DAY 10------July 8th-----Douro Superiore
The Douro Boys------and Girl!
Douro is not for the faint hearted. It is hot, dry and for the most part very, very high. The high roads are narrow and everything--believe me----looks tiny from the top--even a train.
The Douro Boys is a term that has become very synonymous with a clique of sorts. A number of producers and friends as well as rivals got together to not only taste each others wines but also to make a better product. Two of these individuals were visited by us on this day. This was indeed an honour since we had the pleasure of visiting and tasting their products this day.
Christiano van Zeller of Vale Dona Maria was the first. Co-incidentally, we also revisited the better looking of the group today also as Sandra Tavares was the winemaker for Christiano at Quinta do Vale Donna Maria.
Quinta do Vale Dona Maria
Christiano van Zeller is a passionate man who does not like short-cuts. He believes in the phrase "if something is to be done, do it well or not at all!" He didn't say this to me at any time but my instinct after 27 years in the people field tells me that. Then there is his track record.
In 1993, he wanted to make sure that the true unique essence of the wines of the Douro---both Port and Red Wine---be brought to the forefront.
Single Quinta producers could make wines of "unique personalities and special characteristics" and, by concentrating on developing and marketing this product, these smaller producers could carve a niche of quality for their particular wines thus leaving the mass production of brand names to the bigger boys. In a sense, this is the same as what Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser started in Inniskillin in 1975 at a little Canadian place called Niagara-on-the-Lake--the Boutique Wineries. In the case of van Zeller, however, this was to take back control rather than start from "scratch"!
He left "Quinta do Noval" which he owned and was winemaker and started to develop wines---both still and fortified----from grapes grown in Single Quintas in co-fermented blocks (grape varieties grown together in the vineyards!). In 1995 he purchase a property and in 1996 he purchased Quinta do Vale Donna Maria. Buildings were constructed on the 19 hectare property and the 50 year old vines comprised of traditional vines such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Amarela, Rufete, Tinto Barroca, Tinto Roriz, Sousao were perked with only the best kept.
Presently, all of Christiano's red wines are foot trodden in legares and then they are fermented in stainless steel tanks while his ports are foot trodden and finish being fermented in the legares. There is either minimal or no filtration to these wines which enhances the potential for aging. The result was then and is now great wines of great character and flavour with tremendous aging potential. I tasted these wines and I have tasted a piece of the heavenly host every time I take a sip!
Wines
The Port and Red wine of Quinta do Vale Donna Maria are truly exceptional. You can take and differentiate the vintages but why? They are all great in their own way. The Ports are dark, opaque with deep red/black fruit flavours and essences of figs while the red table Douro wines can be best described as "portable" in other words they have the power and concentrated flavours that could be a port but at the same time, they are their own character, full, dark and special.
It was great meeting Mr. van Zeller. Such a larger than life and powerful person can only make one want to be better him (or her) self!
Mr. van Zeller treated us to a fine lunch and soon we were off to the next visit.
Quinta do Crasto
Quinta do Vale Donna Maria is high up but it was Quinta do Crasto that made me look down! This place is on top of a mountain---high up there. The view is one that would make a Bald Eagle jealous and the Quinta, though historic with a history that goes back to the early 17th Century, is being renovated with new buildings which house not only fine wines but also modern appartments. Since we were staying the night, we tried one of them. It was not only modern and very spacious but it was very comfortable and private. Great!
Coming from the van Zeller abode to that of the Roquette family which owns Crasto was ironic in a way since they too are members of the "Douro Boys" having aided Christiano van Zeller during his "come back" and resultant occupancy of Quinta do Vale D. Maria. The producers help each other in this area--which is the way it should be.
Miguel Roquette met us at the Quinta and it was immediately recognizable that he was a perfect host! The showed us a tour of the establishment pointing out the magnificent views from the patio of his home as well as the "Infiniti Pool" which it seemed quite popular with tourists and locals alike. "They come all this way just to ask to see it!" he said.
The Quinta goes back to the the early 1600's.The name is a translation of the ancient Roman name for "fort". With its location high up on the mountain top, that would be a very good name for it!
The Roquette family has made many friends in the wine trade, among which is Jean-Michal of Chateau Lynch;Bages in a mutual effort called "Xisto" which combines the Douro and Bordeaux styes of making wine.
