Fresh, complex nose dominated by pine tree, rosin, brambles, esteva and crunchy black fruit. Just a whiff of tobacco and earth. Fresh, tannic mouthfeel already providing some pleasure but telling you this has a long way to go - at least 20 years, if my experiences with their 2000 Grande Escolha is any sign. Sourced from Quinta do Côtto’s oldest vineyard (90 years old) and a mixture of unspecified grape varieties, as is typical of Douro vines of that age. I called Baixo Corgo blind and this is a textbook reason of why the Douro ought really to be considered three different regions, as this is really very different from the sun tortured wines of the Douro Superior. Excellent value for 20€.
This sounds really excellent. One of my goals this year is to explore wines of the Iberian peninsula. COVID has restrained my ability to swing by a wine shop and browse, but hopefully soon…
Thanks for the note! I had the 2015 vintage of this wine bought at random from the Garrafeira Nacional in Lisbon when on vacation. It accompanied some Presunto Pata Negra and cheeses from Manteigaria Silva. A memorable meal! I was also impressed with the quality of this wine. Not over the top, with structure to age and at the same time providing current drinking pleasure. I tried to track this down in the US, but not surprisingly it is not imported here…
That’s certainly a lot of ground to cover! Ironically, I’ve found that my wine explorations have increased since lockdown, mostly thanks to this forum and the convenience of online retailers. That’s a different way of travelling, which some users around here have adopted.
I love me some pata negra, for sure (although I generally find spanish jamón to have a more reliable QPR than portuguese presunto).
You might have better luck sourcing wines from Quinta da Gaivosa in the US. That’s the other great - indeed, the greatest - producer of the Baixo Corgo, and their straight Quinta da Gaivosa label is excellent, age worthy and within this profile. I also love the Reserva Pessoal. The higher end bottlings (Abandonado, Vinha do Lordelo) are very sturdy and need plenty of time.
Thanks for the recommendation. Indeed, there are a few wines from Quinta da Gaivosa available in the US. I wish I had made it to the Douro wine region when I visited Portugal. It will be a priority on my next trip for sure.
I visited Alves de Sousa in 2008 …
Great Port wines, specially …
Quinta da Gaivosa Tawny 20 ans : 18,5/20
Remarquable caractère, pour une production ranciotée (confiture de fruits rouges et noirs, marmelade d’orange, cacao, épices, fruits secs, Jabugo, camphre, Havane, …), millimétrée, qui joue dans la cour des grands, grâce à son aspect aérien hors norme. Un vin en suspension … sans aucune lourdeur, à l’alcool génialement intégré. Bref, il a tout (et même un prix plus que raisonnable).
Very good reds :
Quinta da Gaivosa Pessoal 2005 (16,5/20)
Quinta da Gaivosa Vinha de Lordelo 2005 (16/20)
I wish I could taste them today …