www.infoportwine.com
News archives 2005.
All articles older
than 1 to 3 months are entered in
News archives. We start with a title list with accompanying
dates. You will find the full articles by linking the titles.
31/12/05.
Next publication in March.
31/12/05. Demarcation Port region 250
years.
31/12/05. New sales organization of
AVEPOD.
31/12/05. Link of the months January and
February.
31/12/05. Museu do Douro definitive
now.
31/12/05. Lodges on agenda UNESCO.
31/12/05. Tourism award for Cálem.
31/12/05. Sales numbers January - October 2005.
31/12/05. Vintage 2003 in Wine
Enthusiast.
31/12/05. Interview with Sandeman in Palm Beach Post.
31/12/05. Vintage (2003) in the SF
Chronicle.
31/12/05. Travel reports Frédérick
Blais.
31/12/05. Richard Mayson again about the Vintage 2003.
31/12/05. Robin Garr about Portugal.
31/12/05. IVDP events calender as of January 2006.
31/12/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 193, December 2005.
03/12/05.
Interviews
with two Shippers and a survey.
03/12/05. Bid
for stocks Casa do Douro.
03/12/05. Construction
hotel in Mesão Frio blocked.
03/12/05. Link of the month December 2005.
03/12/05. Enthusiastic article on
Tawnies in Forbes.
03/12/05. Martinez also to Fortune Brands.
03/12/05. Q. do Portal
inaugurates Winery Guest House.
03/12/05. Interview with
Bartholomew Broadbent at Catavino.
03/12/05. IVDP
events calender as of December 2005.
03/12/05. MUNDUSvini 2005.
03/12/05. Revista
de Vinhos no. 192, November 2005.
05/11/05.
Auction stocks CdoD failed.
05/11/05.
Harvest 2005 (4).
05/11/05.
Heike
Breidenich: Douro -
The New Generation.
05/11/05.
Vintage 2003 declaration in Lisbon.
05/11/05.
Portuguese Wine Fair in the
Netherlands.
05/11/05.
Bad agreement about trade
names.
05/11/05.
Jancis Robinson
about the Symingtons.
05/11/05.
Link of the month
November 2005.
05/11/05.
New management
for Q. da Pacheca.
05/11/05.
Linkspage:
changes from February to September 2005.
05/11/05.
New shop IVDP in
Oporto.
05/11/05.
IVDP events calender as of November
2005.
05/11/05.
Miami Wine Fair
2005.
05/11/05.
Decanter World
Wine Awards 2005 (2).
05/11/05.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 191, October 2005.
01/10/05.
Harvest 2005 (2).
01/10/05. Harvest 2005 (3). (Symington
group)
01/10/05. Sale abroad by small producers.
01/10/05. Link of the month October 2005.
01/10/05. IVDP events calender as of October 2005.
01/10/05. Top 100 Wine & Spirits.
01/10/05. Decanter World Wine Awards 2005 (1).
01/10/05. Linkspage: additions in October 2005.
01/10/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 190 September 2005.
03/09/05.
Fladgate purchases
properties Osborne in Gaia.
03/09/05.
Expectations
for harvest 2005.
03/09/05.
Link of the month September 2005.
03/09/05.
Sales figures first half year
2005.
03/09/05.
IWC 2005 – Wine International.
03/09/05.
IVDP events
calendar as of September 2005.
03/09/05.
Decanter September 2005.
03/09/05.
Revista
de Vinhos nr. 189 August 2005.
08/08/05.
Roy
Hersh publishes website.
08/08/05. IVDP events
calendar as of August 2005.
05/08/05. New owners for
Cockburn's and Martinez.
05/08/05. Benefício 5% down.
05/08/05. Link of the month August 2005.
05/08/05.
Commemoration
250 years Douro demarcation.
05/08/05.
International
Wine and Spirit Competition 2005 – Harpers.
05/08/05.
San Francisco
International Wine Competition 2005.
05/08/05.
Wine International August 2005.
05/08/05.
Decanter August 2005.
05/08/05.
Revista
de Vinhos no. 188 July 2005.
02/07/05.
Castelinho Vinhos bought by CCVP.
02/07/05. Sale Burmester/Gilbert's
confirmed.
02/07/05. Amorim/Natureza continues.
02/07/05. Link of the month July 2005.
02/07/05. Auction stocks Casa do Douro.
02/07/05. Several tourist news July 2005.
02/07/05. Fonseca advertises with
combination.
02/07/05. Travel report Frédérick
Blais.
02/07/05. Only volume Special Categories
up.
02/07/05. Les Citadelles du Vin 2005.
02/07/05. IVDP events calendar as
of July 2005.
02/07/05. Wine International July 2005.
02/07/05. Decanter July 2005.
02/07/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 187 June 2005.
04/06/05.
Forty Port companies in danger.
04/06/05. Top tasting 1963 - 2003 in Bordeaux.
04/06/05. Sale Burmester not yet
confirmed.
04/06/05. Vintages 2003: generally.
04/06/05. Port houses judge Vintages 2003.
04/06/05. Richard Mayson: Vintages 2003.
04/06/05. Column Robinson: Vintages 2003.
04/06/05. Link of the month June 2005.
04/06/05. Vinhos Borges increases
Port production.
04/06/05. Packaging award for
Solene/Wine Cluster.
04/06/05. Vinalies Internationales - Paris.
04/06/05. IVDP events calendar as of
June 2005.
04/06/05. Wine
Spectator May 31st, 2005: Vintages 1991 and 1992.
04/06/05. Wine International June 2005.
04/06/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 186 May 2005.
07/05/05.
Excitement about Vintage 2003.
07/05/05. Burmester sold to owner
Cálem.
07/05/05. New rock engravings in Côa
valley.
07/05/05. Link of the month May 2005.
07/05/05. Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2005.
07/05/05. Vinitaly 2005 - Verona, Italy.
07/05/05. IVDP events calendar as of May 2005.
07/05/05. Decanter May 2005.
07/05/05. Decanter June 2005.
07/05/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 185 April 2005.
07/05/05. The Fladgate Partnership: Press release Vintage 2003.
02/04/05.
Profile Port consumer in Portugal.
02/04/05. Rich, Rare & Red by Ben Howkins.
02/04/05. Link of the month April 2005.
02/04/05. IVDP events calendar as of April 2005.
02/04/05. Decanter April 2005.
02/04/05. Wine International May 2005.
02/04/05. Wine Spectator April 31, 2005: 100-points
wines.
02/04/05. Wine Spectator Auction Index April 31, 2005.
02/04/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 184 March 2005.
05/03/05.
Graham's
Trophy 2005 - the contest as seen by the jury.
05/03/05. Returns Quinta do Portal
increase quickly.
05/03/05. Differences with fifty years ago.
05/03/05. Link of the month March 2005.
05/03/05. Sales figures 2004.
05/03/05. New start for Casa do Douro?
05/03/05. Sandeman changes of
distributor in UK.
05/03/05. William Pitters sold.
05/03/05. IVDP events calendar as of
March 2005.
05/03/05. Revista de Vinhos: the
"Best of the Year 2004".
05/03/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 183 February
2005.
12/02/05.
Profile of the Port drinker and the future of Port.
12/02/05. Exhibition Museu do Douro
reopened.
12/02/05. IVDP book: Port Wine.
12/02/05. Solar do Vinho do Porto also
abroad?
12/02/05. Wine Tourism Awards 2005.
12/02/05. Winner Dutch Graham's Trophy 2005.
12/02/05. Link of the month February 2005.
12/02/05. IVDP events calender as of February 2005.
12/02/05. Wine International February 2005.
12/02/05. Wine International March 2005.
12/02/05. Decanter February and March 2005.
12/02/05. Wine Spectator February 2005.
12/02/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 182 January 2005.
01/01/05.
New owners for Quinta da
Romaneira.
01/01/05. Finalists Graham's Trophy.
01/01/05. Port sales decrease again.
01/01/05. Renewal of our article Round
trip.
01/01/05. Gérard Depardieu
interested in the Douro.
01/01/05. Link of the month January 2005.
01/01/05. New "Port and
the Douro" by Mayson.
01/01/05. Links page: additions in
January 2005.
01/01/05. Striking red bottle of Rozès.
01/01/05. IVDP events calender as of
January 2005.
01/01/05. Decanter January 2005.
01/01/05. Wine International January 2005.
01/01/05. Wine Spectator December 31, 2004 - January
15, 2005.
01/01/05. Revista de Vinhos no. 181 December 2004.
Next
publication in March.
31/12/05. Our next publication will not be in the first weekend of February, but
on March 4th or 5th.
Demarcation Port
region 250 years.
31/12/05. In 2006 the
250th anniversary of the demarcated Douro/Port region will be
commemorated (see also our News item of
05/08/05). The complete programm will be determined in a meeting on January
21st.
The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) will organize six
conferences about viniculture, wine making, marketing, sale, wine tourisme and
regional development from June 21st to 23rd. The IVDP will
also organize visits and tastings for foreign journalists.
The climax of the commemoration has to take place on September 10th
with a video conference which has to connect towns in the most (?) important
Port markets, especially Madrid, Paris, London, New York, Montreal and Rio de
Janeiro.
The IVDP will also publish a book with photographs of the famous granite mark
stones which were used for the demarcation.
(Source: Comércio of 21/12/05.)
