Pocas Vale de Cavalos

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：2729

The 2009 Vale de Cavalos is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca sourced from the property in Douro Superior and partly aged in a mixture of French and American oak for 8 months. Bright, with a blueberry tinge from the oak overlay, this seems a touch behind some Vale de Cavalos bottlings, a bit high toned, with some initial harshness as well. There are still some nice things here, but it was my least favorite of the current releases. Drink now-2018. This winery has some nice offerings this issue at all levels, but it is hard to avoid calling special attention to the value wines – they performed very well at quite nice price points.Importer: HGC Imports, San Jose, CA.; tel. (408) 947-8511

The 2008 VALE DE CAVALOS, the winery’s Douro Superior property, is a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, fermented in stainless steel and aged in 8 months in a mixture of French and American oak. This bottling is always something that is reasonably priced and a lot of fun, likely to appeal both to geeks and novices. It is round and nicely textured with good, but not overly obvious flavors, finishing brightly, with the flavors dribbling gracefully over the palate in appealing fashion. It is also nicely structured with enough of a backbone to feel serious. Its mid-palate is graceful and gives it some finesse. The price is also right. I always tend to think these will be best in the first 3-6 years after the vintage date, but it certainly has enough structure to suggest that it can hold on longer. If I had to pick, I’d take the winery’s ’07, but this sunny wine is a worthy competitor. Drink now-2018. Importer: HGC Imports, San Jose, CA.; tel. (408) 947-8511

The 2007 VALE DE CAVALOS is another good value from this winery. It takes the Coroa d’Ouro reviewed this issue, adds depth, yes, a little oak, but more structure as well, creating a sexy, lush wine with a caressing texture, and some steel under the velvet. For all of its sex appeal, it is quite elegant in the mid-palate, seeming graceful and charming. This is a pleasure to drink and should be a crowd pleaser, on par with the lovely 2005. Drink now-2017. Importer: HGC Imports, San Jose, CA.; tel. (408) 947-8511

The 2005 VALE DE CAVALOS is a single vineyard wine. It is, like the regular -05 Tinto reviewed here, a typical Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca. A bit tighter on opening than the regular Tinto reviewed here, its best feature is the bright, flavorful fruit in the elegant mid-palate. The grip on the finish may serve this wine well as it ages, but the wine is quite approachable. With an hour's air, the fruit becomes sweet, the wine more aromatic and the texture lusher-although it does flatten out fairly quickly with extended aeration. There were 750 cases produced. Drink now-2014. This winery, a relatively new entrant to table wine production in the Douro, is making a splash and providing some good values along the way.Importers: HGC Imports, San Jose, CA.; tel. (408) 947-8511; Monarchia Matt International, Armonk, N.Y.; tel. (877) 273-8466.