PRTVES15
£65.15
Founded by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the great Douro estates. It has a total area of 326 hectares, of which 133 hectares are planted with vines. The rest has been conserved in its natural state. The property has great variations in altitude, from 130m at the riverside to 530m at the top of the ridge. It has vineyards that face north, south, east and west, providing a remarkable range of conditions. Being so far inland, only 30k from Spain, the Quinta experiences climatic extremes, reaching very high temperatures in summer and very low in winter. It is very dry, with an average of only 400mm of rain falling each year.
The very attractive bergamot and esteva (rockrose) aromas combined with spicy notes, so typical of Touriga Nacional, are very apparent in this wine due to the combination of the North-facing aspect and the altitude, both of which favour cooler temperatures and lend these wines incredible freshness and perfect levels of acidity. Conversely Touriga Franca is a variety that flourishes with heat and at Vesuvio is planted at relatively lower altitudes. In 2015 the finest Franca was harvested from the Vale da Teja vineyards, predominantly northwest facing and planted between 150 and 200 metres, some lying near the river. This Touriga Franca produced some of the finest examples of this variety, making beautifully floral wines with velvety ripe tannins. The combination of these two varieties was complemented by a small quantity of Sousão, drawn from a more granitic area of the Quinta, which brings acidity and minerality to the blend, beautifully balancing this powerful and structured Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port.
£43.80
Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.
Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.
A very classy and compelling wine. Deeply coloured with a pure, intense bouquet of crushed fruits, spice and oak. Elegant oak aging enhances the wine’s complexity and class.
£67.50
£45.00
A complex nose showing notes of black cherry, plum, violets, coffee and raisins. The palate is smooth and rounded, with a richly-textured mid-palate and a medley of spice, dried fruit characters and supple tannins. The wine remains elegant, being so beautifully integrated and sweetly rich, but with a long and complex, dry finish.
£95.80
Barolo Liste is a signature wine of Piedmont, cultivated in the small, prestigious zone of Liste within the Barolo zone.
Nebbiolo grown in calcareous-clay soil gives this pure expression of Barolo its intense, garnet red color, with a few orange highlights. Its nose is moderately intense with notes of wild fruit, liquorice, tobacco and cocoa.
The vineyard carries its 35 years well and enjoys ample sunshine from the east.
On the palate it is dry and full-bodied with a velvety persistence that marries well with the great Piedmont culinary tradition. It is an ideal accompaniment to braised meats and truffle dishes.
95/100 - The Wine Advocate