Quinto do Crasto Reserva Old Vines

[Mahmoud Ali]

Has anyone tried the 2014 vintage of Crasto's Reserva Old Vines? I've seen some reviews and it ranges from an elegant, light to medium-bodied wine for current drinking, to dark and tannic with cellaring required. Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks .............. Mahmoud.

[Andy Velebil]

I have. It was a very difficult year and harvest. It’s a nice wine and still a good QPR but one to drink in the near term. If you have access to the 2015, skip the 2014 and buy all you can of the 2015.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mahmoud Ali]

Thanks Andy. One of the reviews mention the difficult year, however I was quite impressed by the strict selection that was made. Apparently a number of vineyards were omitted from the blend but grapes from the Maria Teresa vinyard were included.

First, said Manuel Lobo, normal production was cut notably (normally, he said, there would be 25% to 30% more) as there was a stricter selection. Second, the south-facing vineyards that Crasto owns did better, Manuel said, and some north-facing vineyards were eliminated from the blend. (He said: "Three of the plots didn’t make the final blend, and Vinha da Ponte was bottled separately. Vinha Maria Teresa is part of the final blend.")

Strict selection and good winemaking from a reputable producer is always a good sign. However, all things considered I decided to hold back a little and bought only three bottles.

Mahmoud.