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Portugal: Odd Bottles

Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal also has a fine history of wine production. Here, however, the history relates to the fortified wines of the Douro known as Port, which where Britain's replacement for Claret when relations with the French deteriorated. Now, though, the country has a growing reputation for table wine as well. Here I include notes on Port and Madeira, as well as the handful of table wines that have come my way. Click to locate stockists.

Quinta do Crasto (Douro) 1997: Quite a pale cherry-red hue. Nose has red fruit - nothing like the aggressive 1995. On the palate confected notes mar an otherwise pleasant wine, with soft tannins and flabby acidity. This wine was clearly cooked, and I returned the others to the store for a refund. The next time I went back, I saw my bottles back on the shelf. Oh dear! Not scored. (May 2000)

Quinta da Fonte Do Ouro Touriga Nacional (Dão) 1997: A gorgeous, glossy purple hue. The nose, although initially closed, opens out with time. It is dominated by a combination of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, with a load of toasty French oak. Good texture on the palate, with firm tannins, good acidity and bags of fruit. There are some interesting sweet, smoky notes. A very international style, but very good with it. 16.5/20 (December 2000)

Vinhos Sogrape Duque de Viseu Dão 2000: A good, youthful depth of colour. A nose, full of creamy, treacly toffee, smoke and raspberry. Simply lovely! Full, ripe and flavoursome palate. Sweet and creamy raspberry toffee, following the nose. Medium bodied with very nice grip. Short finish. For current drinking. Excellent value. 16/20 (September 2004)

Croft Late Bottled Vintage Port 2004: A dark, richly coloured wine. The nose possesses sweet fruit in a very clean and expressive style, with black and a touch of blue fruit, smoky-smouldering embers too. There is not a hint of spirit to it, and it has an admirable brightness and freshness despite the depth off aroma. On the palate it shows a great texture, rich and sweet, with moderate tannins but also bright acidity and although the alcohol comes through here it seems wholesome and in keeping with the sweet, plush, ultimately simple but nevertheless very welcoming fruit layer. I find some more savoury elements in the finish, the only suggestion of a deeper complexity. All the same this is a really lovely composition; it is not an intrinsically great wine but one that has been very well put together, it offers great value, and is a real step up from the wines of the Croft of old. 16/20 (January 2012)

Croft Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port 2002: A good colour, deep red, rather dusky in appearance, and not particularly dense or opaque. The nose shows somewhat woody fruit, with a spirity character. On the palate a flattering sweetness, with a creamy but certainly not luscious presence, leading through to a rather firm finish showing some ripe but dry tannins. There is a rather simple brown sugar note to it, which is straightforward but not displeasing, and to be critical a slightly hot, alcoholic character. A little short on concentration of flavour. Nice if rather simple Port. 15/20 (February 2008)

Cruz Vintage Port 1989: A beautifully rich colour when poured, dark and dense, still with much that suggests youth. A very classically styled nose, abundant with the perfume of violets, along with notes of woody musk and Indian spices. And on the palate what impresses most is the texture - this is a rich, creamy, opulent wine, with plenty of underlying alcohol to give it some kick. Good balance of acidity and a bit of tannin also in evidence. Plenty of spiced fruit flavour too. 16.5/20 (April 2004)

Delaforce Vintage Port 1985: The cork here behaved just as it did with my last bottle a few years ago, crumbling into a myriad pieces. Port tongs would have been the better option. In the glass this wine has really faded, and these last two bottles don’t reflect the potential I saw in one bottle many years ago. At the centre it has a tawny-toasty hue, with very little red pigment, and there is a wide and watery rim. The nose is gently spicy and aromatic, with soft sandalwood, baked figgy fruit, leather, earthiness and a little spirit. Attractive sweetness at the start, and this is maintained through the midpalate, but around that there swirls some firm alcohol. There is a pretty layer of leafy-earthy fruit as suggested by the more savoury aromatic tones, but the wine is still showing the bones of its structure underneath. With three data points now it is pretty clear that this wine is heading downhill and unlike some 1985s, which are still going strong, I would advise drinking this sooner rather than later. 16/20 (January 2012)

