DOW VALE DO BOMFIM 2007 RESERVA
Ripe fruit, touched by vanilla, layered with dark tannins; this is a winning formula, a wine packed with black jelly flavors, made more tense by acidity and smoothed with the hint of wood." The 2006 is the third release of Vale do Bomfim, a dry red wine sourced from Dow's primary vineyards including Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira. The Symingtons, renowned for producing top Ports for four generations, have long enjoyed Dow's dry wines as a family tradition. Given the fast growing interest in and acclaim for Douro DOC reds, the family decided to offer a limited amount of Vale do Bomfim for sale exclusively in the United States.
DUAS QUINTAS 2003 RESERVA ESPECIALWINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2003 “Duas Quintas Reserva Especial” has a pungent nose, and sappy, young fruit, but the tannins take over the wine fairly quickly. The mid-palate is elegant, but the power indicates that this is a wine built for aging, and I think it will age very gracefully. It was raised in new oak casks for 12 months. The wine is then aged an additional two years in-bottle before release. There is superb, ripe, flavorful fruit underneath the haze of tannins, but it will be easier to find in a few years. I predict that this is going to be utterly delicious when it is ready to drink. In the shorter term, however, you will likely prefer the “regular” Reserva, which is more accessible, and equally tasty. Drink 2009-2020."
ESPARAO 2005 RESERVA
40% Aragonês 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Trincadeira
Deep purple reddish hue, big nose of bittersweet chocolate, ripe dark fruit such as, black
berries, plums, tar, baking spice. Full bodied, medium + alcohol but not hot, just the right
amount of acidity, soft gripping tannins, well balanced and perfectly suited for food,
bright intense lip smacking finish. The palate is full of ripe red and black fruit with hints
of cocoa and a bit of earthiness towards the end.
First records of Esporão date from 1267, and the estate still has a tower (which appears
on their labels) that was probably built in the second half of the 15th century. The estate
was bought in 1973 by Finagra, a company set up by Joaquim Bandeira and José
Roquette. One year later, it was nationalized following the 1974 Revolution. By the time
Finagra got it back, in 1984, the vineyards were in poor shape, and needed lots of
reorganization and work. A new cellar was built in 1989 and the first Esporão brand of
wines was made from the 1989 vintage. Australian winemaker David Baverstock has
been in charge of the wines for the last 16 years steadily increasing the quality and
making Esporão one of the most sought after wines from Portugal.
ESPORAO 2008 RESERVA
A blend of Antao Vaz, Roupeiro, Arinto
Aromatic nose of ripe peach, orange blossoms, tropical notes of bananas and cream.
Medium to full bodied, juicy acidity, well balanced and integrated oak leading to a zippy
fat finish. The palate has underlying minerality and ripe stone fruit characteristics.
Prats & Symington 2004 Chrysela Only 200 cases available for the U.S. Very forward, intense smooth liqueur-like dark fruits on the nose, with a distinctive blackberry jam character. The palate is ripe and vivid with some spiciness and a bit of roasted oak in the backgroud. Nicely structured. A very modern-styled wine, but tasty with it.
PRAZO DE RORIZ 2007
"Beautiful aroma of crushed red fruits with loads of ripe plum, cassis and smoke flavors. Well balanced, with plenty of structure as well.
QUINTA DE BONS-VENTOS 2007
The Quinta De Bons-Ventos 2007 has a dark bright ruby color and is very aromatic with notes of ripe black and red fruit. On the palate it has nice body with oak notes and bright acidity. It is fresh yet fine tannins take over at the finish and flavors of pepper and liquorice linger on. A blend of Castelão, Camarate, Tinta Miúda and a small proportion of Touriga Nacional.
QUINTA DE RORIZ 2004 RESERVA 750ML WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS "After the vertical tasting, my conclusion was that the 2004 RESERVA was the best wine yet made here. It is powerful and focused, intense and gripping, showing fine depth, great fruit, and better structure than the lovely 2003. It will be interesting to watch the development of this wine, which may yet merit a higher rating, but its multilayered, intense, yet well balanced presentation was superb... Drink 2009-2019."
QUINTA VALE D. MARIA 2006 A very small product of only 23,000 bottles from a fabulous vintage. Aged in 100% French oak, 70% new and 30% first use for a period of 21 months. Consisting primarity of Rufete, Turiga Franca, Tinta Amarilla, Tinta Rouriz, and others.
SOALHEIRO 2009 ALVARINHO
Region: Vinho Verde sub-region of Monção and Melgaço
100% Alvarinho (The superstar white grape of the Vinho Verde region aka Albariño across the border in Spain. It can make rich, full-bodied and fragrant whites and in Portugal they tend to have a more mineral based structure)
Nose of jasmine flower, citrus, and pear. The palate is intense with steely minerality, and lush tropical fruit notes. Dry, medium bodied, with lively acidity, and a long finish. This wine is lean and mineral driven with a focused intensity when young but transforms with gorgeous smoky citrus nuances with a bit of age which it can do for many years to come!
VALE DA TORRE 2007 "BIN 717"
“Bin 717” is a blend of 50% Trincadeira and 50% Aragonez (aka Tempranillo in Spain). Trincadeira performs well in hot climates and lends bright raspberry fruit, spicy, peppery, herbal flavors and very good acidity to a blend. The Aragonez produces good yields of flavorsome wine reminiscent of red fruits, plums, strawberries and blackberries with firm tannins; and it responds well to oak aging. “Bin 717” in particular has a dark, inky purple color with a strong nose of wet tobacco, black raspberry and blackberry. On the palate are flavorful amounts of red and black berry fruit with a pinch of dried black chili flakes. Dry, medium-bodied, with bright acidity, soft juicy tannins and a smooth finish. Break this out when you get ready to grill and be rewarded.