So, a lot will be published about the Port region this year. Very often the
region will be mentioned as the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. This
is however not correct. The authoritative Portuguese historian and director of
the Museu do Douro Gaspar Martins Pereira says on page 47 of the IVDP book Port
Wine of 2004 that two regions were earlier: Chianti in Tuscany in 1716 and Tokay
in Hungary in 1737.
New sales
organization of AVEPOD.
31/12/05. The AVEPOD (see:
http://www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag=91&codSeccao=6&idioma=0),
an organization of small producers, has announced the founding of a new sales
organization.
The AVEPOD has an office and a showroom in Peso da Régua (see:
Files/Round trip 9c). The membership list contains over thirty names
including well-known ones like: Lemos & Van Zeller, Montez Champalinaud,
Quinta do Infantado, Q. do Valado, Q. Seara D’Ordens, Q. de Santa Eufémia en
Q. da Rede.
The new organization has to create enough magnitude and wants to offer technical
and financial support to its members. The company will have an independent and
professional management.
(Source: Comércio of 19 and 23/11/05.)
Link of the months
January and February.
31/12/05. For the next
two months we have chosen a distinct site of a distinct Port house: www.quintadonoval.com
Q. do Noval is owned by the French insurer AXA Millesimes. Christian Seely is in
charge on behalf of this concern. Seely also manages Q. da Romaneira as a
private project (see our News item of 01/01/05).
Q. do Noval is specialized in top Ports. The company already became world famous
with its Q. do Noval Nacional Vintage 1931 of which a bottle was sold for U$
5,900 in 1988. According to Noval this was the highest price ever paid for a
bottle of Port.
The website of Q. do Noval is available in English and French. The site is
lightcoloured and offers very much information. What’s more, the product
information is extraordinarily good and extensive.
Museu do Douro
definitive now.
31/12/05. After years
of delay the Portuguese government has approved the statutes of the Museu do
Douro in Peso da Régua. Hopefully the rebuilding of the definitive museum (see
Files/Round trip 9c) will now also be realized soon. Untill then, the
temporary exposition Hanging Gardens can be found in a hall behind the Solar do
Vinho do Porto at the Rua de Ferreirinha 43.
Lodges on agenda
UNESCO.
31/12/05. The UNESCO
might already put the area with Port cellars/lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia on its
World Heritage list as of late 2006.
The municipality wants to finish the presentation and request halfway through
that year. The planners want to combine the triangle of the Port industry (production,
storage and sales) with the historic centre of Gaia.
All parties concerned hope the registration to World Heritage will be an impulse
for the tourism. In 2005, 550 to 600 thousands visitors were expected in Gaia.
(Source: O Primeiro de Janeiro of 7/11/05.)
Tourism award for Cálem.
31/12/05. Cálem has
received the tourism award for Oporto of the “Great Wine Capitals Global
Network”.
The capitals, which are part of the group, are: Bilbao-Rioja, Bordeaux, Cape
Town, Florence, Melbourne, Mendoza, Oporto and San Francisco-Napa Valley. The
prize was granted for the eminent architectonic renovation of the Cálem complex
in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Sales numbers
January – October 2005.
31/12/05. For the
first time in four years all the most important sale figures have increased.
This is shown by the information of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do
Porto. The trend break is attributed to the launch of the Vintage 2003. All
figures used are compared to the same period last year.
-
the volume of
all Port sold increased by 1%.
-
the revenue of
all Port sold increased by 0,4%.
-
the volume of
the Special Categories sold increased by 9,2%.
-
the revenue of
the Special Categories sold increased by 7,9%.
The
top 6 in volume were:
The
top 6 in revenue were:
The
top 6 in volume for the Special Categories were:
The
top 6 in revenue for the Special Categories were:
The
complete information can be found at: http://www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?idioma=0&codPag=73&codSeccao=6&
Vintage 2003 in
Wine Enthusiast.
31/12/05. On November 15th Roger Voss published an article in Wine
Enthusiast on the launch of the Vintage 2003. He tasted 64 of them, gives
general impressions and a top 10.
The article can be found at: http://www.winemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=8DF1C7F3B9094D1B827317C740B4D223
Interview with
Sandeman in Palm Beach Post.
31/12/05. On December
8th Jan Norris published an article entitled “Centuries-old Port
wines tries to defy stuffy image” in the PalmBeachPost. An interview with
George Sandeman has been included in this article.
Sandeman says among other things: “Port has this rather stuffy and traditional
image. We think it’s time that changed.”
He also emphasizes again that his company makes its special style Vau Vintage,
suitable for drinking when young.
Though he was insulted for this for years, he now gets much support. So Paul
Symington said in May in London:”We’re not making the wines in a different
way, to drink young – we’re making better wines which will age fabulously
too.” (See our News item of 04/06/05.)
The full article of Jan Norris can be found at:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/food/content/food_dining/epaper/2005/12/08/a1fn_port1_1208.html
Vintage (2003) in
the SF Chronicle.
31/12/05. On December
15th Richard Carleton Hacker published an extensive article in the
San Francisco Chronicle. Its title is: “A wine for ages. Vintage Ports may be
the longest-lived wines, and the just-released 2003’s may set a new benchmark.”
The article can be found at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/15/WIGC5G512J1.DTL
Travel reports Frédérick
Blais.
31/12/05. The complete
French and English versions of the first travel report of the French-Canadian
Port fan Frédérick Blais can be found at:
http://portugal.evilloopcom/index.html
http://portugal.evilloop.com/index_en.html
The photographs of his second trip this fall are available at:
www.frederickblais.com/pics
We will let you know here when he publishes his report on this second trip.
Richard Mayson
again about the Vintage 2003.
31/12/05. On May 13th
Mayson published a first impression of the Vintage 2003 on Decanter Online (see
our News item of 04/06/05).
Now he again reviews and judges this harvest in an article in the magazine Fine
Expressions that is put on the web by Wine Pages. Mayson presents his top
thirteen in alphabetical order.
The article can be found at:
www.wine-pages.com/features/port-2003.htm
Robin Garr about
Portugal.
31/12/05. In December
Robin Garr of the WineLovers Page visited Portugal. His website is: “The
oldest, largest and most popular independent wine-appreciation site on the World
Wide Web.”
Robin extensively reports on his trip, on table wines and Port. The top Ports
are reviewed in the subscriber-only “Wine Advisor Premium Edition”. On
December 26th he published his article: “Natural cork fights back:
My report on extensive interviews with cork-industry leaders.”
See: www.wineloverspage.com
IVDP events
calender as of January 2006.
31/12/05. On December
31st no activities have been planned. For the next two months see:
http://www.ivdp.pt/index.asp
Revista de Vinhos
no. 193, December 2005.
31/12/05. The December
issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
New products:
Judgement by the editorial staff. Score chart from 0 to 20.
-
Agrironcão (Agostinho
Amável Costa) D.R. 40 Years Old Tawny 17 points.
-
Agrironcão
D.R.Vintage 2002 16 points.
-
Quinta do
Estanho Tawny (Reserve) 14.5 points.
Cálem,
Burmester, Gilberts:
João Afonso reviews this combination, which has recently been joined in
Sogevinus of the Spanish Caixanova. Eight tasting notes of Burmester, eight of Cálem
and three of Gilberts Ports have been printed along with the article.
Port
Wine history:
Marc Barros wrote an extensive article on the crises in the Douro around the
turn of the 19th to the 20th
century.
Quinta
de S. José :
Fernando Melo reviews the tourist activities at this quinta of Ruy Brito e Cunha
in Ervedosa do Douro.
Tasting
Kopke:
Fernando Melo describes the tasting “three centuries Kopke” which Barros
Almeida organized at Quinta de S. Luiz on the occasion of the presentation of
the new Kopke distributor Vinho & Coisas.
Interviews with two Shippers and a survey.
03/12/05. On October 15th the Portuguese newspaper Expresso published
interviews with representatives of The Fladgate Partnership and The Symington
Family and a survey of the Port industry. We quote some statements and data:
Adrian
Bridge, general director of The Fladgate Partnership (Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft
and Delaforce):
-
“The
concentration (in the Port sector) is inevitable and his group will actively
participate in this process.”
-
“At this
moment two middle sized companies are for sale.” (According to Semanário Económico
of 21/10/05 this would be Barros Almeida and Messias.)
-
“There is
only room for those that are large enough and for those specialized in niche
markets.”
-
“We talk
about 30,000 winegrowers, but the large majority have other professions and do
the viniculture in their spare time.”
Expresso closes this interview with:
“The group is present in 53 markets, sells 11.3 million litres of Port Wine a
year, has a preponderance in the Special Categories and has recently
strengthened its stocks with the acquisition of 4,500 pipas (of 550 litres) from
Osborne.”
Paul Symington of the Symington Family (Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s, Smith
Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris and Quinta do Vesúvio):
-
“In Lisbon
they still think that the product sells itself and that customers are standing
in queues before our gates … but the reality is that there are signals of
decline and indications that Port Wine is falling out of fashion in its most
important markets.”
-
“The Douro is
paying for the unrestrained planting in the eighties and nineties.”
Expresso says about the Symington group:
“The Symington Family is the largest owner in the Douro, with 600 hectares of
vineyards divided in 19 quintas. Anually 15.3 million litres are sold of the
brands of Symington.”