Delaforce Vintage Port 1985: A terrible cork; crumbles under the screw and some Port tongs would have been very handy here. Good colour though, initially a little tawny but actually showing a bright, vibrant red under a good light. It has a lovely nose of sweet fruit and cinnamon, leather and cigars, and the palate follows up with similar finesse. There is considerable sweetness, a feature that marks the '85 Delaforce, but also a lovely rounded texture, with stylish porty blueberry fruit and a wood-smoke wedge. Great weight a concentration, but attractively balanced too. Should drink well for 10-15 years yet. 18/20 (September 2005)

Delaforce Vintage Port 1994: Still a great depth of colour here, although it shows a maturing rim. The nose is just explosive, coming out with scents of fig, plum, and sweetly stewed fruit, and still the warm suggestion of alcohol despite this wine's seventeen years. Full and substantial on the start of the palate, bold, full of sweet fruit as the nose suggested, but also textured, full of grip and showing a little spirity alcohol still. Given some time it turns back from its initially sweet and heady,fruit-dominated character, showing more savoury eleements, but also a lot of structure. This is a great effiort for Deaforce, one of the more convincing vintages I have tasted from them in recent years. Great length too. 17/20 (February 2011)

Quinta do Crasto LBV 1995: A deep red purple colour. The nose has a rich intensity of black fruit, with spices, figs and fruitcake. A seductive palate, with a smooth, almost creamy texture. Pleasant fruit, toasty oak notes, and slowly building yet never fiery alcohol. Tannins are soft, and reside in the background. It's a little hollow in the midpalate, but without doubt the best LBV I've had this year. 16.5/20 (September 2000)

Barbeito Malvasia Madeira 1962: Served blind. A rich, deep golden brown, with a warm and toasty tinge to the rim, with perhaps the faintest tinge of green. A little vegetal on the nose, but with notes of Christmas pudding and seasonal spices, crumbly ginger biscuits and sweet, smoky, baked earth aromas. Rich on the palate, peppery, with very prominent acidity. A very firm composition, with walnuts and sweetly polished wood. Full, rounded and expressive, this is intense and yet bright and lifted. A wine of great warmth and intensity, this goes on and on. Really very good indeed. Barbeito is a small family business established in 1946 which turns out authentic, unadulterated Madeira - on the basis of this tasting I would like to try more. 17/20 (March 2009)

Blandy's Duke of Clarence Madeira NV: Purchased four years ago in the summer of 1998. An attractive walnut-brown, fading to a golden-amber at the rim. What a nose! There are layers of aromas, led by nut and toffee scents, then touches of orange marmalade, treacle, wood and coffee-grounds. A lovely, fairly rich texture on the palate, which coats the mouth as the flavours build, an intermingling of oranges, nuts and toffee. Nicely integrated alcohol and appropriate sweetness. This relatively simple cuvée illustrates the heights that truly good Madeira can aspire to. 16.5/20 (October 2002)

Henriques & Henriques Malmsey, Ten Year Old NV: A hearty, walnut-brown hue. An initial trace of volatility on the nose, followed by a march of walnuts, furniture oil and toffee. Full, rich, very amply textured on the palate, with a rather masculine, forceful style. Nevertheless, the rich and creamy character is nicely balanced by fresh acidity. Plenty of good character here. Very good indeed. 16.5/20 (January 2006)

Henriques & Henriques Dry Sercial Madeira NV: Purchased in spring of 2003. Warm, golden-brown hue. Walnut and baked earth nose. Lovely richness on the palate, with a creamy, seamless texture evident right from the moment. Lots of weight which caresses the palate, lovely impact, and really stacked with flavour. Nutty and warm, opening out to reveal woody citrus and coffee nuances, with a burnt vibrancy to the finish. Rich yet quite dry. This is very good. 16.5/20 (February 2005)