Blindtested. Initially reminding me Norhtern Rhône, this "muscle wine" strikes you from the very first sniff to its endless finish. Exuberant nose of jammy red fruit, tobacco, chocolate, cedar, graphite, tea, portwine. Full bodied in the mouth, multilayered and extravagant show of supermature fruit, tobacco, caramel, licorice, garrigue, sous-bois, wrapped in noble cask, with a 2km phenolic port finish. Kudo!
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Dark purple in colour. Clean nose of licorice and black fruit. Dry, med acidity, med body, elegant and smooth tannins, licorce, dark chocolate, spice and black fruit on palate. Med finish. I have had this wine before, and I think I enjoyed it more younger. I would say this wine is past it prime. Cellared properly for its life, so would have expected it to age well. 12 years old, but feel it will not get any better. A great wine, was amazing with dinner or roast top sirloin, but if you have any in your cellar drink now.
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Outstanding wine! Full of body, rich, complex. Red ripe fruit, black chocolate and a bit of mint. An endless end in the mouth. Almost decadent! Drink it now or in the next 10 years. Its structure can easilly support the time of bottle.
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Deep cherry color fading to cinnamon at the rim. Very ripe, grapey fruit, interesting spicy and mineral complexity, and very faint tobacco notes. A couple hours air helped soften the huge structure and ample alcohol (14.5%), but this remained a bit hot and fumey through the long finish. Not great sipping, probably okay with food. Drink or hold several years. Sadly, this is largely New World in style, rendered generic by its excessive heat, with the potentially interesting varietal character largely drowned out.
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This was very good,don't get me wrong,but it probably should had been drunk a year ago...medium body,very complex and tipically portuguese,its ligthness reminds me of Burgundy.There's a littlle bit of heat at the end,but it went perfectly with a leg of lamb..couldn't notice the green tannins until the lamb was over.Drink now,with food...
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from the same bottle as cooberp below, and similar impressions. at first ripe and sweet, almost port-like, with black fruit. with air the fruit fades and gets more sour. not a lot of structure. some notes of vanilla and dill (American oak?). not very interesting.
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Huh? Dark ruby. Dark-fruited, medium-bodied, not much structure, a bit alcoholic. Ripe and primary, but thin. Sour aftertaste. Definitely not drinking the same wine as the tasters below.
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Deep dark red. Lots of coffee, mineral and dark fruit. Very intense slightly sweet nose. Quite extracted. Very long finish, tannic but with lots of fruit. Excellent.
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Tasted blind. The nose is clearly a European wine, but of unknown origin. Almost a Middle Eastern quality to it: cinnamon, cumin, other spices. In a glass aside a Pinot and a Napa Cab, the purple color is striking. On the palate, lush plum and blackberries, with just a bit of tannic structure remaining. Drinking very well now, but will soften for a few more years.
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Popped and poured. Very good structure. Great nose with some spices. Dark berries, some spice, and smooth tannis. The finish could have been longer. The wine opened up an became smoother over the 1 hour it was consumed. Decant the wine next time.
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At little disappointing given the WE 94 and WS 95. ST 90+ more like it. Nice nose at openning but lost it's senses FAST. Ripe berry with plum,vanilla and spice on the palate. A liitle tobbaco roast coffee on the short finish. Glad I only bought one bottle. More like $30 WIDNE.
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Very deep and extracted. Outstanding nose of berries, spice and violets. This has firmed up a bit since my last tasting, but it still pushes the envelope of ripeness. A bit less ripeness would have garnered a higher review. Still outstanding, though.
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Solar do Vinho do Porto (Figueira): Primeiro em magnum, depois garrafa normal, com as mesmas impressões. Violáceo fechado, límpido e brilhante. Aromas finos, complexos, intensos e profundos, notas minerais, florais, cacau, tostado, eucalípto, com nuances mescladas difíceis de se identificar. A cada nova taça uma sensação diferente. Na boca é impressionantemente austero, quase salgado (talvez umami), mesmo numa safra quente. Taninos finos, boa acidez, textura sedosa, grande estrutura e, novamente, destaque para a sensação de salinidade. Muito jovem. Excepcional. 95+pts.
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Inky Purple. Brimming with ripe, mashed, spiced plums, violets and creamy blackberries. Very modern style, as the oak spice is quite up-front. Creamy texture in the mouth, with very ripe, fine tannins. Not much roughness here. Hedonistic "thrill-a-minute" rollercoaster of fruit. Very much like a "dry-port". A bit of alcoholic heat in the finish. I would be quite interested in seeing how this ages. Really beautiful the second day, with the structure better integrated.
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Já muito agradável para beber. Impressionam as camadas de sabor que sobrepõe a boca, nunca tinha sentido antes. Muita estrutura e concentração, porém macio e elegante. Acidez mais baixa. Longa persistência.