Expresso
says in the survey article:
-
“Gran Cruz is
the leader in volume of the Port sector with a share of about 16.5%. The
Symington Family is the leader in trade. The four largest companies (also
Sogrape and The Fladgate Partnership) together represent 60% of the 92.7 million
litres of Port Wine sold annually.”
-
“CCVP (Vasconcellos
and Castelinho Vinhos) and Cockburn’s are fifth and sixth.”
-
“The French
supermarket group Carrefour is perhaps the most important customer for Port Wine
in the world.”
-
“A bottle
Standard Port can be exported for less than two Euros.”
Bid for stocks Casa
do Douro.
03/12/05. After the first failed auction of stocks of the Casa do Douro (see
our News item of 05/11/05) Sogrape, The Symington Family and Gran Cruz have
jointly made an offer for a part of these stocks. It concerns the 18,000 pipas
with Port Wine from 2000 and 2001 that the Banco Português de Negócios took
possession of. The three giants offer 19.6 million Euros or about 1,075 Euros a
pipa on average.
Sogrape is the holding of Sandeman, Ferreira and Forrester/Offley. For The
Symington Family and Gran Cruz see our article “Interviews with two Shippers
and a survey.”
(Source: Comércio of 14/10/05.)
On
November 18th Vida Económica wrote:
The Port exporters are surprised that the bank systematically refuses the offers
(earlier also one by The Fladgate Partnership/Taylor’s). The CdoD does not pay
its debts and the bank does not execute the attachment. It is thought by the
Port sector that the bank wants to stalemate the governement by this.
Construction hotel
in Mesão Frio blocked.
03/12/05. The construction of the Douro Marina Hotel in Mesão Frio by the group
Douro Azul (see Files/Round trip 7) will not go
through, at least for the time being. Several authorities have technical and
environmental objections against the large complex at the Douro bank.
The hotel should have 158 rooms, should cost 33 million Euros and should provide
for 140 jobs. The plans were supported by a governmental investment authority (see
our News item “Two new tourist projects” of 06/12/03).
(Source: Jornal de Notícias of 14/10/05).
Link of the month
December 2005.
03/12/05. For this month we have chosen: www.cavesmessias.pt
This site was designed in an attractive personal style. The texts are available
in Portuguese and English. The information at the site is extensive. The product
information is excellent, the many available years of Colheitas and LBV’s are
outstanding.
The News items part is up to date. Unfortunately this is an exception. Many
companies start a section as such but completely neglect it afterwards.
Enthusiastic
article on Tawnies in Forbes.
03/12/05. On October 31st Richard Nalley published the article “Home Porto -
The age-old pleasures of tawny port” in the magazine Forbes. He says: ”Aged
tawny ports … are among the easiest to love, most drinker-friendly luxury
wines ever bottled.”
The article can be found at: www.forbes.com/execpicks/fyi/2005/1031/043.html
Martinez also to
Fortune Brands.
03/12/05. In July we were not able to get confirmation about the position of
Port house Martinez Gassiot after the take-over of Allied Domecq by a
combination of Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands (see
our News item of 05/08/05).
However, Miguel Côrte-Real now informs us that Martinez is part of Cockburn
Smithes & Cia SA and as such will be integrated in Jim Beam Brands of
Fortune Brands.
Q. do Portal
inaugurates Winery Guest House.
03/12/05. On January 7th, 2006 Quinta do Portal will inaugurate its
tourist accommodation the Winery Guest House Casa das Pipas. The house is
situated in Celeiros in the Concelho de Sabrosa alongside the road from Vila
Real to Pinão. The first guests will be greeted in the middle of December.
The accommodation contains thirteen rooms, three for the family of the owners,
ten for guests. Besides a living room on the first floor with a panoramic view,
the complex offers an excellent swimming pool, a small fitness room and a
restaurant with a traditional Portuguese kitchen.
Guests can participate in wine courses, tastings, guided tours through the
winery and the warehouses and the work in the vineyards including all facets of
the harvest.
Prices for the standard rooms are 85 - 100 Euros, for the top suites 100 - 120
Euros (low - high season), breakfast included.
More information can be found at: www.quintadoportal.pt
Interview with
Bartholomew Broadbent at Catavino.
03/12/05. On November 9th and 11th Ryan Opaz published an
extensive interview with Bartholomew Broadbent (the son of !) at his weblog
Catavino. Bartholomew is the man behind Broadbent Selections in San Francisco.
He was of great importance for the introduction of Port and Madeira on the
American market.
The interview can be found at: www.catavino.net/archives/182/2005/11/09
IVDP events
calender as of December 2005.
03/12/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in
Belgium, France, the UK and the USA:
- Activities in Belgium:
. December 5th - Hotelschool Piva Antwerp.
- Activities in France:
Education for waiters and teachers hotel sector:
. December 12th - Lycée de Talence - Bordeaux - from 16.00.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=87
- Activities in the UK:
. December 8th - Port Seminar - University of Huddersfield.
- Activities in the USA:
. December 3rd - For consumers - New York.
MUNDUSvini 2005.
03/12/05. For the fifth Great International Wine Prize MUNDUSvini of Meiniger
Verlag in Germany most top awards were granted to Spanish and Portuguese wines.
The Port Wines which received a Grand Gold Medal were the:
-
Sandeman 40
Years Old Tawny.
-
Casal dos Jordões
10 Years Old Tawny.
-
(Gran) Cruz LBV
1996.
The twenty gold and seven silver medals can be found at www.mundusvini.de
Revista de
Vinhos no. 192, November 2005.
03/12/05. The November issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos
contains the following information on Port Wine:
New
products:
Judgement by the editorial staff. Score chart from 0 to 20.
-
Niepoort LBV
2000 16,5 points.
-
Agrironcão (Agostinho
Amável Costa) D.R. Vintage 2001 15
points.
-
Agrironcão D.R.
20 Years Old Tawny 16,5 points.
Harvest
report:
António Falcão wrote an article about the last harvest. He reviews from the
Port region:
-
Quinta da
Pacheca where winemaker Maria Serpa Pimentel mentions the quality of the harvest
as very good. The quantity was much smaller. Normally 750 kilograms of grapes
are necessary for a pipa (550 litres) of wine, this year it was 930 kilograms.
-
Caves
Santa Marta (Adega Cooperativa de Santa Marta de Peneguião) where quality
director Euclides Lázaro tells quality is much above average. He also says that
the quality of both the coloured and the white grapes was very good, something
he had never seen before.
Auction stocks CdoD
failed.
05/11/05. On September 29th Aad van der Werf interviewed Paul Symington for the
Flying Wine Writer. This joint managing director of The Symington Family (Graham’s,
Dow’s, Warre’s, Smith Woodhouse,
Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris en Quinta do Vesúvio) states in this interview
the almost complete failure of the first auction of the stocks of the Casa do
Douro (see our Newsitem of 02/07/05).
Only Rozès bought 40 pipas (of 550 litres) of six years old White and the
Symington group bought 50 pipas of 20 Years Old Tawny.
Paul Symington says about this: “We wanted to make it clear that there is no
boycot by the companies. We believe that there are solutions.”
The interview can be found at: www.flyingwinewriter.com/interviewpaulsymington.php
Harvest 2005 (4).
05/11/05.
The reports on this year’s harvest are still confusing. On October 22nd
we could satisfyingly ask Jorge Serôdio Borges for more clarity.
Borges is winemaker at Quinta do Passadouro. However, he and his wife Sandra
Tavares also run the private project Wine & Soul where they make their much
praised Douro table wine Pintas. Under the same name they have now also launched
their first Vintage Port, the Pintas 2003. In her daily life Sandra Tavares is
winemaker at Quinta do Vale Dona Maria of Cristiano van Zeller. Borges was in
Holland for a tasting of “De Gouden Ton” in Nijmegen.
He told us that the yields in the Douro Superior were 30% down, in the Cima
Corgo 0 to 5% up and in the Baixo Corgo 10 to 15% up (see:
Files/What’s
Port?).
Generally the quality was deficient everywhere in the period up to the rainfall
of September 6th and 9th. However, quality was very, very
good some time later.
Borges compared 2005 to the year 1995.
Heike Breidenich:
Douro - The New Generation.
05/11/05.
In 2003 the German Heike Breidenich realized a dream. For half a year she worked
in vineyards, cellars, bottling plants and wineries in the Port area.
She wrote a fascinating book about it in two parts, part one contains the report
of her experiences with Dirk van der Niepoort and Jorge Borges in leading roles,
part two consists of a review of the “Douro boys”and “Girls”, the
new generation of wine makers.
Though it is a book on Douro table wines, it is a “must” for every Port
lover because it is about people, quinta’s and companies from the Port
industry.
Breidenich is not a professional writer or wine expert but her book is highly
successful.
The chapters about her stay in the Douro region especially read like an exciting
story and are moreover extraordinary informative.
The book is trilingual (Portuguese, German and English), in the first part
always in three columns on two facing pages, in the second part in three boxes a
page. The English version contains quite a lot of inaccuracies but remains
acceptable.
The wine makers reviewed in the second part are:
Two
important people in the book, Jorge Borges and Dirk van der Niepoort, separated
shortly after the period described which totally changed the situation at Q. do
Passodouro (see our News item of 04/09/04). However, Breidenich decided to
restrict herself to the relevant period and not to write an epilogue to it.
