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Yes, we are making a quick stop to the heart of Douro Valley again to revisit Quinta do Crasto and review three delicious wines!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Here is a re-cap of Quinta do Crasto from a previous article. Quinta do Crasto is a fourth-generation, family-run business that has been in the family of Leonor and Jorge Roquette for more than 100 years. It is also one of the oldest winemaking estates in the Douro region of Portugal. The earliest written records mentioning Quinta do Crasto and its wine production date back to 1615. One hundred forty years later, in 1756, the Douro became the first-ever demarcated and regulated wine region in the world. And in 2001, UNESCO sanctioned the Douro region as a World Heritage site. Quinta do Crasto is headquartered in the heart of Douro Valley, in Gouvinhas, a municipality of Sabrosa, and is one of the most picturesque parts of the Douro.  Photo courtesy of Quinta do Crasto With the help of Jorge and Leonor’s sons, Miguel and Tomás, and daughter, Rita, they produce top-quality Douro DOC wines, in addition to port and olive oil.  The Roquette family. Photo is courtesy of Quinta do Crasto Quinta do Crasto has four estates that spread across the sub-regions of the Douro Demarcated Region of northern Portugal. The Douro experiences a hot, continental climate, with each sub-region demonstrating its unique topography, soil, and water resources.  Map courtesy of The Society of Wine Educators Quinta do Crasto is a 335-acre estate of which 185 acres are planted to vines located in the Cima Corgo sub-region. Most of the vineyards are on south-facing slopes that extend from the banks of the Douro River to an altitude of almost 600 meters. The soils are of schist complex types that can absorb and retain heat. This, combined with dry conditions and excellent sun exposure, forces the roots to grow dozens of meters deep in search of water. All of these conditions contribute to the complexity and intensity of the wines produced. Small plots of old vines that total 98 acres are located on terraces with stone retaining walls to protect these older vines, some of which are a hundred years old. They recently expanded their vineyards to the Douro Superior sub-region with a new vineyard of 371 acres. So, let’s taste some wine! Crasto Superior Red 2016 Douro DOC The grapes for this blend are sourced from 15-year-old vines in the Douro Superior sub-region and are a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Souzão. The wine is aged for approximately 12 months in French oak barrels.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss The color is royal purple with aromas of ripe berries, a hint of cherry, and baking spice. Dark berries, plum, licorice, spice, and firm tannins abound on the palate. This wine is nicely structured with a long finish. Pair with grilled steak, seared tuna, hearty stews, or a charcuterie board. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $29 Quinta Do Crasto Reserva Old Vines 2016 Douro DOC The estate has 40 hectares of old vines spread throughout 42 vineyard lots. Among them are the famous Vinha da Ponte and Vinha Marie Teresa. Dozens of mixed varieties are planted in these plots. The grapes for this wine are sourced from old vines averaging around 70 years of age, with mixed plantings of 25 to 30 different grape varieties. This wine is aged in French (85%) and American (15%) oak barrels for 18 months.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss This is an elegant wine with a dark ruby color. An expressive nose of berries, anise, spice, and earth give way to a layered palate of dark fruit, berries, spice, a hint of minerality, and firm tannins. The finish is long, with notes of dark berries and cocoa lingering. Serve with game, hearty stews and soups, or grilled dense fish. Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $45 Quinta Do Crasto Touriga Nacional 2016 Douro DOC The grapes for this 100% Touriga Nacional are sourced from the best Touriga Nacional plots of Quinta do Crasto estate and only bottled in the best years when the highest levels of quality and excellence are achieved. This wine ages for 18 months in French oak barrels.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Touriga Nacional’s signature bouquet of violets is present in this deep purple-colored wine. Other aromas include fresh berries, spice, and oak that segue onto the palate with notes of dark chocolate and blackberries lingering on a long finish. This wine has excellent structure and smooth tannins. If allowed to age another year or so, it will develop even more complexity. However, it is ready to enjoy now. Serve with hearty cuisine.
Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $78 All of these wines are amazingly fresh with beautifully concentrated flavors. I used my Coravin system on all three bottles and am looking forward to opening them within the next year! Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com My last story was a virtual tour of the DÃO wine region in Portugal. Since it is so close to the Douro region, I thought it might be fun to “virtually” stop by Quinta do Crasto winery and taste a few of their wines.  Photo courtesy of Great Wine Capitals Quinta do Crasto is a fourth-generation, family-run business that has been in the family of Leonor and Jorge Roquette for more than 100 years. It is also one of the oldest winemaking estates in the Douro region. The earliest written records mentioning Quinta do Crasto and its wine production date back to 1615. One hundred forty years later, in 1756, the Douro became the first-ever demarcated and regulated wine region in the world. And in 2001, UNESCO sanctioned the Douro region as a World Heritage site. Quinta do Crasto is headquartered in the heart of Douro Valley, in Gouvinhas, a municipality of Sabrosa. It is one of the most picturesque parts of the Douro.  Photo courtesy of gouvinhas.pt Constantino de Almeida bought Quinta do Crasto in the early 20th century. He was famous for his wine house dedicated to the production of port. After his passing in 1923 Constantino’s son, Fernando Moreira d’Almeida, took on the management and production of high-quality Port wine at Quinta do Crasto. In 1981, Leonor Roquette, the daughter of Fernando Moreira d’Almeida, together with her husband Jorge Roquette assumed majority ownership and management of the estate. With the help of their sons, Miguel and Tomás and daughter, Rita they renovated and extended the vineyards and began producing Douro DOC wines, which the winery is now known for both domestically and abroad.  The Roquette family. Photo is courtesy of Quinta do Crasto The Douro may be famous for supplying the world with its production of port wine, however, it is now being praised for its succulent and refined unfortified wines, both red and white. And, Quinta do Crasto is producing top quality wines combining a state-of-the-art wine cellar with traditional methods of winemaking. In addition to port and unfortified wines, they also produce olive oil. Quinta do Crasto has four estates spread across the sub-regions of the Douro Demarcated Region of northern Portugal. The Douro experiences a hot, continental climate with each sub-region demonstrating its own unique topography, soil and water resources.  Quinta do Crasto is a 335-acre estate of which 185 acres are planted to vines located in the Cima Corgo sub-region. Most of the vineyards are on south-facing slopes that extend from the banks of the Douro River to an altitude of almost 600 meters. The soils are of schist complex types that can absorb and retain heat. This combined with dry conditions and excellent sun exposure forces the roots to grow dozens of meters deep in search of water. All of these conditions contribute to the complexity and intensity of the wines produced. Small plots of old vines that total 98 acres are located on terraces with stone retaining walls to protect these older vines, some of which are a hundred years old. Quinta do Crasto recently expanded their vineyards to the Douro Superior sub-region with a new vineyard of 371 acres. I recently received two samples of Quinta do Crasto wine from the Cima Corgo sub-region.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Crasto White 2018 This wine is a blend of 40% Viosinho, 30% Gouveio and 30% Rabigato indigenous grapes. 85% of the blend was matured in stainless steel vats and 15% of the blend was fermented and aged in used French oak barrels for three months.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Light lemon in color, aromas of floral, citrus and pineapple give way to a fresh and lively wine on the palate. Notes of minerality are well integrated with a creamy texture and lemon zest on the finish. Rabigato contributes to the natural acidity, Gouveio contributes citrus notes and Viosinho adds dimension and texture. Enjoy as an aperitif or serve with seafood, grilled fish, white meat and light pasta. Alcohol: 12% SRP: $20 Crasto Red 2018 This wine is a blend of 35% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Franca and 10% Tinta Barroca indigenous grapes. 85% of the blend was aged in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and 15% in French oak barrels for six months.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Deep purple in color, this wine has a heady bouquet of fresh ripe berries, floral and baking spice. The palate offers dark berries, plum, spice, anise, a hint of pomegranate and chalky minerality. Acidity, tannins and texture are nicely balanced. Pair with grilled meat, pasta, stews and grilled tuna.
Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $20 Both wines are well structured and exhibit freshness and balance. And, they pair well with many seasonal dishes. Pour yourself a glass of the “Douro Valley” and enjoy! Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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