Snow storm at Douro van Zeller tasting!!

That got your attention eh!! Mike B and myself met up at a tasting with Cristiano van Zeller present. Lovely wines, great stories, plenty of interest from others at the store tasting. Think MB will be along with his impressions later today.

We started off with the regular cuvee of Crasto followed by an marvellous `02 Quinta Vale do Maria ($34 Cdn). Currants, spice, mint, blackberry. All coming together and one for a few years in the cellar. Very nice and we both purchased some, signed by Cristiano. Next up was the `00 Vintage Port, oh how I remember that `00 LBV tasted last year. This one is drinking nicely now, floral nose and good structure. Final wine was the `87 de Zeller Vintage Port($55 Cdn). Very good port and drinks nicely now, does not have the big depth of many other VPs out there but this has evolved nicely. Mike B was very keen on this one I think.

All great wines as the snow fell outside!

Here is some great info from Jamie Goode............

http://www.wineanorak.com/douro2004_8_Valedonamaria.htm

Hey Bob,

The Crasto was a decent QPR wine at $20 Cdn, with strong blueberry and vanilla oak. I may yet buy a few as crowdpleasers.

The Vale D. Maria was just something else, though. You nailed those flavours and I can see this going well with lamb and mint. Nary a hint of offensive oak, yet Cristiano said this wine gets 21 months of barrel aging - the longest of his wines. It was definitely fruit forward, yet elegant in structure.

The '00 Port was a bit medicinal for my tastes and needs more time, but I did love the '87 de Zellaer. The booziness on the nose did not show up on the palate. Instead, it was smooth, with caramel, toffee, nut and currant.

Bob is right, it did not show a lot of depth. And Cristiano seemed almost apologetic when he said it wasn't a "powerful" vintage. But frankly, I loved its finesse.

Yeah, the 21 months in oak was a real surprise. This wine is gonna be a winner!!

Jamie Goode seems to take a shine to it, as well.

I tasted through some Vale Doña Maria 2004. I really liked it. I'm also surprised to hear it sees that much oak. Did you have their CV?

-Otto-

Crasto was at the Vancouver Festival last week, and I tried their wines. The 2004 Old Vine Reserva was, as usual, a great wine. It sells here for $36 now. An every year purchase for me.

Otto, I thought the CV had a bit too much of everything right now: oak, fruit, tannins. But it's very young (I think I had the 2003 vintage), and it might settle down in time. But I'm not sure this would be your kind of wine - I could be wrong, of course. A little spoofilated, perhaps?

All the Douro reds I tried were outstanding in Vancouver. This really is a hot wine region on a roll. There were four big houses, including Quinta Vale de Dona Maria - the 2004 was great here as well, and the next wine up the range, one I've never seen or heard of before, as it's made in very small quantities (I think they said 1000 bottles) - sorry, the name escapes me - was absolutely amazing. I have two bottles coming to me ($50). Unfortunately, we won't get the 2004 vintage of the 'basic' red in BC for some reason: they are still selling the 2002 vintage here now, which is a little weak for this wine, reflecting the vintage (though it's stilll a very good wine), and then the 2003 and 2005 will eventually show up. The winemaker might have said that the 2004 vintage was a little smaller than normal. He also said he thought the 2003 was the most 'impressive' wine he has made. I was intrigued by that comment, as he seemed to relate 'size' with 'impressiveness'. Et tu, Brute?!

I tasted through some Vale Doña Maria 2004. I really liked it. I'm also surprised to hear it sees that much oak. Did you have their CV?

-Otto-

I think everyone was surprised when Cristiano said how much time it has in oak.

No CV, though.