For more information about Heike Breidenich see: http://douro-new-generation.de/zs.htm
See also our item
in Files/Library.
Vintage 2003
declaration in Lisbon.
05/11/05.
On October 25th the Confraria do Vinho do Porto declared the year
2003 a general Vintage year. Such a declaration only happens if a majority of
the Port houses has been approved by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do
Porto and this is the case with the number of 43.
The ceremony took place in Lisbon in the presence of , amongst others, the
president of parliament and several
ministers. This was the first time that the ceremony was organized outside
Oporto or Vila Nova de Gaia. With this the organizers wanted to emphasize the
importance of a general declaration and also get extra publicity.
Simultaneously the Confraria presented an own Vintage. This Vintage is a blend
of Vintages of Port houses.
The festivities came to an end with a tasting of some 40 vintages 2003.
Portuguese Wine
Fair in the Netherlands.
05/11/05.
On November 14th the Portuguese Wine Fair 2005 will be organized in
Utrecht - The Netherlands. The event is organized by ICEP Portugal/Portuguese
embassy, Economic department and is accessible to trade, catering industry,
sommeliers and press.
The fair offers a
continuous tasting from 11.00 to 17.00 with over twenty specialized importers, a
lunch buffet and a raffle of a four days trip for two persons to Quinta do
Passadouro. More information can be obtained from the embassy: Haagsche Bluf 63, 2511 CP Den Haag, tel:
070-311 10 06, e-mail: icep.haia@icep.pt
Bad
agreement about trade names.
05/11/05.
After 20 years of negotiation, the EU and the USA have made an agreement that
has to help to protect names like Champagne, Sherry and Port. The EU declared
that under this agreement the use of these names by producers in the USA will be
limited.
Champagne producer Bruno Paillard and Port producer George Sandeman have voiced
scathing criticism especially on the so-called “Grandfather Clause”. In this
clause it is said that the protected names will no longer be used for new
products or labels. That means that companies are able to continue their current
activities.
Paillard said: “It is an absurdity on a moral point of view… It’s sad that
the USA, now a great wine country, continues to protect a few producers who are
abusing the identity of others instead of using honest labelling for true
consumer information.”
George Sandeman of Sandeman’s Port said that they had been “seriously let
down“ by EU negotiators in the 1990’s.
American reply: “You have to remember that these names didn’t arise as a
result of any mendacious grab by the New World. These were 19th
century people who came over from Europe and tried to approximate the wines and
foods they knew from home.”
(Source: Decanter Online of 19/09/05.)
Jancis Robinson
about the Symingtons.
05/11/05.
The renowned English wine writer Jancis Robinson dedicated her column in the
Financial Times of October 8th to this English/Portuguese Port family.
She describes the company, the present generation and their market position.
The article can be found at:
www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/winenews051008
Link of the month
November 2005.
05/11/05.
For this month we have chosen
www.porto-barros.pt
Barros is one of the brands of the Barros, Almeida group of which Kopke,
Hutcheson, Feuerheerd, Feist and Souza are also a part. Barros is especially
good at wood matured Ports and very active with Colheitas.
In 2005 the Barros website was renewed. The site is available in English and
Portuguese, has a simple design and offers excellent information.
New management for
Q. da Pacheca.
05/11/05.
A new generation of the Serpa Pimentel family has taken over the management of
this magnificent quinta that scores very high with 12,000 visitors a year.
Maria Serpa Pimentel is in charge of viniculture. Catarina is responsible for
the wine tourism and José runs the commercial department.
Recently the company has launched its website www.quintadapacheca.com
which is only available in Portuguese for the time being.
A luxury hotel with fourteen rooms will be built on the site of the former
winery and the former warehouse. A good photo presentation of it can be found at
the website.
Links page: changes
from February to September 2005:
05/11/05. We added to
Port links:
-
www.fladgatepartnership.com
Portal for all sites of The Fladgate Partnership.
-
www.cavesmessias.pt
-
www.portsparadise.fotopic.net
Extensive site with photographs of and about the Port industry.
-
www.sairrao.com
Quinta do Sairrão.
-
www.wonderfulland.com/vallado
Quinta do Vallado.
-
www.sogrape.pt Holding of Ferreira, Offley, Robertson’s and Sandeman.
-
www.sogrape.pt/marcas/8/historia
Ferreira.
-
www.sogrape.pt/marcas/9/historia
Offley.
-
www.sogrape.pt/marcas/10/gama
Robertson’s.
-
www.sogrape.pt/marcas/11/gama
Sandeman.
We
removed from Port links, because they were already not available for some time:
-
www.gricha.com
Churchill’s Quinta da Gricha.
-
www.logaviva.pt/cgi-bin/oportowines.storefront
Extensive Portuguese web shop with all Port Wine types, books and
accessories.
-
www.revistadevinhos.iol.pt
Site of the Portuguese wine magazine RdeV.
We
added to Port tourism links:
-
www.hotelburmester.com
Wine hotel at Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo.
-
www.piscosnet.com/casa-das-freiras/index.html
-
www.ramospinto.pt/qervamoira_ing.htm
Quinta da Ervamoira with museum and archaeological site.
New shop IVDP in
Oporto.
05/11/05.
On October 15th the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto opened
its new shop in the new departure hall of Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro, the
airport of Oporto. Douro table wines will also be offered now in addition to
Port Wine, books and accessories in this shop with a area of 62 square metres.
For more information see: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=98
and www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag=84&codSeccao=5&idioma=1
IVDP events calender as of November 2005.
05/11/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Austria,
Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA:
- Tasting in Austria:
. November 11th - Port Wine Fair - Grand Hotel Wien.
- Activities in Belgium:
. November 21st - Hotelschool Leuven.
. December 1st - Hotelschool Ter Groene Poort.
. December 5th - Hotelschool Piva Antwerp.
- Activities in Brazil:
. November 7th-10th - Acções de Formação com Assoc. Brasileira Sommeliers
- Curitiba, São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro.
. November 8th - Acção Vinhos do Douro e do Porto - Consulado Geral de São
Paulo.
- Activities in Canada:
. November 4th-6th - Ottawa Food and Wine Show.
- Tasting in Denmark:
. November 7th - Port tasting - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Tasting in Finland:
. November 16th - Port tasting - Kansallissali - Helsinki.
- Activities in France:
Education for waiters and teachers hotel sector:
. November 14th - Hotel School René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.00.
. November 14th - Hotel School Joseph Strock - Strasbourg - from 16.00.
. November 14th - Le Jardi des Sens - Montpellier - from 16.00.
. November 21st - Lycée René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.30 to 17.30.
. November 21st - Lycée de Dardilly - Lyon - from 14.30.
. November 28th - Lycée René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.30 to 17.30.
. December 2nd - Aubagne - Marseille - from 15.00.
. December 12th - Lycée de Talence - Bordeaux - from 16.00.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=87
- Tastings in Norway:
. November 8th - Port tasting - Oslo Militaere Samfund.
.
November 14th - Douro Wine tasting - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
. November 15th - Port tasting - Vinkallaren Grappa - Stockholm.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=106
- Activities in Portugal:
. November 5th-7th -
Encontro com o Vinho e Sabores - Centro de Congressos de Lisboa.
- Activities in Spain.
. November 7th - Formação de Escanções - El Celler Can Roca - Girona - from
17.30.
. November 8th - Formação de Escanções - Celler de Gelida - Barcelona - from
17.30.
. November 9th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante Celler de L'Aspic
- Tarragona - from 17.30.
. November 17th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante Plazaola - Pamplona -
Navarra.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=89
- Activities in the UK:
. November 10th - Tasting in the Magestic Wines Shops - in several cities.
. November 28th - Port Seminar - University of Gales - Cardiff.
. December 8th - Port Seminar - University of Huddersfield.
- Activities in the USA:
. December 2nd - Seminar Wine and Cheese - New York.
. December 3rd - For cosumers - New York.
Miami Wine Fair
2005.
05/11/05.
During the fourth Miami International Wine Fair (MIWF) from October 1st
to 3rd the following Awards were granted to Ports:
-
Wines Approved
From MIWF Exhibitors: the Warre’s Tercentenary 1970 Vintage.
-
FIWC (Florida
International Wine Challenge) Gold Medal: the Casal dos Jordões 10 Years Old
Tawny.
-
FIWC Silver
Medal: the Casal dos Jordões Majara Tawny.
-
FIWC Bronze
Medal: the Casal dos Jordões Vintage 2000.
For more information see: www.miamiwinefair.com
and choose FIWC 2005 winners.
Decanter World Wine
Awards 2005 (2).
05/11/05.
During the World Wine Awards 2005 of the English magazine Decanter the following
Awards were granted to Port in the category under 10 English pounds (14.85 Euros):
the Regional Non-Vintage Port Under 10 pounds Trophy and a gold medal to the
Mark & Spencer Reserve.
On
October 1st we published the results of the wines over 10 English
pounds.
For more information see: www.decanter.com/worldwineawards/2005/results.php
(choose Portugal and Port).
Revista de Vinhos
no. 191, October 2005.
05/11/05.
The October issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the
following information on Port Wine:
New
product:
The (Wiese &) Krohn LBV 2001 gets 16 points from the editorial staff on a
score chart of 0 to 20.
