Islington Gazette - http://www.islingtongazette.com
Allow yourself to be won over by Douro
editorial@islingtonexpress.co.uk
03 October 2005
Liz Sagues
Port purveyors have little problem selling their wares to the British drinking public.
But turn to the unfortified wines from the spectacular slopes of the Douro valley and it's a different story.
I can't understand why these wines are not more popular and my puzzlement was only confirmed the other week when I tasted through 30 offerings, all available in the UK.
Go out and buy them, and be won over. At a time when bland conformity can be increasingly the rule in wine, these are different. They have echoes of port in their dense, complex flavours, with sweet dark plummy fruit and hints of bitter chocolate and coffee, but of course none of port's hefty spirit and sweetness.
Essentially, they're food wines - think roasts and stews, spicy sausages or game.
The best Douro table wines use the same grapes as port, with touriga nacional, touriga franca and tinta roriz (better known as Spain's tempranillo) the most significant.
Often, too, some of port's winemaking techniques are used, notably the treading of grapes in lagares, shallow stone troughs, a much-photographed practice which sees swarthy Portuguese, shorts tucked into underpants, up to their thighs in dark red grape juice.
Wines from the 2003 vintage are just reaching the shops, but despite that summer's heat those I tasted had a consistent freshness. They are tannic, though - at the end of the tasting the inside of my mouth felt as though it was lined with fur.
So what to buy? Do look for Douro on the label. There are plenty of other good Portuguese reds around, but too often, in an effort to make them export-friendly, international varieties and winemaking styles have been introduced. Why on earth follow the crowd when you have something different and special? Mostly, you're looking at £6 or £7 upwards a bottle - and some go to the heights of £35 or £45, not always justified.
But there's a bargain introduction at Waitrose, Altano (£4.50). It's a simpler wine than many, but still has regional character, with a mix of dark fruit flavours and a pleasantly dry finish. Its big brother, Altano Reserva (Waitrose, £8, currently 2000 vintage) is rich and dark-chocolately, a fine example.
Excellent value, too, are Duas Quintas Tinto (Majestic, £7 or £5.60 for two or more, currently 2002 vintage) and Quinta do Vallado Red (Bibendum; http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk, £7.30). And for a real treat, back to Bibendum for the wine which won the Douro Trophy in the 2005 International Wine Challenge, Quinta do Vallado Reserva Red (£13.70). If my "yum" isn't sufficient recommendation, consider the Challenge judges' "power, length and sweetness".
Good independents should be able to offer further choices, and there are a good number on restaurant lists, too. So make the importers happy!