WTN: Dão, not Douro.

Dão DOC – Jaen – 1996 – Quinta das Maias – Alc. 12.5%.

This wine is a mono-varietal made from the Jaen grape variety. Normally red Dão is made from a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto and, according to Wikipedia, is supposed to contain a minimum of 20% Touriga Nacional. Since, as well as this Jaen, I have bottles of mono-varietal Alfocheiro Preto and have also seen mono-varietal Touriga Nacional, it would appear that the rules are applied with a light touch. Here are links to a Wikipedia article - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinho_do_D%C3%A3o and to an, as always, interesting study by Jamie Goode - http://www.wineanorak.com/dao1_overview.htm .

C: Deep but mature looking.
N: Rich red and dark fruit with an orange peel note and background hints of jam and wood ageing.
P: Rich and full bodied with aromas similar to those on the nose except for the orange peel being more in the background and towards the finish. Whilst there is some structure, the overall impression is quite supple and ingratiating. There was a softening on the finish which, together with the orange peel, suggested that the wine might not have much further to go but right now 15.5/20.

A bottle a few years ago was more aggressively modern; oaky and jammy. Greater age has civilized this bottle which has, indeed, aged much better than two out of three mid-90s up-market Douros which I opened for the Open Mike. I seem to have read somewhere that Jaen is a grape intended to bring suppleness to the blend with little ageing potential on its own, so this is a very creditable performance.

Tim, I am glad that you have bought up the subject of Dao! I think many of us Iberian fans have been overlooking this area which must surely have some potential with more advanced wine-making methods. The good old days of rough rustic Dao reds has probably passed and I feel it is time to see what is on the shelves!
Maybe if we study a white on Wine Focus in April,we can have a Dao Open Mike!!? Who knows what will show up eh.

I am surprised your `96 hung in so long. Obviously not a $6 bottle?

Yes, Bob, it could be interesting to do a Dão OM sometime. But there might be an availability problem in some places. Even here with a Portuguese community I have not seen a lot of choice. Some of the range from this estate and its stable mate under the same ownership, Quinta dos Roques, is available at Rob, the gourmet's temple, but it is quite pricey; € 15 - 30; they also make a very nice white Encruzado, a sort of Chard substitute gastronomically.

Yeah, I have just checked local board website. Not a lot of choice after all but OM worth a go I`d say.
Tim, still have plenty of Douro to open but now we are thinking claret eh!!! Found some `01 Graves for around $25 Cdn. Same place I turned up all that `99 Musar which now rests in the Grill`s cellar!!

A bottle a few years ago was more aggressively modern; oaky and jammy. Greater age has civilized this bottle.

Was it "modern" back then or was it plain... young? These wines, and not just Bordeaux, are intended to be drunk with some age. Too many times we pass judgment on them way too soon.

BTW, jaen is the same grape known as mencía in Spain, nowadays popular with all those fashionable Bierzo wines. Contrary to what purported gurus may say, it ages very nicely.

One Dão I discovered here at the SAQ is called Mei Encosta. At $10.20, it's an absolute steal.

It's become somewhat of a house wine for me when I don't feel like raping the cellar...