2005 Quinto de Crasto Reserva Old Vines
I thought I would see how this one was doing after sitting in the cellar for a year. Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose still shows some oak, but not irritating. Also boysenberries, some black licorice, and dark cherries. Full bodied. The palate shows more balance than I remembered. Some heat on the back end, but nice dark cherry and plum notes. No harm in drinking now, but still needs some time. 50+4+12+18+7=91
Loren,
Thanks for the update. This is a really nice bottle, but you really should try the 2004 version. IMO it’s a notch up and one beauty of a wine. Not sure how this one got WS #3 or 4 Wine of the Year (or something like that) and the 2004 didn’t, but it’s still some tasty juice.
2005 Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines - Portugal, Douro (12/8/2018)
– decanted immediately before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
NOSE: not much going on; non-descript ripe red/purple fruits; oak; hint of mineral.
BODY: magenta-garnet color of medium-deep depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: ripe; non-descript; oaky; well-made — a perfectly acceptable wine — just not very interesting; it’s anybody’s guess if the oak wins the day on this one, or if additional age helps it integrate; 14% alc.; Drink Now, or Hold & Hope. I didn’t like it as much as my score suggests – probably more in the mid or low-mid 80s, as far as enjoyment went.
50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = (88 pts.)