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Encontro Mistral 2006: Mr. Olazabal himself was presenting his wines at the tasting table. He makes only the two wines (meandro and vale meao) The differences: Meao has more touriga nacional, about 60%, and 60% goes in new oak barrels while the rest goes in second use oak barrels. One third of the production goes to Meao. Olazabal believes it will age about 8 to 15 years. He said the Barca Velha (which used his grapes on the blend) had on it's blend some other varietals from higher altitude vineyards that gave it more acidity and aging potential. So the "barca nova" shouldn't last as long as the "barca velha". This 2003 is very powerful. The fruit profile is quite the same as Meandro with blackberries and plums upfront. The same spice but a more silky texture and a much longer finish. Superb wine.
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Mauve/burgundy colour; opaque. Aromas of currant, spice, sage, and blackberry. Medium-full bodied, good grip, forward, with currant, cherry, cocoa, and firm tannins. Moderate-length finish, ~35-40s, with sweet red fruit.
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Tasted at Quinta do Crasto in the Douro - Almost Burgundian in its presentation. Red fruit nose. Beautiful entry. Must swallow twice to finish it! Finer than almost any Chateauneuf du Pape. Medium-full bodied. Really, really fine. Medium tannins. Long, long finish. I love this! 97 points.
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6/21/2018 - CarpeDiem! wrote: 96 Points
Blindtested. Initially reminding me Norhtern Rhône, this "muscle wine" strikes you from the very first sniff to its endless finish. Exuberant nose of jammy red fruit, tobacco, chocolate, cedar, graphite, tea, portwine. Full bodied in the mouth, multilayered and extravagant show of supermature fruit, tobacco, caramel, licorice, garrigue, sous-bois, wrapped in noble cask, with a 2km phenolic port finish. Kudo!
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1/3/2016 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple in colour. Clean nose of licorice and black fruit. Dry, med acidity, med body, elegant and smooth tannins, licorce, dark chocolate, spice and black fruit on palate. Med finish. I have had this wine before, and I think I enjoyed it more younger. I would say this wine is past it prime. Cellared properly for its life, so would have expected it to age well. 12 years old, but feel it will not get any better. A great wine, was amazing with dinner or roast top sirloin, but if you have any in your cellar drink now.
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2/21/2013 - jreis wrote:
Very good. Dark berries, earth, a little eucalyptus, Asian exotic specs. Beautifully soft on the palate with nice structure and acidity. Really nice.
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10/6/2012 - Soledade wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding wine! Full of body, rich, complex. Red ripe fruit, black chocolate and a bit of mint. An endless end in the mouth. Almost decadent! Drink it now or in the next 10 years. Its structure can easilly support the time of bottle.
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4/28/2012 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pure velvety. Very complex, layers of black and red fruit. A lot of pleasure. Fantastic wine. I drunk the whole bottle!
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10/29/2011 - unrelenting wrote: 89 Points
Similar notes to last time but I felt like there was a bit more fruit present
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10/8/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 85 Points
Deep cherry color fading to cinnamon at the rim. Very ripe, grapey fruit, interesting spicy and mineral complexity, and very faint tobacco notes. A couple hours air helped soften the huge structure and ample alcohol (14.5%), but this remained a bit hot and fumey through the long finish. Not great sipping, probably okay with food. Drink or hold several years. Sadly, this is largely New World in style, rendered generic by its excessive heat, with the potentially interesting varietal character largely drowned out.
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6/16/2011 - bons vinhos wrote: 91 Points
This was very good,don't get me wrong,but it probably should had been drunk a year ago...medium body,very complex and tipically portuguese,its ligthness reminds me of Burgundy.There's a littlle bit of heat at the end,but it went perfectly with a leg of lamb..couldn't notice the green tannins until the lamb was over.Drink now,with food...
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6/11/2011 - unrelenting wrote: 88 Points
Drink now. this wine wasn't built to last. Judging by the prior notes, it had gobs of fruit. Much of it is gone now, leaving green tannins.
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4/22/2011 - coremill wrote: 84 Points
from the same bottle as cooberp below, and similar impressions. at first ripe and sweet, almost port-like, with black fruit. with air the fruit fades and gets more sour. not a lot of structure. some notes of vanilla and dill (American oak?). not very interesting.
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4/19/2011 - cooberp wrote: 87 Points
Huh? Dark ruby. Dark-fruited, medium-bodied, not much structure, a bit alcoholic. Ripe and primary, but thin. Sour aftertaste. Definitely not drinking the same wine as the tasters below.
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12/15/2010 - mkubow wrote: 92 Points
very unique and interesting wine, solid throughout but I loved the spices.
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8/5/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep dark red. Lots of coffee, mineral and dark fruit. Very intense slightly sweet nose. Quite extracted. Very long finish, tannic but with lots of fruit. Excellent.
