Recent tasting notes

• N.V. Graham Porto 20-year Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Maple, nut brown color, beautiful! Rich wood, and raisen nose with soft toffee carmel notes. Med weight in the mouth with a rich sweetness that drys a bit on the finish followed by an alcohol burn that seems well integrated. Rich wood flavors of oak and a bisquit note that leads me to believe it was covered with carmel. Light fruit through out though only of the dried variety and a soft spice of cinnamon and spicy vanilla. I could drink a lot of this. C5+A13+T18+O9=95 (95 pts.)


• 2001 Quinta de São Jose - Portugal, Douro (3/1/2005)
  Tinta Roriz and Touriga Francesca, 8months on Oak
  Deep Opaque purple. Clove, anise, smokey oak, and hints of vanilla all show at first on the nose, with rich fruit coming forward as it begins to open. Rich in body with light alcohol sweetness and tannins that are not aggressive but do well to support the flavor. Big oak covering the fruit a bit, which appears to be cherry, strawberry with a strong mineral presence as it begins to open further. C5+A12+T17+O8=92 (92 pts.)


• N.V. Graham Porto 10 Year Old Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Light brown with glints of Ruby as is agitrated. Noticeable wood and alcohol on the nose with hints of carmel and light fruit. Rich in the mouth with a coating quality followed bylight alcohol on the finish. Carmel, with dried raisen, prune and a clove/allspice note intermingled. I need cheese with this to bring to life. Very nice wine though the alcohol is a bit distracting on the finish. C5+A13+T17+O7=92 (92 pts.)


• 2001 Rejadorada Toro Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (3/1/2005)
  Deep red with hints of purple. vanila, oak, Light spice, maybe black pepper and Cherry, raspberry quality. Softer than the later with round soft tannin and asofter acidity. Nice fruit without the oak overpowering it. Cherry, raspberrry, some tobacco, and a light background of black pepper? Even a bit of bacon fat as it warms in the glass. Best balance of the three wines I tasted from Rejadorada.
  C5+A12+F17+O7=91
  13.5% alcohol (91 pts.)


• N.V. Graham Porto Six Grapes - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Almost maroon in color. Nose of plum and dried cherries with hints of liquorice. Also a distinct stewed fruit quality as if it was my mom prepareing Jam! Med weight with a nice richness and no alcohol presence, also the tannins seem soft but noticeable. Big fruit, almost candy like with cherry, strawberry, and a light smokiness. Very nice. C5+A12+T16+O8=91 (91 pts.)


• 1998 Graham Porto Late Bottled Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Deep reddich purple all the way to the rim. This spent 6 years in Oak. Elementary school paste with light anise and pencil lead on the nose with a rich berry quality lurking beind it all. Rich in the mouth with a strong alcohol presence on the finish. Sweet fruit and lots of spice, black pepper, anise, clove, and a nice black berry quality to support it all. Though here they say it cannot age, I think this might gain from 2 or 3 years lying down. C5+A12+T16+O7=90
  I liked this more as it sat open and if I was to re-rate would give it a T17 and O8 (90 pts.)


• 2001 Rejadorada Toro Sango - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (3/1/2005)
  Deep purple with hints of a ruby red. Thick clingling legs, quite bueatiful. Lots of Oak, tobacco, this was just opened and needs time to breathe. There is a lot trying to get out of the nose but it's wound up pretty tight. thought some rich ripe cherry, fresh off the tree seems to be screaming to get out. RIch in the mouth though softer overall, the tannins though present seemed subdued and integrated more with the acid and fruit. Rich fruit and lots of oak with nice vanilla hints and raspberry. Why I can't move past the raspberries I don't know, but all three of Rejadorada’s wines remind me of raspbberries I picked as a kid, if those raspberries were then coated in vanilla and oak. I think this puppy could use a few years to mellow out.
  C5+A12+F16+O7=90 (90 pts.)


• 2002 Quinta de São Jose - Portugal, Douro (3/1/2005)
  Nice plum color with glints of ruby, brilliant clear. Spicey oak, vanilla, and dried plum on the nose. Med-Heavey w/soft tannin on the front end and a rich acidity on the finish. Nice acid, cherry, light smoke, some cranberry and a that same light minerality. This is a nice soft wine with a flavor richness, who would do well to be paired with some stewed beef or pork.
  C5+A12+T16+O7=90 (90 pts.)