Quinta
da Veiga Moura:
João Afonso writes about this quinta owned by Maria do Céu Esteves near the
Ferrão station next to Q. do Crasto. The company sells its Ports to Taylor’s.
The quinta has plans for a country hotel with eight rooms. The hotel will be
situated between the vines with a view at the Douro.
Vintage
2003:
A tasting panel reports on the judging of 62 different brands. João Paulo
Martins uses phrases like: ”a glorious year, an exceptional Port (and) a
historic year” in an accompanying article. The very best, with 19 points, are
Dow’s, Fonseca, Q. do Noval Nacional and Taylor’s. At the bottom of the list
we find Q. de Baldias and Romariz with 15 points.
Harvast 2005 (2).
01/10/05. Halfway August a 4 to 6% down yield was still expected (see our
Newsitem of 03/09/05). Immediately after the start of the early harvest this
proved to be much too optimistic. Then was already quickly spoken of a decrease
of 20 to 22% compared to 2004. However, quality would not have to suffer from
it.
Harvest 2005 (3).
01/10/05.
Press release of The Symington Family Group.
(Graham's, Dow's, Warre's, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris
en Quinta do Vesúvio.)
The 2005 Vintage in the Douro.
While there are still grapes coming into the wineries, it is already clear that some very good wines have been made at the 2005 harvest in the Douro.
With only 6 millimetres of rain in June and none at all in July and August, the vines were showing signs of severe stress at the end of August. Last winter was extremely dry; to the extent that the measured rainfall at Quinta do Bomfim from November 2004 to end September 2005 was just 220.98 mm. The 15-year average on this estate for these 11 months is 584 mm, so the region has suffered a drop in rainfall of an astonishing 62%. Hence the plague of forest fires all over Portugal this last summer. The fire risk was not helped by the fact that nearly every town and village continued to send off endless fireworks during their ‘festas’.
It is not surprising therefore that there was very real concern about the forthcoming harvest as August drew to a close with no sign of any rain. We took the decision to start picking the younger vines very early, for example at Quinta do Vesuvio we started on the 30th August. The young vines, i.e. those that are less than 5 years old, have a poorly developed root system and therefore struggled to obtain enough moisture in such difficult conditions.
On the 6th September the weather changed and a steady rain fell for several hours. We measured 19.05 mm at Quinta do Bomfim. On the 9th a further 5.08 mm fell. The decision was taken to stop picking on several of our key estates in order to allow the much-needed rain to have its beneficial effect. The rain was followed by clear skies. Since then there has been absolutely perfect weather with cool nights and some heavy dew. The harvesting weather could not have been better.
The sugar graduations dipped for a few days after the rain before climbing steadily back to very satisfactory levels. The grapes filled out and the skins softened. The musts have very good deep purple-black colours and are giving very attractive aromas.
The yields are still to be fully analysed but it appears that in the Douro Superior they are only slightly down on the normal low weight of fruit per vine for the region. Roriz appears to be giving smaller yields, while the Barroca, Touriga Franca and the Nacional have resisted well. There is no doubt that the good flowering and fruit-set earlier this year has played a key role in maintaining yields despite the drought. There are plenty of bunches even if the berries themselves are small.
Our five ‘specialist’ wineries at Quinta dos Malvedos, Cavadinha, Senhora de Ribeira, Vesuvio and Quinta de Roriz (jointly owned with Joao van Zeller) all performed superbly well with their small productions. The two larger wineries at Bomfim and Sol have seen a lot of fruit delivered in first class condition.
In summary and with picking still taking place at our higher vineyards such as Quinta de Cavadinha, 2005 has proved once again the amazing ability of the vine to overcome very tough conditions. It was astonishing to see the small green berries fill out, turn dark red and ripen with such limited moisture in the soil. Nature was very kind to us with rain on the 6th and 9th, followed by a succession of beautiful sunny days.
We are confident that some very interesting and very good Ports and DOC wines will have been made in the Douro this year.
Pinhao,
September 30th 2005.
Sale
abroad by small producers.
01/10/05.
Small
independent producers in the Douro region are successful with the home sale of
their products. However, nationwide distribution or export is often impossible
because of economies of scale and pricing.
The Dutch couple Mieke Möls (54) and Hans Veldhuizen (47) from Apeldoorn, both
with a fulltime job, has through friendship and with much enthusiasm build an
interesting alternative sale channel as a hobby. They organize tastings for
private individuals and there they sell the Douro wines of Quinta do Monte
Travesso and the Ports of Quinta de Baldias. Their presentation of the wines is
carefully arranged and stylish and they bring homemade accompanying appetizers.
It proves to be very attractive for their clients to be able to present often
surprisingly good products with a personal story at home not easily found
elsewhere.
Mieke lived in Oporto from 1983 to 1992. She worked in the Ferreira lodges and
knows the Port industry well. In 1985 she got acquainted to the Nápoles de
Carvalho family of Q. do Monte Travesso. Late 2003 she and Hans seriously
started the import and sale of the Monte Travesso wines and later on the Ports
of Baldias. Even as a hobby company they also have to comply with many
formalities. A bitter disappointment was and is that the wine duty has to be
paid within some days after import no matter if not a single bottle was sold. In
2005 they will sell over 2,000 bottles and their firm Travesso hits break-even.
Q.
do Monte Travesso is situated in Barcos-TabuaVo
(see: Files/Round trip 14.1e).
The company is 16 hectares in size. The grapes with Port rights are supplied to
a large shipper. The rest is self-processed to Douro table wine.
Q. de Baldias, of the Barros de Viseu family, is located in Valdigem-Lamego
alongside the Douro. The company is 30 hectares in size and produces the most
Port types.
For more information: Travesso, Apeldoorn, m.mols@chello.nl
01/10/05.
For
this month we have chosen www.quinta-do-cotto.pt
This quinta, managed by Miguel Champalimaud, is 50 hectares in size. Quinta PaVo
Teixeiro with 12 hectares is also part of the company Montez Champalimaud.
Miguel Champalimaud is a controversial figure in the Douro. Richard Mayson
writes in his book Port and the Douro: “Champalimaud’s principal bugbear is
that the official system of vineyard classification rates the Cima Corgo and
Douro Superior (see: Files/What’s Port) higher
than the Baixo Corgo, where his own family’s properties happen to be situated.
With some justification, he likes to remind visitors that the Baixa Corgo was
the part of the Douro where the Port trade began, but he loses respect with his
perpetual tirade against today’s Port establishment.”
The Quinta do Côtto website is available in
Portuguese and English. The site has a splendid design and offers excellent
information.
IVDP events
calendar as of October 2005.
01/10/05.
The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Belgium,
Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, France, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK:
- Activities in Belgium:
. September 22nd - October 30th - Combinations Port Wine and chocolate
Pierre Marcolini - Tasting and sale in five shops "Pierre Marcolini".
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=92
. October 20th - General annual tasting.
. November 21st - Hotelschool Leuven.
. December 1st - Hotelschool Ter Groene Poort.
. December 5th - Hotelschool Piva Antwerp.
- Activities in Brazil:
. November 7th-10th - Acções de Formação com Assoc. Brasileira Sommeliers
- Curitiba, São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro.
. November 8th - Acção Vinhos do Douro e do Porto - Consulado Geral de São
Paulo.
- Activities in Canada:
. October 24th - Toronto Port and Douro Mini Salon - Le Meridien King Edward
Hotel.
. October 26th - Montreal Mini Salon - Hyatt Regency Hotel.
. November 4th-6th - Ottawa Food and Wine Show.
- Tasting in Denmark:
. November 7th - Port tasting - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Activities in France:
Education for waiters and teachers hotel sector:
. October 24th - Marseille - Aubagne - from 16.00 to 18.00.
. November 14th - Lycée René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.30 to 17.30.
. November 14th - Lycée Joseph Strock - Strasbourg - from 16.00 to 18.00.
. November 21st - Lycée René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.30 to 17.30.
. November 21st - Lycée de Dardilly - Lyon - from 11.00 to 12.00.
. November 28th - Lycée René Auffray - Clichy - from 16.30 to 17.30.
. November 28th - Lycée de Talence - Bordeaux - from 16.00 to 18.00.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=87
- Tastings in Norway:
. November 8th - Port tasting - Oslo Militaere Samfund.
.
November 14th - Douro Wine tasting - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
- Activities in Portugal:
. October 10th-28th - Concurso de Gastronomia com Vinho do Porto
- Período de avaliação dos restaurantes. See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=80
. November 5th-7th -
Encontro com o Vinho e Sabores - Centro de Congressos de Lisboa.
- Activities in Spain.
. October 3rd - Prova de VP e almoço Harmonias e Sabores - Museu de Belas
Artes de Bilbao - for specialized press. See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=97
. October 17th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante La Casona - Santander.
. October 25th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante Plazaola - Pamplona -
Navarra.
. November 7th - Formação de Escanções - Girona.
. November 8th - Formação de Escanções - Tarragona.
. November 9th - Formação de Escanções - Barcelona.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=89
- Activities in the UK:
. October 5th - Port Seminar - University of Derby.
. October 12th - Port Seminar - Colchester Institute.
. November 10th - Tasting in the Magestic Wines Shops - in several cities.
. November 28th - Port Seminar - University of Gales - Cardiff.
