JuiceBlog
At our most recent Friday Night Fight we presented the firstof three scheduled (and hopefully more) features on Great Wine Rivers. Wetasted a fantastic range of wines from Spain’s Ribero del Duero and thePortuguese Douro.
We began with two lovely table wines, the Grandjo Branco andTinto, the first a refreshing and aromatic white dominated by an aromaticMuscat on the nose, and the crisp Fernao Pires, an indigenous Poruguesevariety, on the palate. The tinto is also composed of indigenous Portuguesevarieties, and shows some rustic earthiness on the nose, with good fruit andtannins on the palate. Both are excellent value in traditional rather thaninternational styled wines.
For our third wine we moved upstream to the Ribera del Dueroand the 100 per cent Tempranillo Braccamonte 2005. The Spanish portion of theriver can experience baking hot daytime temperatures, but being at significantelevation above sea level it can also get cool at night. So the wine developsexcellent fruit definition, and firm acidity to keep this wine, which has someage, well-preserved. It still has plenty of life and pleasure to give!
Our next wines provided a fascinating contrast oftraditional and modern styles for red table wine from the traditional port winearea of the Douro. The Quinta do Cidro 2004blends Touriga Nacional with Cabernet Sauvignon, and the dark colour and firmtannins showed through the influence of French and American oak. This wine wasa big favourite amongst our appreciative guests, and is a fantastic wine. Themore traditional style with a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, andothers, was the Quinta di Aciprestes Reserva 2005. It showed a slightly lighterhue, beautiful depth and complexity, and would be magnificent with roast lamb.Outstanding value.
We had to have some port! So we finished with the FonsecaLBV 2005. This wine is unfiltered and really delivers great flavour andcomplexity. I can’t wait for Christmas when I get my annual allowance of portand Stilton!
I really love this Great Wine Rivers concept, so look forothers coming soon: the Loire and the Garonne.But up next on our Friday Night Flight: California.
Cheers,
The Professor