Ageing very well: New Douro older vintages & maiden wines

Wednesday’s New Douro tasting threw up some delightful surprises.

Though focused on the latest (red) releases from the 2009 vintage (which I’d already tasted in December), museum stocks had been generously raided, providing an opportunity to taste among the very first New Douro table wines.

And they were thrilling, reinforcing what a very prodigious and precocious talent this traditional Port region and its producers has for table wines.

You’ll find my notes on the golden oldies below.

Once I’ve reviewed my notes from December’s and this Wednesday’s tasting, I’ll produce a detailed report on the 2009 reds and 2010 whites (but my preliminary December report here holds true for my thoughts on the vintage and click here for Jamie Goode’s highlights).

Casa Ferreirinha Quinta da Leda 1997

Making its debut in 1952, it was Barca Velha, Casa Ferreirinha’s flagship wine, that first revealed the Douro’s prodigious talent for making table wines, and not just Port.  Only made in outstanding years (the current release is the 2000 vintage) and released with several years’ bottle age, Barca Velha is only made in tiny quantities.  Buut the good news is, like Barca Velha, the fruit for this wine is sourced from the Douro Superior and made by the same team, lead by Luis Sottomayor. But, as its name suggests, Quinta da Leda differs from Barca Velha in that it’s a single vineyard wine.  It’s also released much earlier, so the focus is on the primary fruit.  The 97 is the maiden release and it’s terrific – powerful with a generous and expressive, deep, dark palate layered with tertiary notes of spice, earth and game.  A long, inky, mineral, iodine inflected finish is well melded with fine, ripe tannins. Holding together really well, there’s lots more life to this.

Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Reserva Red 1994 (magnum)

Port producer Ramos Pinto first started making table wines in 1990 – the decade which saw the birth of the New Douro.  Table winemaking blossomed thanks to a change of regulations (which enabled Douro wine producers to export their products independently) and the funds which came onstream when Portugal joined the European Economic Community (as was).  Though older, the 94 (pictured, top, with winemaker Joao Nicolau de Almeida) is the more powerful wine.  Deeper in colour with a spicy core of ripe blackberry fruit and delicious savoury, ripe but present tannins.  Lovely balance.  Put me in mind of Cornas.

Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Reserva Red 1997 (magnum)

Though younger, showing greater development, this vintage (or bottle) is a little funkier/more savoury – less animated – with oyster shell notes to the finish.  Attractive now, but starting to fade.  Drink up.

Niepoort Redoma 1991

This is the maiden release of Redoma, made in much less than perfect conditions back then and aged in Vila Nova de Gaia.  The first bottle did not show well (brett), but a fresh bottle showed great clarity and savoury length to its fading red fruits, with oyster shell minerality to a quietly intense finish.  On a plateau.  A high one!

Niepoort Redoma 1996 (magnum)

Five years younger and from magnum, the 96 is much more boisterous, with an expressive nose of ripe fruit and game and, in the mouth, a great charge of savoury, ripe, plush, cushiony red and black berry fruits with liquorice spice and a gamy undertow.  Louder, but with great vitality and freshness; love it.

Alves de Sousa Quinta da Gaivosa 2000

Looking super poised and polished, the Gaivosa shows great concentration and fluidity of black berry, cherry and currant fruit, teased out by long, fine tannins with just a hint of gaminess and subtle spice.  Youthfully gilded with fruit, it’s just coming into its own.  Lovely.

Quinta do Vale Meao 2004

The grapes for Barca Velha were originally sourced from this Douro Superior estate and this is an arrestingly powerful, youthful wine.  Very deep in colour with great depth and mineral layers to its heft of spicy black fruits, and the tannins to match.  Lots of oomph.  Stash it away for another 5 years.