Miguel Crasto was the perfect host. Whether it was while giving us a tour of the establishment; having dinner with us in the evening or breakfast in the morning, he was his usual pleasant and welcoming self. Miquel also had an heir of dignity whenever and wherever he went with us. At one point, he took us to his boat on the Douro and off we went on a boat ride down the famous and historic river. Past old mansions, past modern hotels while at the same time, viewing the ancient land that was known to the ancient Romans and probably the many peoples who came before them. Indeed, wine is history, geography, science, culture and most of it all it is people!
Miguel made absolutely sure that our stay was informative and enjoyable.
Later on in the day, he brought out what seemed to be a Port. We looked at it and tasted."What year do you think?" he said to us! I guessed '91 whereas Marcio said '94. "No" he shook his head.
I then haphazardly guessed '75 forgetting that the colours, where dark indicating a much younger wine. "Oh, now you really please me!" he said. It was a '95. I said to myself that I must start to practice what I preach and learn to become less impulsive!
The evening went well and after tasting some more of the Crasto wines, we retired to bed. There was one more thing that impressed me with this young man. He had a sense of life. He loved life and also loved living things.
While sitting at the table, we noticed that certain pests usually come around such as ants, wasps etc. Miguel could have killed them but instead he left them alone. "We respect all life here, in the Douro!"he said. "If possible, we do not kill since it is all part of nature." I thought to myself, maybe that is the reason---in part at least---why the wines are so great!
Wines
Quinta do Crasto
Flor de Crasti: Cherry flavours with some spice thrown in. Rich and medium to full on palate. Nice note of spice and berry.
Crasto Vinho Tinto (V):An amazing wine. Concentrated and powerful. On the nose it has plum and dark fruit while on the palate the black currant, blackberry, plum , fig----almost a Port. The wine is indeed a lovely example of the great wines of the Douro.
Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 2004: Ripe black fruit, pepper, chocolate and anise start the olfactory senses going with this wine. Figs, sweet fruit and black currant keep it going. A great port that still has some aging maturity ahead.
Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 2003: Black berries, cocoa and fig on nose. Dark fruit concentrate and full body. Lingering and very lasting finish.
The wines that are above are available at the LCBO or your regular liquor store.
The next morning, we were off to yet another two wineries but this was a special occasion. They were to be the last wines of our tour!
End Of Day Ten
Douro is not for the faint hearted. It is hot, dry and for the most part very, very high. The high roads are narrow and everything--believe me----looks tiny from the top--even a train.
The Douro Boys is a term that has become very synonymous with a clique of sorts. A number of producers and friends as well as rivals got together to not only taste each others wines but also to make a better product. Two of these individuals were visited by us on this day. This was indeed an honour since we had the pleasure of visiting and tasting their products this day.
Christiano van Zeller of Vale Dona Maria was the first. Co-incidentally, we also revisited the better looking of the group today also as Sandra Tavares was the winemaker for Christiano at Quinta do Vale Donna Maria.
Quinta do Vale Dona Maria
Christiano van Zeller is a passionate man who does not like short-cuts. He believes in the phrase "if something is to be done, do it well or not at all!" He didn't say this to me at any time but my instinct after 27 years in the people field tells me that. Then there is his track record.
In 1993, he wanted to make sure that the true unique essence of the wines of the Douro---both Port and Red Wine---be brought to the forefront.
Single Quinta producers could make wines of "unique personalities and special characteristics" and, by concentrating on developing and marketing this product, these smaller producers could carve a niche of quality for their particular wines thus leaving the mass production of brand names to the bigger boys. In a sense, this is the same as what Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser started in Inniskillin in 1975 at a little Canadian place called Niagara-on-the-Lake--the Boutique Wineries. In the case of van Zeller, however, this was to take back control rather than start from "scratch"!
He left "Quinta do Noval" which he owned and was winemaker and started to develop wines---both still and fortified----from grapes grown in Single Quintas in co-fermented blocks (grape varieties grown together in the vineyards!). In 1995 he purchase a property and in 1996 he purchased Quinta do Vale Donna Maria. Buildings were constructed on the 19 hectare property and the 50 year old vines comprised of traditional vines such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Amarela, Rufete, Tinto Barroca, Tinto Roriz, Sousao were perked with only the best kept.
Presently, all of Christiano's red wines are foot trodden in legares and then they are fermented in stainless steel tanks while his ports are foot trodden and finish being fermented in the legares. There is either minimal or no filtration to these wines which enhances the potential for aging. The result was then and is now great wines of great character and flavour with tremendous aging potential. I tasted these wines and I have tasted a piece of the heavenly host every time I take a sip!
