1924 Colheita tasted at Villa Nova de Gaia
View from Quinta de ErvamoiraI have just got back from a wonderful trip to the Douro Valley as a guest of Ramos Pinto. This region has to be one of the most under-rated wine regions in the world and is simply stunning.
Ramos Pinto was established in 1880 by Adriano Ramos Pinto who made a name for himself with his innovative ideas which involved modernising selection, blending and ageing. Ramos Pinto were the first Port producer to plant individual varieties in separate plots. Their Quinta de Ervamoira property which is located in the wilds of the Upper Douro is nothing short of spectacular, this area was nearly flooded by the construction of a dam until the discovery of Palaeolithic stone carvings which saved this unique property in the nick of time. See the picture below, taken looking down on Ervamoira. You can only get to the Quinta by Land Rover as the road is very rough and unsuitable for normal cars.
Ramos Pinto was established in 1880 by Adriano Ramos Pinto who made a name for himself with his innovative ideas which involved modernising selection, blending and ageing. Ramos Pinto were the first Port producer to plant individual varieties in separate plots. Their Quinta de Ervamoira property which is located in the wilds of the Upper Douro is nothing short of spectacular, this area was nearly flooded by the construction of a dam until the discovery of Palaeolithic stone carvings which saved this unique property in the nick of time. See the picture below, taken looking down on Ervamoira. You can only get to the Quinta by Land Rover as the road is very rough and unsuitable for normal cars.
This was followed by a marvellous lunch in this incredible setting after which we set out for Quinta do Bom Retiro located near Pinhao. The property consists of 109 hectares at a height of between 110 and 400 metres with 62 hectares planted to vines with an average age of 25 years. The varieties produced here are all red and include Tinta Barroca, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Nacional.Ramos Pinto produces some marvellous tawny Ports that offer such versatility and can be served as an aperitif, with cheese, pudding or just sipped on their own as a digestif. I was also hugely impressed by the still (unfortified) wines from the Douro which seem to have improved beyond recognition and are a great match to the rustic food one finds in the region. White Port with tonic makes a delicious aperitif when the weather is warm and worth taking note for next summer!
The highlight of the two days was a tasting of wines at the Ramos Pinto HQ in Villa Nova de Gaia which included tasting a 1924 Colheita (vintage tawny). Ramos Pinto don't sell Colheita's however this was used as a blending wine in their older tawnies and was simply stunning. With a beautiful aged colour it exhibited toffee and caramel aromas and tasted incredibly intense and nutty.
Sadly the vintage has been badly disrupted by rain this year and 2008 is unlikely to be a declared year. In fact since 2003 it seems that only 2007 will be declared, leaving us rather short of declared vintages in the last five or so years.
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