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bom a té 2019
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4/17/2016 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
was great with my Ribeye
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3/13/2016 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
an awesome wine and has def changed my view on Portuguese wines
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2/25/2016 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
wow, this is a great wine. loads of fruit and super smooth. lots of life in this btl
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1/5/2016 - olalar wrote: 91 Points
My last bottle of this and it is still going strong. It is continuing to show a fruit-forward style but more elegant than in its youth. Not sure how long this will keep on shining or if there is more complexity around the corner but this drinks so well at the moment.
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1/4/2016 - mmh wrote: 89 Points
This is a big and bold Douro red that could have used a bit more time in the cellar to become more interesting. Very good, but perhaps a bit too fruity and polished for my taste. A whiff of port wine on day two, but otherwise the aromatics were dominated by ripe red fruits and chocolate.
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12/26/2015 - Butzemann wrote: 90 Points
D+0h: some deposit in the filter and the bottle, smells of currant D+3h: purple red, has a portwine nose, smells of raspberry, eucalyptus and maybe some minerality, full body, the 14,5 % alc. are well integrated, has also a nice dash of residual sugar without being too sweet, smooth in the mouth (the tanins, if there are any left, are quite round), in the mouth raspberry, in the aftertaste raspberry and acidity, quite long finish (30+ seconds), a tasty Douro red, but I had expected more complexity
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12/14/2015 - Vandiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous! A unique wine. Seems almost disjointed at first and any specific varietal notes are hard to find (which makes sense given . Tough to match with food unless you are in Portugal. Medium to full body with cassis, caramel, and dark berry flavours. Incredibly balanced and complex with subtle tannins and a long finish. Last bottle boo hoo!
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11/7/2015 - loegaute wrote: 88 Points
Tett og mørk. Ganske bløt frukt, veldig god konsentrasjon. Greit med friskhet, men savner spenst. Litt kladdete avslutning. Skogsbæryoghurt, blå plommer, vanilje, krydder. Bra vin, men ikke helt for meg. Topp til vilt, sikkert. Ikke tapt seg noe dag to. 88p.
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10/18/2015 - Villon wrote: 92 Points
Arômes secondaires qui émergent, le tout est dense, boisé fondu, fruits noirs, bonne longueur, sur son plateau. 92
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9/28/2015 - olalar wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong. Fruit is beautiful and after one or two hours of decant some mature notes are appearing (forest floor) together with some herbs. All in all a fantastic wine at the moment. It should last for another few years given the solid structure with plenty of soft tannins still at play.
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9/11/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really gorgeous bottle at this point. A fair bit of sediment, so make sure you decent. Fine, silky tannins that compliment plum and dark cherry. Drinking well, but you can hold for a few more years with no problem.
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7/22/2015 - robertek wrote: 92 Points
What a pleasant surprise and excellent value for the money. Enjoyable now although still a bit tannic.
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6/14/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was another amazing bottle. Still has several years to go before decline.
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6/14/2015 - Rob-Rah wrote: 89 Points
Dense. A bit reticent. The impression of weight hidden within. I found it a bit too diffident. Others rated it higher. Maybe needs more air.
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5/6/2015 - jkscully Likes this wine:
Plum and cherry fruit, with strong nutmeg spice, graphite, smoke, balsamic vinegar, deep attractive cocoa, and a long finish. This is quite nice.
Some people compare these Douro wines to Bordeaux and the flavor profiles are similar, but this wine doesn’t have the canopy of subtle flavors that the nicest Bordeaux wines have. This is a nice wine for $50, but I would rather pay $75 for the subtle nuances of a good Bordeaux. I would prefer to compare this wine to a Spanish Tempranillo, maybe a Ribera del Duero – same river after all – than a Bordeaux. Especially on day 3, I noted more balsamico flavor profiles (chocolate, exotic spices, sandalwood, laurel) that reminded me of Tempranillo. I’m not sure how much Tinta Roriz (Douro’s Tempranillo) is in this Old Vine Blend (Crasto’s web site says there are up to 30 grape varietals in it), but, to me, it tasted like it had solid amount of Tempranillo.
The wine needed a good 1 hour with cork off before it was ready to drink. This one definitely drank better out of the Hermitage glass than the Vinum Bordeaux glass. It drank fine on day 3 (I missed day 2).
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3/16/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
Needed an hour to blossom and allow this sweet/dark fruited beauty to shine. Impressive once again.
