Getting In Touch With My Roots

2007 Quinta do Crasto Tinto Douro

My last name’s Paulo. It’s Portuguese.

I’ve never been to Portugal, and my family is the classic American grab bag. There’s Irish, and German, and Dutch, and numerous other mostly Western European nationalities in there somewhere.

But my last name is Portuguese, so it holds something of a special place. Portugal, that is. That being said, until I tried this Douro, I’d never had a wine from Portugal that wasn’t a Porto. I’d had plenty of those, rubies, and tawnies, and vintage Porto. But I’d always associated Portugal with the fortified wine the country is so famous for.

Oh my. Oh my, how wrong I was.

The 2007 Crasto Douro is some pretty fan-friggin-tastic wine. At 13.5% ABV it’s refreshingly low in alcohol compared to what seems to be today’s standard. The wine is a blend of four Portuguese grapes: it’s 35% Tinta Roriz, 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca, and 15% Touriga Nacional.

The wine is a garnet-to-purple color in the glass, lighter than it is dark, but very rich. The nose has two major elements: bright, ripe fruit (mostly raspberry), and an herbaciousness that comes off as a bit of mint, a bit of juniper.

OK… once you get this wine in your mouth, however, it changes course. Dark red cherries mingle with notes of chocolate. It’s medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a short finish. The wine is oaked but not over-oaked, there’s an excellent balance and real structure here.

But oh, the cherries and the chocolate… not surprisingly, it all reminds me of Porto. There’s a big, big difference, however: this Douro from Crasto can be enjoyed more often (and in larger quantities) than dessert wine can.

I recommend you do.

Verdict: A-

2007 Quinta do Crasto Tinto Douro

2007 Quinta do Crasto Tinto Douro

2008 Tamas Estates Barbera Port

Harmony in Port

Sometimes we arrive at the best stuff in the world when we mix’n'match, so to speak.

I’m a combination of ancestors from Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, England, and maybe even a couple other countries. I’m also completely Californian and American, having been born here, and, frankly, by choosing to embrace these places.

This port-style wine from Livermore Valley’s Tamas Estates is a similar thing. Mixed and matched, with influences both from the heredity of its grapes, and from the location of its birth.

First, some vitals: The wine is mostly barbera (92%, to be exact), but also, and significantly, what isn’t made up of this Italian stalwart is touriga nacional, perhaps Portugal’s finest vitis vinifera. It is 19% ABV, so while not quite as alcoholic as Steven Kent’s Cab Sauv Port, it doesn’t skimp in this regard.

The wine also feels entirely Californian. Some may say this is to the juice’s detriment; however I doubt those people read this blog.

On the nose is an enticing mix of chocolate, cinnamon, and mint. The alcohol scent is sweet and not off-putting. The cinnamon and mint are mellow, while the chocolate note is brash and bold. The port is clean and biting in the mouth, smooth and sweet, and the overriding flavors are mint and spices. The alcohol comes through (how could it not) but is not overwhelming to the other notes and doesn’t kill the whole experience.

A wine to be enjoyed in very small doses. But a wine to be enjoyed, for certain.

Verdict: B+