Branco/Whites

Quinta da Falorca Encruzado Reserva 2017 Recently bottled at tasting in 2018. Stainless steel fermented with a touch of 5% Malvasia Fina from old mixed vineyards aged in barrels for 10 months.  A very floral Encruzado style with green stem, mint leaf freshness on nose and persistent white peach flavors. In the mouth offers a very fine, fresh, continuous texture with just enough fine viscosity that nicely spun forward with crisp acidity. Should be looking good now 3 years on. 17/20 Tasted 7.2018

Quinta da Falorca Espumante This classical method ‘blanc du noir’ style is based on Touriga Nacional. It’s a relatively dry Brute style with 4 grams residual sugar and aged in bottle for 2 plus years. Offers up a yeasty aromas and flavors with a touch of telltale violet florals over red fruit baseline. A dry gastronomic style of bubbles with firm tannins. 15.5/20

Tinto/Reds

Quinta da Falorca T-Nac 2016 This is Falorca’s people’s wine and consistently well done statement of pure Touriga Nacional. Stainless Steel produced to preserve the big T’s spicy, brambly, black berry aromas. Similar flavors in mouth, concentrated fruits flavoring throughout. Tannins kick in midpalate. Nice bold, happy, pure, honest statement of TN. A great answer to orange wines, in its own way it’s all about skins and grape and purity of what it is. Gastronomic. Will age well. 12eu 15.5/20 Tasted 7.18

Quinta da Falorca T-Nac 2009 Intentionally fruit driven, this unoaked style emphasizes pure, fresh Touriga characters: savory black fruit/red fruit aromas; soft, succulent, juicy, sappy black fruits in the mouth; and powdery mid-palate tannins. More polished aromas and textures than T-nac 08, nevertheless I found it a very enticing, highly gluggable wine. Still very young, it has potential to improve with age. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca T-Nac 2008 14% This is a great little unoaked wine, highlighting pure Touriga characters: broad blueberry-violet, mineral tinged aromas, juicy, firm, slightly astringent tannins and black fruits on finish. It potentially may develop more elegance with time in bottle. Selling locally for 8.5eu. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Lagar Reserva 2014 A lagar made blend of Touriga, Roriz and Alfrochiero matured for 18 months in new French Oak. Opens with pronounced cedary oak driven (menthol, vanilla) high tones, but accompanying black cherry and black fruit aromas more than hold their own against this. Marriage is somewhere, sometime around the corner? It’s creamy seamless texture is packed full of fruit with fine tannins and acidity in support. Good length of flavor, its well balanced throughout. Current 2011 release just finished in 2018!   18/20.  Tasted 7.18

Quinta da Falorca Reserve 2001 13.5% This Touriga Nacional dominant blend, with Roriz and Alfrocheiro, was matured in French oak. Leading with nicely perfumed savory, red fruit aromas, followed up with soft, succulent red fruits in the mouth, good acidity and length. This was paired with salmon at Fat Duck restaurant. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Noblesse Oblige 2011 This Touriga dominated Dao blend is made with two barrels from their oldest vineyards and rest unoaked to balance freshness. Remainder of fruit comes from a new vineyard made in same mix as the old vineyard. Leads with broad, florally mix of berry and mushroom aromas, with spice and mint in background. Very pure, very focused dried black fruit characters. Purposefully structured with a fine, linear core.  I really liked its lovely floral characters and equally lovely juiciness. 18.5/20

Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira 2011 Only old Vines here compared to Noblesse Oblige. It’s more savory with iodine, mineral aromas. Can still taste and feel oak tannins in mouth, but quite tightly knit, still a baby and able to age for decades.  Fruit is excellent mixture of complex red and black fruit characters, both fresh and dried.  An underplayed elegant style of wine, condensed, with great length and concentration and balance. Oak still not integrated so needs another 5 years to show its best, but then drink for next 30 years. 18.5/20 Tasted 7.18

Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira 2007 14% Still in bottle resting now and unreleased as of yet, this offers seamless, fresh delicate florals, creamy, seamless, textures and fine tannins. Comparatively more elegant, refined and polished than 2004, potentially better when released, I preferred its elegance and linearity. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira 2004 14.5% This co-fermented blend of Touriga Nacional, Rufet, Roriz, Alfrocheiro, and many unknown grapes comes from an 80 plus year old vineyard. Cold soaked overnight night in lagar and then pressed by foot, the result is an inky, dense, complex wine, with well integrated aromas, intensely ripe, sweet black fruit up front. Condensed, seamless and fine bodied, tannins are fine, supple and ultra-ripe. Topping this is a long, melt-away finish. The wine is currently on Fat Duck’s wine list. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Colheita Sectionada 2006 2nd bottle tasted 14 years after birth (see wine below at 6 years). This relatively modest wine is still behaving very well. Initially it still showed oak distinct from fruit when opened, but this quickly integrated into Black Cherry/Black fruit aromas and flavors. Texture, after airing, developed a pleasing viscosity and continuity. Acids and tannins nicely integrated and balanced. It shows how well even basic Dao red wines can age. Still has at least another 5 years before tipping point. 16/20 tasted 6.20

Quinta da Falorca Colheita Seleccionada 2006 50% was matured in 2nd year oak. I tasted this freshly bottled, so it was quite closed down, just hinting of mineral and black fruit aromas. Nicely concentrated with tight acidity, with time and better integration I expect this wine to score much higher. 15/20 Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Palha Malhada 2001 13% This unoaked traditional blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Jaen has been their entry level from 2001. Nicely rounded, with red fruits throughout, this is a straightforward, soft, succulent, easy drinking, traditional Dao style with great acidity. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Tinto 2007 This traditional unoaked blend is predominantly 60% Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Roriz, Jaen, and Rufet. It is nicely balanced with mineral black fruit aromas and dried red fruit flavors, round textures and lovely acidity. Tasted 10.2012 Sells locally for 5.5eu

Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional 2005 14% This is a big, powerful wine, but thoughtfully balanced and structured for further cellaring. Spirity, mineral-tinged red fruit aromas lead on to juicy, concentrated, deeply fruited flavors housed in fleshy textures with fine acidity and firm, but fine, ultra-ripe tannins. Very pronounced violet characters emerged and integration improved markedly after further airing. Priced at 18eu locally. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional 2003 13.5% Like many Dao wines from 2003, the excess heat of this vintage that bloated so many European wines had less of an impact. Aromatically, this offers well integrated, dried red fruit and mineral characters with hints of violets in background. Similar flavors are echoed through a soft, well rounded, nicely integrated palate with smooth, powdery tannins. It has lovely, juicy acidity for 2003. Selling locally for 18eu. Tasted 10.2012

Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional 2002 13% Exhibiting solid Touriga varietal characters: broad violet-tinged floral aromas, black fruit and dried herbal flavors with fruit and dusty tannins through to finish. Drinking well now, the wine has good concentration and soft textures on entry, but remains well structured with firm enough tannins to age another decade. Tasted 10.2012