2017 Douro Tinta Roriz
Prezzo di mercato
Opzioni di acquisto
Note di degustazione
34-year-old vines at 300 m. Grapes from the best Tinta Roriz plots of Quinta do Crasto, destemmed and slightly crushed. After this, the juice is transferred to temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Once the alcoholic fermentation is completed, the grapes are gently pressed. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. TA 5.1 g/l, pH 3.74. Deepest purple crimson with black core. Lots of oaky sweetness on the nose as well as vanilla-laced dark, ripe fruit. Plus sweet tobacco and cherry chocolate. On the palate, really very oaky. Deep-pile thick, smooth, compact tannins. Full in the mouth. Lots of black fruit and some dark chocolate on the palate but the oak dominates for now. Needs time – it has only just been released – but will it get the chance for the oak to recede and the wine to become more complex? I hope so. But I also think this would be more attractive with less obvious oak, even now. Infanticide to drink it now. (JH)
Punteggi della critica
Punteggio medio
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Mark Squires
Altre recensioni e punteggi
The 2017 Tinta Roriz was aged in new French oak for 16 to 18 months, depending on the plot (with three vineyards separately fermented). It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. This was set for bottling in a few days after this tasting. This vat sample was the final blend, however. It may be the best Tinta Roriz Crasto has yet produced. It may also be the year when the Tinta Roriz makes this statement. Is it the best wine in Crasto's lineup this year? Maybe, maybe not. But it's a serious contender, and it was my favorite in this tasting, provisionally. We'll see how it develops. In the meanwhile, it seems pretty special. Concentrated, seductively textured, powerful and brilliantly structured, this has a gripping finish. The fine fruit is the key here, though—the mid-palate always holds up to the power. The fruit lingers, nuanced with some hints of beef. The next day it was still burly and intense but far more expressive. It is going to be fun to see where this goes. It should age very well—30 years or more is not out of the question. As always, let's be a little conservative, though. At the beginning of the drinking window, it will certainly need some time to show its best, although it may be approachable earlier (or with some air). I suspect it will really start rounding into form around 2027, give or take, assuming it is as good as I think it is. That's not to say it will have peaked or be on the way down after that. There were just 8,849 bottles produced, plus some large-format bottles.