Canadian Wine Guy » Portugal

2009 Quinto do Crasto Douro

CanadianWineGuy — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:33:12 +0000

Another one of the wines we had at Salt Wine Bar a few weeks back, this wine left a much poorer impression on me. Quinto do Crasto is a large Portuguese producer located on the Douro River. Well known for their ports and red table wines, the winery has had some solid wines in the past. As this was a short outing, so too will be the write up.

A dark, deep red colour presented itself in my glass; it was not to be the last of the stark notes on this wine. With blackberry and cinnamon on the nose and the colour of the wine gods I was hoping this Tinta Roriz blend was going to hit it out of the park. Sadly the first few sips were muted, almost dull. The tannins, while firmly in your mouth, were just overwhelming and not enjoyable. The oak is distinctly present, almost as if it was trying to hide poor fruit. Overall this was a medium-full bodied young wine that was a distinctive miss or the hit-or-miss scale. Sadly it failed to live up to the price point that Salt charges for it. If you are looking for the wine, the going price appears to be ~$14-16 a bottle through online retailers. For the wineries tasting notes click here.

The CWG Subjective Rating is 81 out of 100.

CAVES SÃO JOÃO FREI JOÃO 2006

John Galea — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:18:04 +0000

Cracked this one at the recommendation of my local product specialist. She drinks a fair bit of Portugese wines so knows them well. The wine is quite dark in color. On the nose there are some mild fruit, nothing I can pinpoint, and some oak. On the mid pallet there are some deep dark fruits, but they are quickly overwhelmed by high alcohol flavors. After two days the wine is still very alcohol dominant in the flavor. I’m not convinced breathing or aging will help this you either like it or don’t. Personally I don’t. There are some tannins on the finish and lots of pucker power. This is a big wine for sure. I would give it an 88. This is a bull in a china shop style. Don’t expect finesse.

From the LCBO web site:
CAVES SÃO JOÃO FREI JOÃO 2006 VINTAGES 144469 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 14.95
Wine, Red Wine, 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Bairrada, Portugal By: Vinihold

Release Date: Nov 21, 2009

Tasting Note
The deeply coloured, fragrant and tannic Baga grape accounts for 90% of all red wines in the Bairrada district. This version successfully tames the tannins without sacrificing the fruit. Cherry, new leather, black plum and raspberry are the prime aromas here. Dry with plump fruit that is balanced ably by moderate tannins and soft acids. Cellar it short term (1-3 years) or enjoy it with rich meat-based pasta dishes or slow-cooked roast beef. (VINTAGES panel, July 2009)

Check LCBO stock

2001-Periquita Classico – Jose Maria Da Fonseca

CanadianWineGuy — Sat, 12 May 2007 20:53:50 +0000

Well day 4 since I wanted to have the 2002 Cab Sauv by Château des Charmes, and lo and behold we failed again at the basics of opening it. That is okay, we were rescued by this hidden little gem. The Periquita Classico came highly recommended and decently priced for what ended up a great wine. Portugese wine is often overlooked by most “sophisticated” wine folks, and in reality i think it is due to the hit or miss syndrome, you either get pleasantly surprised or terribly disappointed, seems there is no in between. Jose Maria Da Fonseca is one of the oldest producers in Portugal. This single grape variety (Periquita is officially called Castelão Frances) has been one of the staples of the vineyard for over 150 years. The Classico is said to be only bottle in vintages of exceptional qualities. This vintage without a doubt follows suit. Mrs.CWG and I opened this after what ended up a LONG and tiring week. Wanting a nice smooth red to finish the evening off, we opened this up under the stars of the evening and sat back to experience the wine and the May sky. What we discovered is in the below tasting notes:

First sniff: rhubarb , orange hue, light cherry

On the pour: Subtle red with a hint of rust in the colour

First sip: heavy black cherry, large wine, solid tannins at the end

Over time: the finish is nice, almost a citrus ending, tannins softened nicely. Complex wine but not due to the wine maker trying for it to be, nice and solid from first taste to finish. This wine, while already 6 years old will benefit from a few more years of cellaring if you have the conditions. Those drinking now will get a well developed wine which can go with most meals and is easily drank in a relaxing atmosphere and a nibble of cheese. I would not recommend having a light fish or salad but grilled chicken will not get lost here. At 27.95$ worth the price.

This is a solid 89.
Mrs.CWG says:

“If we went to the liquor store for a $28 bottle of wine, I’d buy it again”

Fear not, we WILL get to the 2002 Cab Sauv, but not tonight. This evening we are going to have a white, not sure which, but I moved 3 to the cold portion of the wine cellar so that we were ready to choose.