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3/29/2010 - JimN wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. The nose is clearly a European wine, but of unknown origin. Almost a Middle Eastern quality to it: cinnamon, cumin, other spices. In a glass aside a Pinot and a Napa Cab, the purple color is striking. On the palate, lush plum and blackberries, with just a bit of tannic structure remaining. Drinking very well now, but will soften for a few more years.
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12/25/2008 - cisco wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Very good structure. Great nose with some spices. Dark berries, some spice, and smooth tannis. The finish could have been longer. The wine opened up an became smoother over the 1 hour it was consumed. Decant the wine next time.
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12/21/2008 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine with great structure. Good still age for several years before optimal drinking. A smoky, gamy wine that has a smooth long finish.
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10/26/2008 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Intense ripe grapes. Flowers and some spices. Mixure of flavours on the palate. Smooth lush finish..roast coffee.
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11/24/2007 - benny wrote: 91 Points
At little disappointing given the WE 94 and WS 95. ST 90+ more like it. Nice nose at openning but lost it's senses FAST. Ripe berry with plum,vanilla and spice on the palate. A liitle tobbaco roast coffee on the short finish. Glad I only bought one bottle. More like $30 WIDNE.
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10/28/2007 - Art Vandelay wrote: 95 Points
Our first Portugese table wine and what a wonderful experience. I will definetely be puting more of them in the cellar by the ports.
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7/19/2007 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Very deep and extracted. Outstanding nose of berries, spice and violets. This has firmed up a bit since my last tasting, but it still pushes the envelope of ripeness. A bit less ripeness would have garnered a higher review. Still outstanding, though.
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3/1/2007 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantástico vinho. Muito encorpado, muito complexo e com certeza vai evoluir grandemente no futuro. Persistência incrível e ótimo equilíbrio.
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11/13/2006 - Vinho wrote: 95 Points
Solar do Vinho do Porto (Figueira): Primeiro em magnum, depois garrafa normal, com as mesmas impressões. Violáceo fechado, límpido e brilhante. Aromas finos, complexos, intensos e profundos, notas minerais, florais, cacau, tostado, eucalípto, com nuances mescladas difíceis de se identificar. A cada nova taça uma sensação diferente. Na boca é impressionantemente austero, quase salgado (talvez umami), mesmo numa safra quente. Taninos finos, boa acidez, textura sedosa, grande estrutura e, novamente, destaque para a sensação de salinidade. Muito jovem. Excepcional. 95+pts.
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9/4/2006 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Inky Purple. Brimming with ripe, mashed, spiced plums, violets and creamy blackberries. Very modern style, as the oak spice is quite up-front. Creamy texture in the mouth, with very ripe, fine tannins. Not much roughness here. Hedonistic "thrill-a-minute" rollercoaster of fruit. Very much like a "dry-port". A bit of alcoholic heat in the finish. I would be quite interested in seeing how this ages. Really beautiful the second day, with the structure better integrated.
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6/1/2006 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Já muito agradável para beber. Impressionam as camadas de sabor que sobrepõe a boca, nunca tinha sentido antes. Muita estrutura e concentração, porém macio e elegante. Acidez mais baixa. Longa persistência.
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5/31/2006 - cousteau wrote: 94 Points
Encontro Mistral 2006: Mr. Olazabal himself was presenting his wines at the tasting table. He makes only the two wines (meandro and vale meao) The differences: Meao has more touriga nacional, about 60%, and 60% goes in new oak barrels while the rest goes in second use oak barrels. One third of the production goes to Meao. Olazabal believes it will age about 8 to 15 years. He said the Barca Velha (which used his grapes on the blend) had on it's blend some other varietals from higher altitude vineyards that gave it more acidity and aging potential. So the "barca nova" shouldn't last as long as the "barca velha". This 2003 is very powerful. The fruit profile is quite the same as Meandro with blackberries and plums upfront. The same spice but a more silky texture and a much longer finish. Superb wine.
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5/23/2006 - atearl wrote: 92 Points
needs some more time. Has very strong deep fruit. Well integrated tannins even now.
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5/19/2006 - futronic wrote: 93 Points
Mauve/burgundy colour; opaque. Aromas of currant, spice, sage, and blackberry. Medium-full bodied, good grip, forward, with currant, cherry, cocoa, and firm tannins. Moderate-length finish, ~35-40s, with sweet red fruit.
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10/28/2005 - PortFanatic wrote: 97 Points
Tasted at Quinta do Crasto in the Douro - Almost Burgundian in its presentation. Red fruit nose. Beautiful entry. Must swallow twice to finish it! Finer than almost any Chateauneuf du Pape. Medium-full bodied. Really, really fine. Medium tannins. Long, long finish. I love this! 97 points.
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