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2/1/2015 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
just wonderfully full bodied without being over the top. great winter red
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12/20/2014 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 94 Points
wow wow wow. what a great wine. beautifully dark in colour but not a fruit bomb but a well executed pkg of dark fruit, rounded out nicely with a solid back bone of tannins with a great silky feel. very very impressed with this. was not a Portuguese wine fan before this.
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12/1/2014 - geppetto Likes this wine: 95 Points
I absolutely love this wine! A few bottle years has brought this into a gorgeous bottle. Ruby red in color with a enchanting nose of red fruits and spice. Succulent fruit with touches of sour cherry and lush strawberry. I all my bottles were as good as this, I would likely be dead and in heaven. What a nice treat on a cold winter night.
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10/29/2014 - sarciero Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well. Sure wish I had more of this. Opened about an hour before drinking. Opened up nicely. Nose a bit muted but smooth, sweet fruit. A nice long finish capped it off. A very nice wine.
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7/22/2014 - Zed57 wrote: 90 Points
Starting to come together. Try again in 6-12 mos
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7/18/2014 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 94 Points
As per last notes 3 years ago, wine is outstanding and drinking well at the moment.
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5/17/2014 - BinVA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent bottle today, drink it and enjoy it
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5/14/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour and was best after 2. Dark sweet fruit on the palate with a long finish. This was amazing on its own but not as much with roast organic chicken. Better after diner where it showed really well. Will continue to improve over the next few years but good to go now with some air. Would probably drink on its own next time or with cheese after the meal.
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4/19/2014 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs a good 90-120 minute decant. Opens up nicely thereafter. Consumed with beef and rice. Not as good on the second evening though. 89-90
This remains one of the best value reds available in the UK (or one of many overpriced bottles in the duty free in Porto's airport).
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3/29/2014 - JohnSh wrote: 90 Points
Hazy notes from last night. Nice deep nose with a fairly complex medium-full bodied palate, with mainly red fruits and tar. A little sweet fruit on the end of the palate. As always, a nice wine and fairly good QPR (A-).
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1/22/2014 - heitorpp Likes this wine: 92 Points
this wine is a bold douro wine. fruit driven, spicy with supple and well integrated tannins. Decanted for 2.5 hrs before first sip, showed nose of dark plums, berries and licorine. on the palate it showed all of its complexity and silkness. I would wait 1-2 yrs before uncorking another one. i am sure it still can improve from some more cellaring.
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1/15/2014 - rexmerlot wrote: 91 Points
Great wine did make any formal notes. Need to buy more of this wine
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9/29/2013 - olalar wrote: 92 Points
Could not keep by hands off this. It is such a supple and great wine. Decant for at least 2 hours at the moment. Will try to wait one year + for next try.
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7/9/2013 - Zed57 wrote: 91 Points
Plush and focused but not quite there. Give it a year.
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7/7/2013 - olalar wrote: 92 Points
1h decant. This is still fruit driven but the tannins are softening. Approaching maturity. Balance is perfect. Super stuff that will be interesting to follow during the next 5-10 years. Next bottle in 2 years.
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6/15/2013 - Strikermax wrote: 92 Points
Zwart fruit, mokka, kruiden en luxe hout in de geur, een echte snuffelwijn. Goede concentratie, vol en rond. Zachte, afgeronde tannines, mediumlang tot lange afdronk.
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1/8/2013 - fingers wrote: 92 Points
Followed the bottle over 3 days open. Dark and radiant ruby color, about 70% opaque. Clear, medium speed legs. Wonderful mix of flowers, baby powder, cut lumber, and sweet spices on the nose. Light to medium bodied, big and powerful palate of crushed dark berries and stony white fruit with plenty of hints at Portuguese origin, ie. a feeling of VP sweetness and flavors. But it stays very dry with the help of some long, and as of yet, un-integrated tannins. Alcohol is certainly high, but not to the point of being out of balance. Another two or three years and this should be really singing. 5+12+17+8= 92
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10/30/2012 - winegr wrote: 92 Points
Excellent with lots of structure and depth. A bit of a food wine. Big tannin and acid to go with nice berry fruit, tobacco, and earth. Decant. This should last some time. 91-92.
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8/4/2012 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Big and fruit-driven with ripe plums and spice. Perhaps leaning a bit too much towards a new-world side but this backed off from being jammy. Good structure and length.
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8/1/2012 - olalar wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for ~1h. Drinks fantastic right now. Plenty of fruit without getting jammy. Very smooth and with a refreshing acidity. Will it be better in a few years??
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3/30/2012 - Pedro G wrote: 88 Points
Cor cereja, aroma finos com madeira bem integrada. Elegante com estilo. Em boca tem personalidade, talvez com final curto. Nao é uma boa relaçao qualidade / preço mas é um bom Douro. Pronto a beber.
