Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Estate Tinto is revisited this issue as part of the vertical of Conceito's Estate red. This lacks the depth of some vintages, but it is fresh, lifted, graceful and powerful. In other words, the same type of profile we saw with the 2011. Beautifully focused, vigorous and a bit astringent at the moment, this has closed up since I last saw it. Handling its oak well, it demonstrates how fine it will be one day. It would really help if you could give it a couple of years before opening it, though. This is a young puppy whose best days are well in front of it. It may not have the same depth as some years, but its fresh feel and serious backbone will serve it well.
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Wine Enthusiast
This big and rich wine is succulent and generous. Firm tannins show strongly through the ripe juicy black currant fruits. Full of the strong minerality typical of the Douro, this wine and its dry core still needs time to age. Drink from 2018.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Looking rather international in style, the well-made 2012 Conceito Estate Red competes well with similarly-priced wines in the marketplace. This wine boasts bold, ripe fruit, some floral notes, and accents of oak. Its smooth finish pairs it well with grilled beef. (Tasted; April 3, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.