Saturday afternoon's virtual visit to the Douro

[Roy Hersh]

An offline on the 40th floor of a rented condo with floor to ceiling windows provided a panoramic view worthy of filming. This is where Scott K. put together an offline and where three of the couples were staying. Nice digs and it is fun to see how the other half lives in Vancouver; one of the most aggressively priced RE markets in N. America.

As beautiful as the views were, the wines dominated the day. Scott organized an elaborate, yet focused afternoon of food and mini verticals of Douro wines. We focused on two producers; Quinta do Vale D. Maria and Quinta do Crasto, compelling to say the least. Scott and his lovely wife Bernadette thoughtfully arranged a wide array of hors d'oeuvres for us to pair with the DOC wines over the course of an entire afternoon. Serious Douro wine enthusiasts, including most wives, this group of friends gets together every year and always have a ton of fun together:

2000 Quinta do Vale D. Maria - more old school but still lively
2001 Quinta do Vale D. Maria - earthy approachable and showing some age
2004 Quinta do Vale D. Maria - my favorite of the three

We then made our way through a variety of Quinta do Crasto red wines ... nary a white to be found in this company!

2004 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva - Love it, always have and always will
2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional - Certainly in my "all time" top 10 Douro reds w/ a perfect showing
2004 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional - No slouch either, from a top vintage. More modern in style and a bit tight, but the upside is great
2001 Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa - I've not had a lot of the MT from this vintage so it was especially welcome and delivered at a high level
2004 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte - Douro reds just don't get much better than this ... one can never have too much of this beauty

Then came our an old Colheita but that's another story for another thread. Thanks again to Scott & Bernadette.