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11/26/2011 - Al-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly good bottle of wine - big and bold. Has the stuffing to reward mid to short-term cellaring.
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11/16/2011 - cooberp wrote: 84 Points
I had one bottle of this right when I was first learning about wine and really liked it. I've now come back to it with much more tasting experience and was n-o-t impressed. Hot and turpentine-volatile, with overripe purple fruit. Some aggressive tannin too. Reminds me of a gross El Nido I once had. I'll buy another to see whether this is bottle variation or just an unpleasant wine.
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9/9/2011 - guitarkim wrote: 89 Points
App: dark, dark red
Aroma: dark fruit with hints of dried fruit. Chocolate, vanilla and oak.
Full-bodied with good acidity and firm tannins. Dark fruit with hints of dried fruit, chocolate and vanilla on the palate.
Quite oaky, but with fruit to carry it.
Very good length with a slightly bitter finish. -Nice!
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8/7/2011 - BinVA wrote: 93 Points
Opened it three days ago at the end of a good night. Got around to tasting it again tonight and I'm really enjoying it. Excellent
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7/16/2011 - RandyC wrote: 94 Points
Had without decanting and then let the rest sit. Pop and pour this is a different wine entirely. It needs time in the bottle or at least an hour decanting before it begins to open up. More notes of cherry and blackberry and is a very big wine.
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7/14/2011 - Scotty2Thumbs wrote: 93 Points
Wow! This wine is complex, fruity, elegant, delicious, drinking well now but will cellar well also. Black fruits and baking spices on the nose translate to the palate with hints of black licorice and very slight smoky oak notes. Silky silky silky. We drank this at a steakhouse after decanting for 2 hours then recanting. It went up against big boy Cali cabs and zins that cost 2 to3 times as much and was a far and away the fAvorite on the table. It didn't last long :). Glad I was able to find some more to put on the shelf.
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7/9/2011 - RandyC wrote: 94 Points
Old World and new world colide. This has black licorice and black cherry on the nose. The balance is superb and the wine is very much a big player. The palate shows that this wine is full on serious. Blackberry fruit, coupled with good secondary flavors and a significantly long finish. This dances all over the palate. A real winner and a great showing. This wine drinks well now but can be put down for years. Tasted after a 3 hour decant.
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5/3/2011 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 94 Points
I wonder if some of the ratings aren't biased due to this being a portuguese wine vs. If it were french or italian. This is a fabulous wine with a dark berry frame but with a great sense of balance and elegance. Drinking very well at the moment bit will certainly last.
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4/9/2011 - Pointus wrote: 90 Points
Nice fruit. Needs time in cellar. Drink after 2012.
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2/5/2011 - olalar wrote: 91 Points
This is an elegant fruit bomb (decanted for 3 hours). I made a chili and was looking through my wines for something that may work. This was fabulous. I make chili with 3 or 4 different dried varieties of chili with different characters. Slightly sweet raisin, slightly smooky or aromatic plum but none of them hot. The match turned out extremely well. This wine has oak that is just right, there is lots of fruit without getting too sweet. The balance is perfect. Perhaps it will be more complex in a few years but it is great now.
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1/30/2011 - tjessop Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic wine - drank this at the famous Antonio's restaurant in Macau. Lots of fresh berries and a hint of oak. Elegant is a word that comes to mind. Everyone at the table loved this wine.
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1/7/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote: 89 Points
No formal notes. Pretty good. Wine improved significantly after letting breathe for 30 mins.
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9/25/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
Certainly not as stunning as the '04, but fabulous nonetheless - Dark purple, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, cherry, raisin, spice and vanilla, early, but good balance, interesting, smooth as silk, dry on the palate with terrific length (92 Points).
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9/21/2010 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose - Redcurrent, rasberry, ample fruit. Nice nose. Palette - Medium full body. Redcurrent. Abit of complexity. Some tannins. 90 to 91 on openning. Tannins receded abit on 2nd day. 92 by 2nd day. A generally well made wine. Good QPR. Only negative - not much delicacy.
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9/19/2010 - jonnyc wrote: 92 Points
Tight upon opening, tannins were very forward. Opened up and softened over the 6 hours it was consumed. Lots of black fruit, velvety texture. Almost like a port without the sweetness. Excellent QPR. Hold remaining bottles for 2 years and drink until 2017-2018?