. December 8th - Port Seminar - University of Huddersfield.
Top 100 Wine &
Spirits.
01/10/05.
At
the top 100 list of best wines from 2005 in the American magazine Wine &
Spirits the Taylor Fladgate Vintage 2000 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha is the
only Port. The list is made out of over 8,820 wines.
Four wines of Taylor Fladgate were tasted of which three were recommended.
-
Vintage 2000 Quinta
de Vargellas Vinha Velha 95 punt.
-
Vintage 1995 Quinta
de Vargellas Vinha Velha 89 punt.
-
Tawny Special
83 punt.
Fifteen wines of Quinta do Ventozelo were tasted of which ten were recommende
including the following Ports:
-
Reserva 87 punt.
-
LBV 1998 85 punt.
Decanter
World Wine Awards 2005 (1).
01/10/05.
During
the World Wine Awards 2005 of the English magazine Decanter the following Awards
were granted to Ports in the category over 10 English pounds (14.85 Euros):
-
Regional Non
Vintage Port Trophy: Graham’s 20 Years Old Tawny.
-
Regional
Vintage Port Trophy: Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage 2000.
-
Gold medals:
. Ramos Pinto 20 Years Old Tawny Bom Retiro.
. Delaforce 20 Years Old Tawny Curious & Ancient.
. Graham’s Malvedos Vintage 1996.
. José Maria da Fonseca & van Zeller LBV 2000.
. Quinta de Roriz Vintage 2002.
The other results in this price range can be found at: www.decanter.com/worldwineawards/2005/results.php
(choose Portugal and Port).
The results of wines under 10 English pounds will be published on October 5th.
Chairman of the regional jury for Portugal, Port and Madeira was again Richard
Mayson, author of Port and the Douro.
Linkspage:
additions in October 2005.
01/10/05.
We
have added to Portlinks:
-
www.portoheredias.com
Also Quinta do Convento.
-
www.quintadapacheca.com
-
www.globalwinespirits.com/wx/en-VENTOZELO/PORTAL.INDEX
Revista de Vinhos no. 190
September 2005.
01/10/05.
The
September issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the
following information on Port:
New
product:
The Rozès White Reserve of SPR Vinhos gets 15.5 points from the editorial staff
on a score chart of 0 to 20.
The
Fladgate Partnership:
Fernando Melo mainly reviews the viniculture activities of this group with the
brands Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft, Delaforce and Romariz. An important
conclusion drawn by the recent years group management is the necessity to
continue to mix the different grape types for Port and not to change to
vinification of single types.
Fladgate
purchases properties Osborne in Gaia.
03/09/05. The
Fladgate Partnership (Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft and Delaforce) has bought the
stocks, the premises and the installations in Vila Nova de Gaia of the Spanish
Osborne. The lodges of the brand of the bull, Osborne, are located close to
those of Croft. However, Osborne continues to sell Port under its own name. The
Quinta and Vineyards Bottlers, part of The Fladgate Partnership, will take care
of the production. The bottle line of Osborne will be decommissioned.
The purchase price amounts 7 million Euros, of which 5 million Euros for the
stocks of 5,400 pipas young and old Port (casks of 550 litres). With this
take-over the concentration in the Port industry continues, and particularly the
medium-sized companies are disappearing. Osborne, in the midst of reorganization,
acquires the necessary cash. The Fladgate Partnership enlarges its capacity with
guaranteed sales.
Osborne was the first Spanish company that was active in the Port industry in
the sixties. The group never had quintas of its own in the Douro region. The
Ports of Osborne are exported to thirty countries.
A
spokesman of The Fladgate Partnership stated that the group wants to show its
confidence in the Port trade with this “small transaction” in contrast to
many other Port houses that have started to produce table wines as well. However,
one can also say that the production of table wines by Port farmers and shippers
is a healthy form of diversification.
(Source:
Expresso of 20/08/05.)
Expectations
for harvest 2005.
03/09/05.
The
Port region also suffers from the drought, though less than many other wine
areas in Portugal and Spain. It is expected that yields will be 4 to 6% down on
the annual average, but quality does not have to suffer from it.
However, locally there are large differences. In the driest area, the Douro
Superior against the Spanish border, the vine leafs have withered sometimes 80%.
Link of the month
September 2005.
03/09/05.
For
this month we have chosen www.fortheloveofport.com
FTLOP is the website of Roy Hersh, the American lover, expert and promotor, who
is especially engaged with top
Ports and top Madeira wines. All articles and Newsletters of Hersh have been
admitted to the site. Hersh also started a database for the many tasting notes
he made in the course of years. The last series of it concern 47 Vintages 2003
and can be found at http://www.fortheloveofport.com/articles/2003_vintage_port_forecast.htm (see also the many other tasting notes of this Vintage
in our News items from June 2005 and from
this month).
An important part of the site is the section with seven discussion forums about
Port, Madeira and Travel among other things.
The information on the new business activity of Hersh and his partner Mário
Ferreira, organizing Port trips, is temporarily published at FTLOP too. These
are not tours of travel agents offering again a new destination. These are trips
of two people with very much love for and knowledge of Port Wine who want and
are able to offer the very best in the Port field. The tours start in Oporto, so
interested people from the USA, Europe and the rest of the world are able to
participate. See http://www.fortheloveofport.com/travel.htm
Sales figures first
half year 2005.
03/09/05.
Figures
of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto from the first half of this year
show that:
-
the volume of
all Port sold increased by 0.5%.
-
the revenue of
all Port sold decreased by 2.8%.
-
the volume of
the Special Categories sold decreased by 1.5%.
-
the revenue of
the Special Categories sold decreased by 7.1%.
The
top 6 in volume were:
The
top 6 in revenue were:
The
top 6 in volume for the Special Categories were:
The
top 6 in revenue for the Special Categories were:
The
complete information can be found at: http://www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag=73&codSeccao=6&idioma=1
IWC 2005 – Wine
International.
08/09/05. During
the International Wine Challenge 2005 of the English magazine Wine International
the following Trophies (a new award) were granted:
-
Tawny Trophy:
Graham’s 30 Years Old.
-
Single Quinta Vintage
Trophy: Quinta de Roriz 2000.
-
LBV Trophy:
Smith Woodhouse Unfiltered 1994.
-
Vintage Trophy:
Offley 2003.
-
Port Trophy: Offley
Vintage 2003.
More
information and the many Gold, Silver, Bronze and Seals of Approval Awards can
be found at: www.wineint.com/winesearch.asp
03/09/05.
The
results of The International Wine Challenge 2005 of the English magazine Wine
International are embargoed until September 7th. We will publish them
the day after.
IVDP events
calendar as of September 2005.
03/09/05.
The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Belgium,
Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK:
- Activities in Belgium:
. October 20th - General annual tasting.
. November 21st - Hotelschool Leuven.
. December 1st - Hotelschool Ter Groene Poort.
. December 5th - Hotelschool Piva Antwerp.
- Activities in Brazil:
. November 7th-10th - Acções de Formação com Assoc. Brasileira Sommeliers
- Curitiba, São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro.
. November 8th - Acção Vinhos do Douro e do Porto - Consulado Geral de São
Paulo.
- Activities in Canada:
. October 24th - Toronto Port and Douro Mini Salon - Le Meridien King Edward
Hotel.
. October 26th - Montreal Mini Salon - Hyatt Regency Hotel.
. November 4th-6th - Ottawa Food and Wine Show.
- Tastings in Denmark:
.
September 20th - Smag &
Behag de vinhos DOC Douro - for journalists.
. November 7th - Port tasting - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Tastings in Norway:
. November 8th - Port tasting - Oslo Militaere Samfund.
.
November 14th - Douro Wine tasting - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
- Activities in Portugal:
. October 10th-28th - Concurso de Gastronomia com Vinho do Porto
- Período de avaliação dos restaurantes.
. November 5th-7th -
Encontro com o Vinho e Sabores - Centro de Congressos de Lisboa.
- Activities in Spain.
. October 3rd - Prova de VP e almoço Harmonias e Sabores - Museu de Belas
Artes de Bilbao - for specialized press.
. October 17th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante La Casona - Santander.
. October 25th - Formação de Escanções - Restaurante Plazaola - Pamplona -
Navarra.
. November 7th - Formação de Escanções - Girona.
. November 8th - Formação de Escanções - Tarragona.
. November 9th - Formação de Escanções - Barcelona.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=89
- Activities in the UK:
. August 22nd-October 1st - Promotion BBR Tanners.
. September 19th-23rd - Road Show York - for consumers.
. October 5th - Port Seminar - University of Derby.
. October 12th - Port Seminar - Colchester Institute.
. November 10th - Tasting in the Magestic Wines Shops - in several cities.
. November 28th - Port Seminar - University of Gales - Cardiff.
. December 8th - Port Seminar - University of Huddersfield.
Decanter September
2005.
03/09/05.
The
September issue of the English magazine Decanter contains the following
information on Port Wine:
Richard Mayson (author
of Port and the Douro) reviews the Vintage 2003. He classifies the wines into
three groups:
-
Serious, solid,
structured wines for the long haul with Fonseca and Quinta do Noval Nacional as
the best.
-
Big, elegant
wines with long-term potential with Graham’s as the best.
-
Fine,
flattering, fruit-driven wines for the medium-term with Croft as the best.