Wines
The Port and Red wine of Quinta do Vale Donna Maria are truly exceptional. You can take and differentiate the vintages but why? They are all great in their own way. The Ports are dark, opaque with deep red/black fruit flavours and essences of figs while the red table Douro wines can be best described as "portable" in other words they have the power and concentrated flavours that could be a port but at the same time, they are their own character, full, dark and special.
It was great meeting Mr. van Zeller. Such a larger than life and powerful person can only make one want to be better him (or her) self!
Mr. van Zeller treated us to a fine lunch and soon we were off to the next visit.
Quinta do Crasto
Quinta do Vale Donna Maria is high up but it was Quinta do Crasto that made me look down! This place is on top of a mountain---high up there. The view is one that would make a Bald Eagle jealous and the Quinta, though historic with a history that goes back to the early 17th Century, is being renovated with new buildings which house not only fine wines but also modern appartments. Since we were staying the night, we tried one of them. It was not only modern and very spacious but it was very comfortable and private. Great!
Coming from the van Zeller abode to that of the Roquette family which owns Crasto was ironic in a way since they too are members of the "Douro Boys" having aided Christiano van Zeller during his "come back" and resultant occupancy of Quinta do Vale D. Maria. The producers help each other in this area--which is the way it should be.
Miguel Roquette met us at the Quinta and it was immediately recognizable that he was a perfect host! The showed us a tour of the establishment pointing out the magnificent views from the patio of his home as well as the "Infiniti Pool" which it seemed quite popular with tourists and locals alike. "They come all this way just to ask to see it!" he said.
The Quinta goes back to the the early 1600's.The name is a translation of the ancient Roman name for "fort". With its location high up on the mountain top, that would be a very good name for it!
The Roquette family has made many friends in the wine trade, among which is Jean-Michal of Chateau Lynch;Bages in a mutual effort called "Xisto" which combines the Douro and Bordeaux styes of making wine.
Miguel Crasto was the perfect host. Whether it was while giving us a tour of the establishment; having dinner with us in the evening or breakfast in the morning, he was his usual pleasant and welcoming self. Miquel also had an heir of dignity whenever and wherever he went with us. At one point, he took us to his boat on the Douro and off we went on a boat ride down the famous and historic river. Past old mansions, past modern hotels while at the same time, viewing the ancient land that was known to the ancient Romans and probably the many peoples who came before them. Indeed, wine is history, geography, science, culture and most of it all it is people!
Miguel made absolutely sure that our stay was informative and enjoyable.
Later on in the day, he brought out what seemed to be a Port. We looked at it and tasted."What year do you think?" he said to us! I guessed '91 whereas Marcio said '94. "No" he shook his head.
I then haphazardly guessed '75 forgetting that the colours, where dark indicating a much younger wine. "Oh, now you really please me!" he said. It was a '95. I said to myself that I must start to practice what I preach and learn to become less impulsive!
The evening went well and after tasting some more of the Crasto wines, we retired to bed. There was one more thing that impressed me with this young man. He had a sense of life. He loved life and also loved living things.
While sitting at the table, we noticed that certain pests usually come around such as ants, wasps etc. Miguel could have killed them but instead he left them alone. "We respect all life here, in the Douro!"he said. "If possible, we do not kill since it is all part of nature." I thought to myself, maybe that is the reason---in part at least---why the wines are so great!
Wines
Quinta do Crasto
Flor de Crasti: Cherry flavours with some spice thrown in. Rich and medium to full on palate. Nice note of spice and berry.
Crasto Vinho Tinto (V):An amazing wine. Concentrated and powerful. On the nose it has plum and dark fruit while on the palate the black currant, blackberry, plum , fig----almost a Port. The wine is indeed a lovely example of the great wines of the Douro.
Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 2004: Ripe black fruit, pepper, chocolate and anise start the olfactory senses going with this wine. Figs, sweet fruit and black currant keep it going. A great port that still has some aging maturity ahead.
Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 2003: Black berries, cocoa and fig on nose. Dark fruit concentrate and full body. Lingering and very lasting finish.
The wines that are above are available at the LCBO or your regular liquor store.
The next morning, we were off to yet another two wineries but this was a special occasion. They were to be the last wines of our tour!
End Of Day Ten
posted by Chuck Byers - Wine Consultant | 11:04 PM
<< Home