One of the storied houses of Portugal, Quinta do Crasto is a top producer of not only vintage Port but full-bodied red wines. For those who have never tried wine from this producer, it is a must-visit. Simply put, these wines over-deliver for the price. Crasto has roots from the 1600s and have become one of the world’s top producers of dry Portugese wines. The vines are set on dramatic steep slopes on the right bank of the Douro River between Régua and Pinhão, as Quinta do Crasto is a 135-hectare estate with 74 hectares of vineyards. In 1981, Leonor Roquette, daughter of Fernando Moreira d’Almeida, together with her husband Jorge Roquette, took over majority ownership as well as the management of the estate. With their sons Miguel and Tomás, they began the process of renovating and extending the vineyards and in 1994 they began producing their beautifully balanced Douro DOC wines that have made Quinta do Crasto famous.
The new wines by made by Tomas Roquette were gorgeous across the board. An exceedingly good value, the 2017 Quinta do Crasto ‘Flor Do Crasto’ Red Wine (WWB, 90) showed wonderful richness and a soft texture. I was absolutely enthralled with their 2014 Quinta do Crasto ‘Duoro Reserva’ Red Wine (WWB, 93, which is a blend of 20-30 varietals from 70+ year old vines. If you have never sampled a great Porgugese red wine, this is the one for you. Here are the new fantastic releases from Quinta Do Crasto. Learn more about these gorgeous wines at www.quintadocrasto.pt
2017 Quinta do Crasto ‘Douro’ White WIne- This awesome value wine wine starts of fifth aromas of green apple and lemongrass on the nose. The palate is lithe showing a rich texture. White peach, gala apple and cantaloupe flavors all impress in the glass. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2019-2024- 90
2017 Quinta do Crasto ‘Flor do Crasto’ Red Wine- The ‘Flor do Crasto’ is an exceedingly good value wine out of Portugal. The wonderful nose evokes cardamom with black fruits and pipe tobacco, The palate is plush and wonderfully viscous, displaying black cherry compote, blueberry pie and cigar box flavors that all mingle marvelously. Drink 2019-2024- 90
2015 Quinta do Crasto ‘Superior’ Red Wine- The ‘Superior’ red wine by Quinta do Crasto shows a powerful bouquet with rose petal with tar and copious dark fruits that fill the nose. The palate is remarkably plush, showing dark currants, tar and black forest cake flavors. This is highly complex and downright delicious as the wonderful tension cuts through this rich viscosity. Drink 2019-2028- 92
2015 Quinta do Crasto ‘Douro’ Red Wine- Blue fruits mingle with dark fruits on the nose. Forward and downright delicious, the palate is plush delivering medium bodied dark and blue fruits that make this hard to resist right now. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2019-2025- 90
2014 Quinta do Crasto ‘Superior’ Syrah- The 2014 Quinta do Crasto ‘Superior’ Syrah is a seriously good wine that will have a long life in the cellar. The nose shows a beautiful dark fruit profile with smoky undertones with blackberry cobbler and dark currant with mocha/. The palate is plush, showing a wonderful combination of tension and richness. Mill chocolate, anise and chocolate covered cherry flavors all wonderful combine together. Enjoy this over the next decade. Drink 2019-2028- 93
2015 Quinta do Crasto ‘Reserva’ Red Wine- This ‘Reserva’ by Quinta do Crasto is sourced from vines up to 70 years up to age. It is a proprietary blend of roughly 20-30 grape varietals. The wine was aged in a combination of America and French oak prior to bottling, The nose is wonderfully complex with a rich selection of dark ad blue fruits wire coffee ground and anise aromas. The palate is plush, showing a wonderful mouthfeel. Mocha, creme de cassis, anise and dark currant flavors all marvelously combine together with great tension. While this is simply gorgeous now, the wine will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2019-2033- 93
2015 Quinta do Crasto ‘Vintage’ Porto- Inky in color, the 2015 ‘Vintage’ Porto is a colossus right now. The nose is intense perfumed with blackberry cobbler, anise, lavender puree and chocolate fudge. Already beautifully evolved on the palate, this reveals ripe red, dark and blue fruits as this show a huge range of flavors including bulls blood, and cran-orange. The tension and viscosity of the wine really shows marvelously. This beautiful wine is nowhere near close to being ready to enjoy so be sure to give this at least four more years to settle in the bottle. Drink 2022-2055- 96