Herdade do Esporão – Alandra Tinto, Alentejo, 2018
£7.95
Youthful, ruby colour. Fresh berry, fruity aromas. Fresh, bright, packed with red fruits and some soft tannin.
84 Points Wine Enthusiast (2011 vintage) “This wine is a blend created using grapes sourced from vineyard sites, giving it a ripe, full-bodied character. It is smooth, almost New-World in style, but with an edge of tannins and acidity. Drink this wine now.” — R.V. (12/1/2012)
Crystal clear, pale straw colour. Fresh white stone fruits with citric notes. Firm, intense and well balanced palate, persistent aromatic fruit with a long finish.
86 Points Wine Enthusiast (2013 vintage) “Soft and round, this is a wine that has the warmth of the Alentejo coupled with a tangy, fresh slice of lemon. Blending Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Perrum, it’s a wine to drink now, or just age for a few months.”
Ramos Pinto’s Collector Port has a wonderful deep colour and aroma of spiced autumn fruits. The palate has a soft, supple texture and is packed full of layer upon layer of sweet winter berries and a touch of spicy fruitcake to the finish.
88 Points Wine Spectator “Lots of fresh crushed dark plum, chocolate and dark cherry flavors are firm and supported by fresh acidity. The finish is lively, with good grip.” – Kim Marcus – June 30, 2012
Founded in 1880 by brothers Adriano and Antonio, this Port house has always had a pioneering spirit. In the early 20th century it became noted for its innovative and enterprising commercial strategies including the distinctive art nouveau advertising campaign.
Among Port producers, Ramos Pinto enjoys the distinction of holding the largest proportion of vineyards in relation to its production, giving them a high degree of control over viticultural methods at harvest time. The House tends 187 hectares (460 acres) of prime vineyards in the Alto Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the famed Douro region, the mountainous valleys formed by the Douro River and its tributaries.
All situated in the areas of the Cima-Corgo and the Douro Superior, the four quintas or estates that make up Ramos Pinto’s holdings are:
Quinta do Bom Retiro: in Pinhão, planted exclusively with red varieties.
Quinta da Urtiga: adjacent to Bom Retiro.
Quinta da Ervamoira: in the far upper Douro, by the Côa river near the Spanish border. Here the grapes grow in dry semi-desert conditions.
Quinta dos Bons Ares: a cooler site with some of the highest vineyards in the Douro. Both red and white varieties ripen here with great natural acidity and fresh flavours.
The award-winning 10, 20 and 30 year old Tawnies are produced at Quinta da Ervamoira and Bom Retiro respectively.
Ripe notes of pineapple, blood orange and guava intertwine with herbal notes of asparagus and freshly mown grass. Dry, fresh and crisp on the palate with good persistence. An excellent aperitif or pair with goats’ cheese salad. Enjoy over the next couple years.
Deep purple black with narrow magenta rim. The heady and powerfully aromatic nose displays a characteristic abundance of rich plump fruit and the exotic notes of eucalyptus and rock rose which are the hallmark of the Quinta da Roêda wines on which the blend is based. Juicy and luscious on the palate, with discreet and well fused tannins and a long generous finish.
93 Points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. “There is a nice limpidity on this Croft 2007. It is not the power that strikes you but the purity with black cherries, liquorices, violets and a hint of iodine. Very tight and focused. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, pure blackberry, raspberry, white pepper and Asian spice towards the finish. Very fine focus, very pure and harmonious. Sensuous finish but it just tapers away when I need more grip and assertiveness. Still, this is a lovely Croft.” Neal Martin, May 2009.
92 points Wine Spectator. “Shows aromas of very ripe fruit and sweet tobacco, with hints of earth and spices. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with round, velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. Likeable for its soft texture. Best after 2016. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.” (05/09)
The 2007 growing season was preceded by a wet winter that replenished water reserves after four hot, dry years. The humid conditions continued into spring and early summer with lower than average temperatures combined with periods of rain. There were no significant periods of intense heat during the summer months. This ensured that the leaf canopies were in an exceptionally healthy condition and able to benefit from the warm weather that preceded the harvest.
The first two weeks of September saw constant daily temperatures of between 35ºC and 38ºC. These warm and dry conditions brought the crop to perfect maturity, advancing the production of sugar and phenolics while retaining the excellent natural acidity resulting from the relatively cool summer. As a result the harvest produced perfectly balanced musts which have produced stylish and elegant wines, full of vitality, with a superb fresh concentrated fruit character.
A classic Taylor Vintage Port, stylish and poised. The 2011 displays the purity of fruit, fine scented quality and firm linear tannins that are hallmarks of the house style, as well as the characteristic Taylor’s combination of power and refinement.
20/20 Jancis Robinson “This is restrained. Well mannered, discreet, keeps its powder very dry. But on the palate it opens out in the most superb, burgundian peacock’s tail sort of way….Upright and straight backed. But irreproachable. My gums are virtually impervious to sugar and acid but this wine set them vibrating a bit. Dried prunes ground up with rocks.” 2013-05-01
96 Points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “The 2011 Taylor’s Vintage has a multifaceted, Pandora’s Box of a nose that is mercurial in the glass: cassis at first before blackberry and raspberry politely ask it to move aside, followed by wilted rose petals and Dorset plum. Returning after one 45 minutes that nose has shut up shop. The palate is sweet and sensual on the entry, plush and opulent, with copious black cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit, curiously more reminiscent of Fonseca! It just glides across the palate with a mouth coating, glycerine tinged finish that has a wonderful lightness of touch, demonstrating how Vintage Port is so much more accessible in its youth nowadays. But don’t let that fool you into dismissing the seriousness or magnitude of this outstanding Taylor’s.” Neal Martin, Erobertparker.com 2013-05-01
97 Points Derek Smedley MW “The nose is deep and brooding yet it has the fragrance of violets rockroses, cedar wood and a hint of nutmeg. There is an intensity of flavour about the palate black cherry mingles with blackcurrant rich deep sumptuous. The fleshy richness is supported by seamless sinewy tannins with the freshness of bilberry and bramble giving a slightly lighter feel at the back bringing out a mix of exotic perfumes.” 2013-05-01
100% native varietal Fernão Pires is fortified to create a delicious sweet wine perfect for desserts such as custard tart or blue cheeses. Flavours of dried fruits are delivered from a smooth, textured palate with a lingering finish. Delightfully balanced and fresh. Great Value.
Beautifully elegant and complete wine from the most famous Vintage Port house, the perfect balance of power and refinement. As always, one of the most highly rated Ports of the 2007 vintage. A classic.
94-97 points Wine Spectator “A classic baby Vintage Port nose of blackberry, currant and a little bit of green lemon leaf. Full-bodied and medium sweet. There’s a solid core of ripe fruit and powerful tannins, with grip. The real deal.”
100 Points tysonstelzer.com “How can a wine of such monolithic proportions have such elegance, lift, poise and finesse? Laced with violets, cassis, rose petals, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and tremendous black fruits. Epic tannin presence and integration. Magical freshness and floral perfume, impeccable seamlessness and persistence.” Tyson Stelzer 2011-07-01
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