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9/10/2010 - PortFanatic wrote: 94 Points
Really inviting nose. Very suave in the mouth with great texture, but with obviously European structure. Really has a lot going on. Excellent finish with waves of fruit and some grippy tannins and solid acidity to keep it all focused. Still quite young, but impressive and suprisingly drinkable. Really deserves at least 5 years in the cellar. Is this the greatest Crasto Old Vines Reserva ever made? It's certainly possible. This rivals the 2004, and I suspect that it's better. If you don't have this in your cellar then you need to get some. Excellent QPR for a wine of this high quality. Great fruit. Great structure. Great wine!
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8/27/2010 - dynowine wrote: 91 Points
Reminds one of a rich fruity Bordeaux, but Portuguese style and without all the funk. Tested on well-aired bottle, about 3 hrs. Alluring nose of deep dark berry fruit and floral and hints of smoke/licorice. In the mouth heavenly blend of savory dusty ripe deep red fruit with a metal wrapper. Finishes with drying tannin at the front of the mouth. This was excellent. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium plus.
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8/3/2010 - dynowine wrote: 90 Points
Tested from a preservation machine. Alluring nose of creamy vanilla cake and dark red fruit and perfume with notes of warm spice (e.g. cinnamon) and hint of earth (dust). Well-balanced in the mouth with tasty red berry and dark cherry fruit in a noticeable earthy wooden envelope with hints of the warm spices. Fruity and a bit watery but quite pleasant in the finish. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium minus.
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7/20/2010 - Weston3220 Likes this wine: 89 Points
WSET Level 3 Part 2 Week 3 Portugal + Eastern Europe (Downtown Vancouver [AI School]): Clear, Med+ Purple, showing prominent legs
A: Clean, Pronounced Nose, Developing
Oak[Vanilla/Coffee Grounds], Dark fruit, Meaty/Spice, Chcolate, Lots of Mineral
T: Dry, Med+ Acid, Med+ Tannin, Full Body, Med+ Intensity, Long Finish, Med+ Alc
Oak, Coffee, Dark Fruit [Cherry] Dark Chocolate
Conc: Very Good, Needs time to develop, even just tasting it about 1.5hr later in Class it started to open and soften
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7/14/2010 - geppetto wrote: 95 Points
Stunning, heavy, smooth with a long, long finish that I can still taste 60 minutes after my last sip. So powerful but very drinkable now. 1 hour decant with strawberries and cream.
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7/5/2010 - cofidis2 wrote: 94 Points
I didn't decant this prior to drinking and at 2-hours in this is starting to pull together nicely. One thing I noticed early on was how more restrained the fruit was and how much more acidity there was compared to prior vintages. Early on the oak was a bit too prominent but 2-hours later it has really integrated and subsided as the fruit has become more expressive. While there is plenty of cherries, some tar, and spices from the oak, with some vanilla showing up late, what I am most taken by is the minerality, the freshness, and the length of the finish this has compared to prior vintages. Not to mention all that acidity that should lend this to being a long lived wine. This is a slight departure in style from recent vintages, with their largeness, yet one of the finest Reserva's since the 2004, if not better. I think I need to open a 2004 to compare side by side.....
93-94 Points
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5/5/2010 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
This is just a baby but still drinking very well now. The 05 took two years to soften up. 2007 was a declared vintage in port which means it is an excellent year. The nose is of deep dark fruits and spicy notes,almost syrah like. The palate is lush spicy yet smooth and a liitle tart. This will smooth out in a year or two and could go up a point or two. Great QPR at $37. I'm glad I scored a case.
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4/30/2010 - Blair Curtis wrote: 91 Points
Popped this to share with a friend who had not tried this wine before. No shortage of fruit, that's for sure. Deep, intense berry pie nose. Powerful and dense wine. Incredible structure. I may be under-rating this (if I can hold on to a few bottles for 10 years, we'll see). This is a very well-made wine from a great Douro vintage. How could it be wrong?
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3/21/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. Blackberry, and oak. Lots of fruit but not too much else. Doesn't really open up that much despite the waiter pouring the wine through one of those Vinturi things. I think that may have hurt more then it helped. needs years to come into it's own. Drink the 06 for instant gratification not this one.
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12/30/2009 - Rob-Rah wrote: 90 Points
Tightly closed-in. Some hints of what's in store. Possibly entering a slighly dumb phase. Still indications of rich, brambley fruit in there, along with a remarkably silky palate. But this needs time. Plenty of time. The rest of my case is now going away until 2012-2015 or so.
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12/10/2009 - Flashman wrote: 91 Points
Deep, rich color matched by depth and length of flavor of this wine. From the Douro region, it's what a fine port would taste like without the sugar. Will only get even better with age.
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