Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs very well with rich red meat or game dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Reserva Old Vines (around 70 years of age on average) spent 18 months in 65% new and 35% used barriques (85% French, the rest American). The used barriques were previously new on the 2010 Reserva Old Vines. About the only bad thing you can say about this is that it is too marked by oak in its youth, but that is always true when it is young. That will become much better in time. Some cellaring will provide additional complexity as well, but it is otherwise quite approachable now even if not showing us all that it has to give. For my money, this is easily on the short list as a contender for “Best Reserva Old Vines” ever, because of its combination of concentration, lift, structure and superb balance. This is not the wine in the lineup that will always make you go “wow.” There is not a hint of bombast. However, it does everything beautifully, and balance is its hallmark. Even as it tightens with air, it proves how harmonious it is, showing off its finesse, crispness and focus. The fruit always seems fresh and lively here, never ponderous. The next day it hardly seemed changed. This should age pretty nicely. If all that is not enough, it is pretty tasty, too, a wine that will be hard to dislike on all fronts. Considering the price point, this is a "can’t miss" buy.
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Wine Enthusiast
A dark and powerfully rich wine from one of the top quintas in the Douro. It shows great concentration from the old vines. With its weight, dark fruits and dense tannins, it needs to age in order to bring out the solid wood and black, brooding character of the wine. Don’t drink before 2017.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Rich and meaty, with cherry and dark chocolate flavors supported by a full flush of acidity and firm tannins. Mineral and slate details extend with plenty of muscle on the finish. Drink now through .
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.