• 2003 Rejadorada Toro Tinto Roble - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (3/1/2005)
  Gorgeous ruby color with thick clinging legs.
  Vanilla spice nose with hints of oak. THough the fruit seems a bit restrained. Rich, medium body with light tannin and medium acidity. Oak and Vanilla, Cherry, and a nice sour raspberry quality. Very nice steak wine, whose acidity would deal nicely with the richness of the meat.
  C5+A11+F16+O7=89
  14% alcohol (89 pts.)


• 2002 Bodegas Ramon Ramos Toro Tinto Joven Monte Toro - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (3/1/2005)
  Slightly hazy deep reddish maroon. Strong rich berry nose with oak, smoke and some bacon fat. Med body with steely tannins and a strong acidity. Cherry, Oak, vanilla, earth/mineral and a light dried fruit quality.
  C4+A12+T15+O7=88 (88 pts.)


• 2000 Grao Vasco Tinto - Portugal, Dao (3/1/2005)
  Nice deep ruby red. Smokey mineral nose with hints of blackberry and plum. Medium body with light faded tannins, nice balanced acidity and short but enjoyable finish. Flavors of raspberry, light oak,smoke and a light mineraltiy. The 12% alcohol shows a bit strong on the finish but overall is not a factor.
  C5+A11+T15+O6=87 (87 pts.)


• 2001 Evel - Portugal, Douro (3/1/2005)
  Very rich deep amber/ maroon, with plum accents, and a bit muddy. Port nose, of rich fruit, plum, raisen and a rich spice all framed by a delicate minerality. Med Body w/soft tannins and structured acidity. Light Cherry, plum, oak, vanilla, all show on the palate, though the spice on the nose does not follow through to the palate. Flavor of jammy fruit, though not a “jammy” wine. Very port like but with more of the smokey oak usually not found in port.
  C4+A12+T14+O7=87 (87 pts.)


• 2004 Vinicola de Castilla Macabeo Viño de la Tierra de Castilla Senorio de Guadianeja, Blanco - Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Viño de la Tierra de Castilla (3/1/2005)
  Steely light yellow with the smallest bubbles adhereing to the sides. Nice light fruit nose with some floral notes and Medium body with a viscous nature that fades at the end leaving a crisp finish. Green pear and a light lychee nut quality appear first on the palate followed by a lightness that turns to an almost but not quite bitter finish. Blind I might think it was a blend of gewerztraminer and viura or verdejo. As it warms the whtie flower quality of the nose becomes more prevelant, while a faint nuttiness that I can't quite put my finger on shows through. Nice
  C4+A11+T15+O7=87 (87 pts.)


• N.V. Graham Porto Tico Dry - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Austere, and alive!Light nose with a slight nuttiness and some pear? Almost steely with an underlying softness. Very dry in the mouth with an austerity and light bite on the finish. Fresh mosit nut quality with some light fruit. A nice apretif though not for large amounts of consumption. C5+A11+T14+O7=87 (87 pts.)


• 2001 Real Companhia Velho Porca de Murca - Portugal, Douro (3/1/2005)
  Very light and clear maroonish red. Nose of sweet candied fruit,jolly rancher like.Med body with light tannins and high acid. Flavors of cherry, light oak and some light minerality. Nice and pleasant enough though not very involved.
  C4+A11+T14+O6=85 (85 pts.)


• N.V. Graham Porto Fine white Port - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/1/2005)
  Honeyied nose with a light minerality. Both this and the other white are a light clover honey color. the nose also shows light muscat like grape qualities. Med to heavey in the mouth with noticealbe residual sugar. Also a definate alcohol heat on the finish. Nice though a bit brash.C5+A11+T13+O6=85 (85 pts.)


• N.V. Vina Rotura - Spain, Carinena (3/1/2005)
  Light red with brilliant clarity. Cherry, light cinnamon and a little bit of smoke and spice. Med body with a light sweetness in the front of the palate but ending dry. Fine tannins and very light. Tart cherry and light spice with a nice overall spice quality. Not bad for a cheap bottle of red from the supermarket.
  C5+A12+F12+O6=85 (85 pts.)

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