Here are our tasting notes on each of the wines: (Prices are all for 75cl bottles and are all available to purchase in-store)
Quinta do Ameal Loreiro 2008 (£11.95) - A lovely white wine, a wine that many would normally bypass in the shop. The 2008 combines structure and poise, with sensational definition on the palate. Proof that great wines do not need high alcohol (this is only 11.5abv)! 100% unoaked and tank fermented. Clear, pale lemon in colour with very gooseberry/grannysmith nose. Very Sauvignon Blanc in style. Bone dry with lots of acidity. Will be ideal with seafood.
Quinta do Correio Tinto 2008 (£6.95) - This Quinta dos Roques' second label. The name is taken from one of the vineyards which folklore says belonged to the local postman, so it translates humouristically as the posty’s tipple! It has a stunning ripe, plummy, herby nose with some exotic caramel and menthol notes from the new oak. The palate is rich, warm and tannic with spicy oak and a dry finish. Attractive, but a touch firm at the moment. Very good. Raymond suggested that this wine would be lovely slightly chilled in the summer. Serve with lamb or beef steaks.
Niepoort Drink Me 2007 (£9.95) - The 2007 is the second edition of this Douro wine produced for the UK market. The idea behind DRINK ME is the creation of a pleasant, easy drinking red wine, yet retaining complexity, mineral notes and great depth found in the classic Douro wines. DRINK ME is produced from vineyards from the Cima Corgo, the main grape varieties being: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca. It's an intense wine, full of Douro character but with great freshness showing smooth tannins and fruity aromas. On the palate it is young and dense with good dusty tannins, good acidity and attractive structure.
Quinta do Macedos Pinga do Toro 2005 (£12.95) - This wine is made by Raymond and his brother Paul so this wine is particularly close to Raymond's heart. It includes a healthy proportion of barrel aged ‘domaine’ fruit – ancient vines, trodden, with the next door neighbour’s Touriga Nacional vineyard (not oaked), from the heart of the Torto Valley. It is showing well right now with a thick, deep plummy colour and ripe blackcurrant nose. It is spicy with good medium tannins followed by a sweet-fruited and robust body. I have always liked this wine and it seems many others also loved it!
Right, moving on to the Ports. We decided to concentrate on Niepoort (made by the most respected Dirk Niepoort). See their website
Dry White (£11.95) - A rare style of dry white port, made with lengthy skin maceration and wood ageing. Best served chilled as an aperitif or you can also have it as a long drink with tonic water, ice and a twist of lemon (Although Dirk ONLY recommends Fever Tree Tonic which unfortunately, we don't sell). It is regularly reported that Dirk makes the best dry white port going, with atypical elegance and freshness. It is golden in colour with a delightful aroma of nuts and almonds which comes through on the palate with a fresh concentrated spirit finish, from extended ageing in small old oak barrels. This was a real surprise for me personally, having not tried this port for over 8 years. My palate for ports has changed over that time and back then would not have really appealed to me but as I age (gracefully I hope) I am really enjoying all the different styles available. This is no exception and would be perfect to drink with smoked mackeral for example, Wensleydale cheese or some salted almonds. Delicious!
Ruby Dum (£11.95) - This Port is one Half of the Niepoortland story.....see also Tawny Dee. It encapsulates all the Niepoort ethos for hand crafted Ports and drinkable complexity, this is created by careful maturation in large wooden vats. Ruby Dum is fresh and youthful and elegantly spirited. Good rich fruit coming through. Great value at £11.95 a bottle for a ruby of this quality.
Tawny Dee (£11.95) - The other half of the Niepoortland story. This Tawny Dee is created by careful maturation in pipas (600 Litre casks) and shows a mellow subtleness of dried fruits, figs and all spice. This was the wine we matched at home with my chocolate brownie dessert. Really yummy, even if I do say so myself!
Late-Bottled-Vintage 2005 (£14.95) - Having now given everyone a portion of brownie and a plate of stilton chunks and walnuts it was time to show off Dirk's LBV. LBV is a wine produced from a single vintage, and is made like a true Vintage Port in every way save one: instead of being bottled two years after harvest, LBVs are bottled after a minimum of four years and a maximum of six years of aging in cask. The 2005 is deep red colour with very vivacious aromas of fresh dark plums, cherries and a hint of chocolate along with a great silky texture. Fabulous extraction on the palate with a tight grainy texture intertwined with fresh dark fruits and a mellow spirity finish. The wine can be enjoyed now, and will become more complex with further cellaring for a couple of decades. This was one of the favourites of the tasting. It was excellent with three of the food types.
10 Year Old Tawny (£26.95) - 8000 bottles produced. Beautiful tawny colour, with aromas of dried apricots and crystalised tangerine peel well integrated with a nutty character. The palate reveals dried fruits with a fiery finish. With a great structure and long finish. I absolutely loved this port. Loads of honeyed nuttiness and caramel. Very tangy with a lovely soft finish. Highly recommended!
20 Year Old Tawny (£43.95) - 2500 bottles produced. Only very slightly deeper in colour in comparison to the 10 year old but lots more crystallized fruit and dried apricots on the palate. To me it seemed more alcoholic in style. I preferred the 10 year old as it was more approachable (to me anyway).
Moving on to the Vintage Ports....
The 2000 is incredible and worthy of its £60 price tag. Dirk has used the exceptional potential of 2000 to recreate the style of the legendary ports produced by his grandfather in the 1940's and 1950's. Very little Niepoort 2000 has been made, as a result of not only the tiny yields from ancient vines but it is Dirk's most strict selection he has ever practised. 'A definite candidate for wine of the vintage. A brooding, velvety nose with hints of violets is followed by an intensely sweet, yet fresh, ultra-rich palate with mineral hints. This is exquisitely balanced with layers of flavour supported by ripe tannins and an extremely long finish. Drink 2010-2035'
We found this Port to be rich, ripe and soft. Perfect in many ways with loads of chocolate flavours. It has the most enticing nose with a real wow factor. The palate does not disappoint. Very highly recommended for that special occasion!
Thanks
Huge thanks to Raymond for hosting the evening, to everyone who came and to our wonderful staff members who made the evening run so smoothly. It was a very enjoyable evening with many noting that it was the first chance they had had to try out a good number of different port styles in one evening. It was also very interesting to try some great Portuguese wines that many would usually bypass in the shop. Portuguese wines are well worth trying and shouldn't be overlooked. The winemakers are now very well travelled and experienced and are producing world class wines. Just because it doesn't have Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon etc on the label does not mean they are less delicious. Give them a go, you'll be surprised, we promise!
Testimonial: "Fabulous evening, especially the accompanying nibbles! Very good to concentrate on 1 producer (for Port) and the varying styles."
Thanks
Huge thanks to Raymond for hosting the evening, to everyone who came and to our wonderful staff members who made the evening run so smoothly. It was a very enjoyable evening with many noting that it was the first chance they had had to try out a good number of different port styles in one evening. It was also very interesting to try some great Portuguese wines that many would usually bypass in the shop. Portuguese wines are well worth trying and shouldn't be overlooked. The winemakers are now very well travelled and experienced and are producing world class wines. Just because it doesn't have Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon etc on the label does not mean they are less delicious. Give them a go, you'll be surprised, we promise!
Testimonial: "Fabulous evening, especially the accompanying nibbles! Very good to concentrate on 1 producer (for Port) and the varying styles."
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