The Decanter Port Index has decreased by 0.05 points to 119.67 (December 1996 =
100). Fourteen large Port houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from
1927 to 1994.
Revista de Vinhos
nr. 189 August 2005.
03/09/05.
The
August issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
New products:
Both, the Quinta da Prelada LBV 2000 of Samuel Magelhães e Silva and the Rozès
Reserve (Ruby) get 15 points from the editorial staff on a score chart of 0 to
20.
Tasting 1963 –
2003:
In his report about the Vinexpo 2005 in Bordeaux João Afonso also reviews the
tasting “40 Years On” of The Symington Family, The Fladgate Partnership and
Quinta do Noval (see also our News item of
04/06/05). He gives the 1963’s of Q. do Noval Nacional the maximum 20
points, the Dow’s, Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft 19 points and the Graham’s
and Warre’s 18.5 points. He rates the 2003’s of Taylor’s, Fonseca, Q. do
Noval Nacional, Q. do Noval, Q. do Vesúvio and Dow’s with 19 points; the
Graham’s with 18.5 points; the Croft, Delaforce and Smith Woodhouse with 18
points and the Warre’s with 17.5 points.
Quinta
do Panascal:
Fernando Melo reviews the tourist activities of this quinta of Fonseca/The
Fladgate Partnership. He praises the audio tour with a walkman with texts in
nine languages. Melo judges tourism with 17.5 points on a chart to 20.
Roy Hersh publishes website.
08/08/05. The American Port guru Roy Hersh has published his already earlier
announced website for the first time on July 30th. The site can be found at www.fortheloveofport.com
Hersh will not publish only about Port Wine on his website but also about
Madeira Wines. The publications about the organized Port trips (a just together
with Mário Ferreira started company) will also be published on this website
temporarily.
We will pay more attention to this promising developments next month.
IVDP events
calendar as of August 2005.
08/08/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA:
- Activities in Brazil:
. August 22th-27th - Gula & Design - Casa Fasano - São Paulo.
. August 24th - Evento Gula Design - São Paulo.
. November 7th-10th - Acções de Formação com ABS - Curitiba, São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro.
. November 8th - Prova de vinhos em São Paulo.
. November 8th - Acção Vinhos do Douro e do Porto - Consulado Geral de São
Paulo.
- Activities in Canada:
.
October 24th - Toronto Mini Salon.
. October 26th - Montreal Mini Salon.
. November 4th-6th - Ottawa Food and Wine Show.
- Tastings in Denmark:
.
September 20th - Smag &
Behag de vinhos DOC Douro.
. November 7th - Port tasting - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Tastings in Norway:
. November 8th - Port tasting - Oslo Militaere Samfund - Oslo.
.
November 8th - Wine tasting - Oslo.
. November 14th - Douro Wine tasting - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
- Activities in Portugal:
.
October 10th-28th - Concurso de Gastronomia e Vinho do Porto
- Oporto.
. November 4th-6th -
Encontro com o Vinho e Sabores - Oporto.
- Activities in Spain.
.
October 6th - Almoço Harmonias e Sabores com Imprensa de Bilbao.
. October 10th - Seminário UAES - Girona.
. October 11th - Seminário UAES - Tarragona.
. October 12th - Seminário UAES - Barcelona.
. October 24th - Seminário UAES - Granada.
. October 25th - Seminário UAES - Navarra.
- Activities in the UK:
. August 22nd-October 1st - Promotion BBR Tanners.
. September 19th-23rd - Road Show York.
. October 5th - Port Seminar.
. October 12th - Port Seminar.
. November 10th - Tasting in the Magestic Wines Shop.
- Tasting in the USA:
. August 11th - Tasting in Washington.
New
owners for Cockburn’s and Martinez.
05/08/05. Cockburn’s and Martinez will change hands as a result of the
take-over of the English Allied Domecq by a consortium led by the French Pernod
Ricard. These two Port houses are still the only ones owned by a
multinational.
Regarding Cockburn’s it has been announced that ownership will go to the
American beverage concern Fortune Brands, headquartered in Lincolnshire,
Illinois. Cockburn’s is the largest Port brand in the United Kingdom. Fortune
Brands is a leading company in spirits and wine. The stock of the company is
listed at the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the S&P 500 index
and the MSCI World Index.
So far nothing has been announced regarding Martinez Gassiot. It is not sure if
Martinez will also be sold. Therefore Pernod Ricard will, at least temporarily,
own this Port house.
Benefício 5% down.
05/08/05. The
interprofessional counsel of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP)
has set the production quota (benefício) for the next harvest at 120.000 pipas
(casks of 550 litres) most (before adding aguardente). This is a decrease of
6,000 pipas or about 5% compared to last year. It was the first time that the
representatives of shippers and farmers agreed on the quota. Recent year’s
development of the benefício was as follows:
2001: 154.000 pipas.
2002: 135.000 pipas or –12,3%.
2003: 107.900 pipas or – 20,1%.
2004: 126.000 pipas or +16,8%.
2005: 120.000 pipas or –4,85%.
The full harvest communiqué will be published on the IVDP website.
Link of the month
August 2005.
05/08/05. For
this month we have chosen www.warre.com
The Port house Warre’s is part of The Symington Family Port Companies (see
their portal: www.symington.com).
The site has been designed nicely, but is only available in English. The general
and the product information is excellent. The chapter Viticulture, with the
following paragraphs, deserves special attention:
-
The Annual
Cycle of the Grapevine.
-
Soils.
-
Climate.
-
Warre’s
Experimental Vineyard.
-
Planting and
Grafting.
-
Vineyard Layout.
-
Principal Grape
Varieties.
For quite some time now the unique weather report of Quinta da Cavadinha has
unfortunately not been available.
Commemoration 250
years Douro demarcation.
05/08/05. The
Casa do Douro (CdoD) has taken the initiative towards the organization of the
250th anniversary of the demarcated Douro/Port region.
Halfway through the 18th century the Port export stagnated and the
prices decreased. The government of the thoroughgoing Marquis de Pombal
recognized the problems and founded the Companhia da Agricultura das Vinhas do
Alto Douro on September 10th, 1756. The objective hereof was to
guarantee the product quality, to reach balance between production and commerce
and to stabilize prices. One of the measures consisted of the demarcation of the
region by means of 335 boundary stones (feitorias). To this very day the
drasticly carried out measures by Pombal play a part in the Port industry.
The CdoD wants to boost interest for this commemoration the best it can. The
festivities should already start this year and reach their peak in 2006.
(Source: Jornal de Notícias of 06/07/05.)
International Wine
and Spirit Competition 2005 – Harpers.
05/08/05. During
the IWSC 2005 of Harpers the following “Best Gold in Class Awards” were
granted:
-
Dalva Colheita
1967 (C. Da Silva).
-
Dow’s Crusted
2000.
-
Cálem LBV
2000.
-
Warre’s LBV
1995.
-
Warre’s LBV
1995 Traditional.
-
Quinta do Tedo
LBV 1999.
-
Warre’s
Warrior Special Reserve.
-
Graham’s
Malvedos Vintage 1996.
-
Quinta de Roriz
Vintage 2000.
-
Warre’s Otima
20 Years Old Tawny.
More information and the many Gold, Best Silver, Silver and Bronze Awards can be
found at www.iwsc.net/searchFortified.cfm?Page=AwardsFW
(choose Portugal).
08/08/05. The Port Trophy for the very best Port entry of the year was
won by the Warre's Traditional LBV 1995. For more information see:
www.iwsc.net/trophiesArchive.cfm?page=trophiesArchive&trophyID=8
San Francisco
International Wine Competition 2005.
05/08/05. During
this American competition that was held from June 17th to 19th
“Double Gold” in the category Label Design was awarded to the Porto Solene
Ruby and Tawny Reserves of Wine Cluster Co.
Many medals in the category Wines were indeed awarded to fake Ports from all
over the world, but also to the following real Ports:
Silver:
-
Cockburn’s Vintage
2000.
-
Cockburn’s Vintage
2001.
-
Osborne LBV
1999.
-
Quinta do
Vesuvio Vintage 1998.
-
Sandeman Vau Vintage
1999.
-
Sandeman 20
Years Old Tawny.
Bronze:
-
Casal dos Jordões
Ruby.
For more information see www.sfwinecomp.com
Wine International
August 2005.
05/08/05. In
his section First taste in the August issue of the English magazine Wine
International Simon Woods chooses a Port wine as the very best. He gives 96
points to the Croft Vintage 2003 in the Category Two for the cellar.
Decanter August
2005.
05/08/05. The
Decanter Port Index in the August issue of this English magazine has increased
by 0.03 points to 119.72 (December 1996 = 100). Fourteen large Port houses are
part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to 1994.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 188 July 2005.
05/08/05. The
July issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
New product:
The Rozès 10 Years Old Tawny gets 15 points from the editorial staff on a score
chart of 0 to 20.
Quinta do Monte Bravo:
António Falcão reviews the company of Francisco José Márcia Rodrigues, which
encloses six quintas. The company has 97 hectares under vine. The vineyards have
been ranged mainly in class A.
The main quinta (Monte Bravo) is situated in Ervedosa do Douro near São João
da Pesqueira and is second in size after Quinta do Ventozelo in the region of
Pinhão. In 1996 the winery was equipped with eight horizontal inox vinification
tanks.
