Terras de Tavares

Terras de Tavares Colheita 2001 12.5% This blend of 60% Jaen supported by Touriga and Roriz offers a pleasant mix of black cherry and flowers, nicely fruited, with Dao’s classic linearity and fine acidity. From a cooler vintage, it’s drinking beautifully now. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Reserva 1997 12.5% This 60/40, Jaen/Touriga blend is only just coming into its own. Aromatically charged with complex, broad, spicy, floral high tones with cola, coriander and red fruit nuance (not to mention a touch of complexing corruption in there too). Beautifully poised in the mouth, soft but firm, with fine, long, well managed tannins. A very long, very elegant wine that shows full potential of the vineyard. It shows how Dao can lean in the direction of mature Barolo. Give it a couple of hours to breate properly. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Reserva 2003 13% Penelva’s cooler climate delivered less heat in 2003 than in 2004, so it missed the overblown ripeness and high alcohol common elsewhere in Europe. Consequently this 60/40, Touriga/Jaen blend displays a fresh, floral mix of red and black fruits bound up in graphite minerality. Initially tight and condensed in the mouth, with austere tannins, given a lot of it all fines out. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Reserva 2004 13.5% This 60/40, Touriga/Jaen blend offers atypical cooked, dried black fruit, strawberry preserve, alcohol and mineral aromas. This port-like raisin character on the nose and palate is unusual in cool climated Penelva-- a function of a hot year. Full bodied, packed with big, chunky tannins and tons of ultra-ripe, dried fruit complexity, there is no denying its power and length. Heavy and lacking the freshness typical of Terras de Tavares wines, although it shows the vintage well and many other people would enjoy this more, it’s not my favorite. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Reserva 2005 14% A blend of 70% Jaen and 30% Touriga, this displays Dao’s signature ‘pine needle’ dried herb aromas, with mineral black cherry-like notes in support. After a soft (relatively), succulent entry it coats the mouth with fruit and firm, fine-ish, explosive tannins. Offering good length of flavor, its yet another Tavares wine needing a little more time or a pile of food to counterbalance structure. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Reserva 2006 13% This blend of 60% Touriga and 40% has had Grande Reserva-like treatment, spending 3 years in oak and 2 years in bottle. The Jaen content reins in Touriga’s tendency towards flamboyant florals and black fruits, driving an impressive mineral purity throughout the wine. Just hitting its stride now, it’s still very tight and freshly fruited for its age. It’s ‘no compromise’ firm, finely dusted, tannic structure begs for more time in bottle or grilled meat. 12-15eu retail. Tasted 10.2012

Terras de Tavares Touriga Nacional 2005 14% Tempered by a 15% cut of Jaen, this offers an aromatic mix of licorice, aniseseed and black fruit, all wrapped up in graphite minerality. Full bodied and full flavored, but with a cleaner, finer texture than hotter parts of Dao tend towards, it delivers great back palate concentration, super length and a fine example of Tourga’s middle of mouth tannic signature. Joao says this wine a little too smooth for him, but not for me! Tasted 10.2012

Torre de Tavares Branco 2009 12.5% Regional Beiras 100% Made primarily from Siria grapes from an old vine vineyard with each vine picked separately for optimum ripeness. Grapy, Muscat raisin-like, aromas are counterbalanced by mineral flavors underpinned by a tight structure ending in a fine mineral finish. Tasted 10.2012

Torre de Tavares Encruzado 2008 12.5% Dao DOC Grapes for this wine are drawn from 30-40 year old vines located in cool, foothills of Serra Estrella near Gouveia. Fresh white grape, straw, floral and mineral aromas, lead on to a dense palate filled with fresh, fine acidity and focused minerality. Tasted 10.2012

Torre de Tavares Jaen 2007 13% From estate grown fruit, freshly opened this displays broad aromas (high end florals and spice flesh out red and black fruit notes) and clean red fruit flavors. It is a tightly constructed wine with a transparent structure built on firm acidity and fine tannins. I tasted a bottle opened 3 days earlier which had opened out considerably. Not a hint of oxidation, it was compact, more darkly fruited than the newly opened wine. More mineral on the nose, smoother and denser, with a seamless texture, fruited through to finish and great length. A long, linear style with a degree of masculine elegance. 12-15eu locally. Tasted 10.2012

Torre de Tavares Tinto 2006 Regional Beiras This declassified blend of lesser reserve barrels of Jaen and Touriga from QB estate is essentially DOC. Aged in oak for 3 years in 3 year old barrels, it is well balanced wine with broad, well integrated florals and red cherry-like characters. Fine bodied and linear, it is lovely wine to drink: light, bright and clean, with a long tapered finish. A serious bargain 6-8eu Tasted 10.2012