Douro wine: onward upward in quality and differentiation

On the crest of The Wine Spectator Top 100 wave, both Bruno Prats and the Symington family have been in London these last few weeks to showcase wines from their joint project, Prats & Symington. It’s good to see the Douro take its spot on the world stage and, as I head to Simplesmente Vinho today, I hope that some of the star dust lands on the country’s less established, artisanal players. Even for high profile Port and Bordeaux players, it’s a competitive market out there and one which Portugal has been slower to exploit than others.

Bruno Prats with Chryseia vertical

Indeed, the title of Symington’s presentation this week says it all – “From first tentative steps in 1999 to one of The Wine Spectator’s best wines in the world of 2014.”  Said wine – Prats & Symington Chryseia 2011 – together with the 2012 and 2004 vintages were shown.  All three my stand outs of M. Prats’ recent Prats & Symington Chryseia vertical (my report published in Blend All About Wine yesterday) in which we additionally tasted the 2001, 2003 and 2009.

As ever, the Symington’s presentation was polished and chock-full of data about the Douro’s diverse micro-climate in support Paul Symington’s contention that, while most consumers have never tasted Douro varieties before (save for Tinta Roriz, a.k.a. Tempranillo), in 20 years time, the Douro will become well known for its different sub-regions.  Looking into his crystal ball, Symington reckons consumers will be expressing a preference for, say, wines from the Pinhão Valley, Torto Valley or Vilariça.

Quinta de Roriz

Certainly, an increasingly scalpel-like approach to terroir is lifting off the page the exciting possibilities for both Douro wine and Port.  To my mind, Prats & Symington Chryseia has become much more mineral since the majority of fruit has come from Quinta de Roriz in São João de Pesqueira.  And just look at the site-specific whites which are emerging from Conceito and Muxagat in the Douro Superior – theoretically the driest, warmest sub-region.  Or the growing number of new single vineyard/single parcel Douro wines and Ports – Niepoort Turris, Wine & Soul Pintas and Wine & Soul Manoella, Quinta do Vale Meão’s Granito,  Quinta do Vale Dona Maria’s Vinha da Francisca and Vinha do Rio, Graham’s Stone Terraces, Vesuvio Capela….Unsurprising when, even just focusing on the Symington’s vineyards, they range between 93m to 578m above sea level and rainfall varies enormously, from 365mm/annum at Ataide to 1065mm/annum at Cavadinha.

A focus on premium terroir-driven wines also makes sense where Symington’s presentation put great emphasis on the economics of making wine in the Douro.  Combine that touchstone of quality, super-low yields, with labour-intensive mountainous terroir and making every day wines does not stack up.  (Symington contrasted Chile’s 12,000kg/ha at 0.10€/kg with the Douro’s 4,300kg/ha at 0.77€/kg).

So the message is onward upward, indeed “migrating up the hill,” said Symington, if the long term trend of increasing temperatures continues.  Now that’s a plus for mountainside viticulture on the Douro scale.