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Quinta do Vale Dona Maria www.valedonamaria.com
__________ four reviews The wines are from a single south facing vineyard owned by Cristiano van Zeller and his wife in the famous Rio Torto valley in the heart of the Douro. Renowned for it’s fortified wines, the Douro also produces some excellent table wines taking advantage of the ideal location and quality of its vineyards.
Douro Red 2002 After a traditional foot-trodden crushing and fermentation in lagares, the must was allowed further skin contact for two days prior to racking half into stainless steel and half into new French Limousin 620 litre oak casks where three months of malolactic fermentation took place. The final blending took place in June 2002 without fining or filtration. It has bottled aged since then. This deep coloured, full-bodied red wine, full of ripe, soft tannins, combines a long fruity finish with a predominance of mature red fruit. 500 cases made. 90/100 Ripe cherry, plum, strong mineral, licorice root, vanilla, spicy, olive, peppery tobacco nose with a hint of orange rind. Rich, ripe, concentrated with good acidity but slightly tannic and hot. Great spicy, vanilla, cherry, plum, clove, licorice, chocolate and orange peel flavours. Fresh but ripe and rich with some elegance. AG-ST SKU 528646
Reserve Port Lote 01 (Unfiltered) Produced from grapes of a single vineyardl ocated in the far hills of the Douro, that has been in family hands for over a century, Cristiano van Zellar has bottled this Port, unfined and unfiltered, as his personal reserve. Issued from wines that were vinified foot trodden in old granite stone “lagares” and aged in old wooden vats, this unfiltered “Reserve” is bottled only once every year, on the date shown on the label. Full bodied with a deep purple colour, this Port shows a great structure with intense fruity character and soft ripe tannins and a very long finish. It was specifically bottled to age in bottle for many years to come but it can be thoroughly enjoyed now. It will throw a deposit with bottle age. Please serve carefully. 89/100 Look for a peppery, fiery, spicy, black licorice candy, tea, black cherry aromas with some citrus peel. Rich, round, warm and full with some tannins. Chocolate, black cherry jam, tealeaf, raisin square, peppery, black licorice flavours. Good acidity but quite warm on the finish. Needs 3-7 years or try with cheese or a chocolate lava dessert. A hybrid vintage port style. AG SKU 546077
2000 Vintage Port Picking of the grapes occurred late due to the the very hot and dry weather during the harvest of the grapes for the Douro table wine which allowed the small parcels selected for this Port to ripen to perfection for a traditional Vintage Port year. All grapes were continuously foot trodden in the lagares for 5 days before and during fermentation. Quinta do Vale Dona Maria 2000 Vintage Port is deep purple red in colour, with very concentrated and still closed aromas of mature red fruit with a predominance of raspberries and black cherries. The tannins are very ripe and concentrated. It is a wine with great balance and a very long and fruity finish. A classic. Only 1,000 cases produced. 90+ points – J. Suckling – Wine Spectator (2002) SKU 633073
2003 Vintage Port The Quinta Vale D. Maria 2003 Port is incredibly deep in color, violet, dark red and purple, has a tremendous concentration of mature dark red fruit aromas, with a very typical predominance of blackberries, black cherries and plum jam, cassis and esteva (rock rose). Very powerful, though very elegant, it is a Port with great balance and finesse and a very long and fruity finish. Remarkable quality and incredible value. A total of 783 cases were produced. 91/100 Lovely Spicy, floral, tea nose with black cherry, licorice, smoky, garigue aromas. A big young fiery port with round, fat, concentrated flavours of black cherry jam, orange, plum, peppery, licorice, spicy mint flavours. Fine acidity, huge fruit, rich tannins. Big Potential. Cellar for a decade. (ST - AG) Wine Access "Top 100 Wines of 2005" 94 points – Wine Spectator (Dec 2005) SKU 415125

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