Luís Lopes judges the Quinta do Monte Bravo LBV 1999 with 16.5 points, the
Vintage 1999 with 17 points and the Vintage 2000 with 17.5 points.
Álvaro Moreira da Fonseca:
Marc Barros wrote an extensive essay on life and work of this “Giant of the
Douro”.
Moreira da Fonseca (1902 – 1981) was an agricultural engineer, historian and
author. He was a dedicated leader, employee of the IVP and from 1946 to 1949
president of the Casa do Douro.
He created the classification for Port with the classes A to F for which twelve
criterions are weighed. This system was introduced in 1973.
Castelinho Vinhos bought by CCVP.
02/07/05. The Companhia Comercial de Vinhos do Porto (CCVP) from Vila Nova de
Gaia has succeeded to buy Castelinho Vinhos, including the large visitor’s
centre Quinta de S. Domingos in Peso da Régua. It was known that the financial position of Castelinho Vinhos was not
strong enough to remain independent. The price has not been revealed. Douro Azul/Quinta
da Rede and Caixanova/Sogevinus, who in the meantime bought Burmester/Gilbert’s,
were also in the race (see: Sale
Burmester/Gilbert’s confirmed).
So far CCVP was an especially large producer of the cheaper types of Port,
mainly with the brand Vasconcellos. The firm is fifth on the list of exporting
Port companies. With Castelinho Vinhos, CCVP now also enters the market of the
better Port types and the company acquires interesting wine tourist activities.
In 2004 the trade of CCVP was 18 million Euros and that of Castelinho Vinhos
almost 8 million Euros. The own identity of Castelinho Vinhos will be maintained.
The brands of the
purchased company are: Castelinho, Quinta do Castelinho, Q. de S. Domingos,
Vinho do Tanque, Casa da Lousa, Vale do Bispo, Vale de S. Domingos and Q. de S.
Domingos (wine tourism).
(Source: Diário Económico of 17/06/05.)
Sale Burmester/Gilbert’s
confirmed.
02/07/05.
The
sale of Burmester and Gilbert’s by Amorim/Natureza to the Spanish Caixanova/Sogevinus
(also Cálem) has been confirmed in a small press release. Caixanova is a
regional bank in Galicia with many activities for and in the agrarian sector.
The price has not been published. The sale includes the brands, the stocks and
the complex in Vila Nova de Gaia, which were owned by Amorim/Natureza since
1999. The quintas Nova
de Nossa Senhora do Carmo and São Cibrão are not sold. The
use of the name Burmester for the hotel activities at Quinta Nova has been
settled in the sale contract. Sogevinus is not interested in these hotel
activities, however the company has large interests in the wine tourism in and
around the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia.
A spokesman of Sogevinus has stated that the company had to grow and that
Burmester is a nice firm with very good old wines – about 4 million litres.
In 2004 the trade of Cálem was around 15 million Euros and of Burmester over 3
million Euros. Together they are market leader in Portugal. Sogevinus foresees
an increase to 20 million Euros and 4.5 bottles of 0.75 litres in 2005.
(See also: Amorim/Natureza continues. and our
News items of 07/05/05 and 04/06/05.)
(Source mainly: Jornal de Negócios of 14/06/05.)
Amorim/Natureza
continues.
02/07/05.
In
spite of the sale of Burmester and Gilbert’s, Amorim/Natureza will continue
with the production of Port and Douro wines and with the wine tourism (see: Sale
Burmester/Gilbert’s confrmed).
Luísa Amorim informed us that the wine stocks of Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora
do Carmo have also not been sold. The company will continue at a high quality
level with 85 hectares vineyard in the best part of the Douro valley, a new
winery and an excellent place for the wooden casks with Douro wines. Quinta Nova
will soon launch more labels Douro wine (Quinta
Nova Grande Escolha, Reserva and Normal) and will continue with the production
of LBV and Vintage Ports.
The relation with Burmester and its new owners is good. The hotel bears this
name and some Burmester wines will be sold there. It could even be possible, if
so desired, that Quinta Nova is willing tosell a part of its grapes to them and
produces the wine for them.
Concerning the wine hotel, Luísa Amorim told us that in their point of view it
is the first one in Portugal where you can live between wine and vineyards every
day. The hotel also has a partnership with “Les Sources de Caudelie” (no
wine therapy). For more information see www.hotelburmester.com
(under construction).
The excellent online Port encyclopedia www.dourowine.com, mainly written by Luísa
Amorim, will
fortunately be maintained (see our News item of
04/10/03).
Link of the month
July 2005.
02/07/05.
For
this month we have chosen www.gporto.com
GPorto is the design product of Gilbert’s that has recently been sold together
with Burmester (see: Sale
Burmester/Gilbert’s confirmed).
The GPorto website is available in Portuguese, English and French and gives a
good image of the special design of this product (see also our News item of
01/12/01).
The chapter GCocktails with three recipes for Refreshments, Aperitifs and
Digitifs each, deserves special attention.
Auction stocks Casa
do Douro.
02/07/05.
The
counselling commitee for the sales of the stocks of the Casa do Douro (CdoD) has
agreed that the first approximately 2,500 pipas (of 550 litres) Port wine will
be auctioned. This is some 1.5% of the total marketed volume in 2004.
The committee consists of two members on behalf of the CdoD, two members on
behalf of the AEVP ( the organization of shippers) and chairman Jorge Monteiro,
the president of the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto).
Because of the financial problems of the CdoD (see our News items of 01/11/03)
all its stocks have been taken as security by banks. In its entirety this
comprises 37,000 pipas. A group managed by Caixa Geral de Depósitos has the
rights to 20,000 pipas with wines from 1934 to 1991. The Banco Português de Negócios
has the rights to the remaining 17,000 pipas with wines from 2000 and 2001.
If the sale continues at this pace, it will take fifteen years before all stocks
have been sold.
The IVDP will organize the auction and will now offer samples of all wines to
possible interested firms. Competitors can hand in their offers in a sealed
envelopes.
(Source: Jornal de Negócios of 02/06/05.)
Several tourist
news July 2005. 02/07/05.
-
The boat
“Quinta da Cavadinha” of Warre’s under the command of Dominique Symington
has won the 22nd Rabelo regatta in the river Douro estuary for
the second time. Dow’s was second, Barros third and Cálem fourth.
Cockburn’s finished eigtteenth and last. This race is always held on St
John’s Day. These historic Rabelo boats formerly transported the casks with
Port wine from the Douro region to Vila Nova the Gaia.
-
A new walking
route has been announced in the Douro region. It starts in Goujoim (Armamar)
and goes through the municipality of Tabuaço to São João de Pesqueira. The
route is 20 kilometres long and mainly goes through or along vineyards. The
signs will be installed soon.
-
Cruise company
Douro Azul has brought into use a new hotel ship, the Douro Queen. The ship has 65 cabins. (See:
File/Round trip 7).
-
Since a short
while the new discovered rock engravings in the Côa valley can be
visited by boat (see also our News item of 07/05/05 and
Files/Round trip 11).
-
The
municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia and the AEVP (the organization of shippers)
are preparing the application for the designation as World Heritage by
the Unesco of the area with Port lodges on the south bank of the
Douro (see also Files/Round trip 3).
Fonseca advertises with combination.
02/07/05. Fonseca
put a small striking advertisement in Wine International of June 2005 in which
the following combination is promoted:
“Ever tried … Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage 2000 with … Blood Sausage with
sweet patato purée & red onion compôte.”
This suggestion is by Matt Wilkin.
Travel report Frédérick
Blais.
02/07/05. Frédérick
Blais, a 26-years-old French-Canadian who lives in Montreal, is a great fan of
Port. He has published an extensive report on the WineLoversPage of Robin Garr
about his first visit to Portugal. Blais visited Oporto and the Port region, but
also many other places in Portugal. He has written an enthusiastic report on it
which gives a good impression of the many possibilities. His article can be
found at: www.wineloverspage.com/port/blaisport.phtml
Only volume
Special Categories up.
02/07/05. Figures
of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto from the first quarter of this
year prove that:
-
the volume of
all sold Port decreased by 2.9%.
-
the revenue of
all sold Port decreased by 3.2%.
-
the volume of
the sold Special Categories increased by 4.1%.
-
the revenue of
the sold Special Categories decreased by 4.1%.
The top 6 in volume were:
The
top 6 in revenue were:
The
top 6 in volume for the Special Categories were:
The
top 6 in revenue for the Special Categories were:
The
complete information can be found at: www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag+75&codSeccao=6&idioma=1
Les Citadelles du Vin
2005.
02/07/05.
During
the Vinexpo in Bordeaux from June 19 to 23 the results of the competition Les
Citadelles du Vin 2005 were announced. The following awards were granted to
Port:
Trophée Citadelles:
-
Casal dos Jordões
Quinta da Canelha Fine Ruby.
-
SPR Vinhos São
Pedro das Águias Vintage 2000 – also awarded with the Special Award
Portugal.
Trophée Excellence:
-
Quinta do
Infantado 2000.
Trophée Prestige:
-
SPR Vinhos Rozès
White Reserve.
-
Grand Cruz
Special Reserve.
-
Grand Cruz Fine
Vintage Character.
-
Romariz Reserve
Bio.
-
Cooperativa de
Alijo Encostas Douradas 10 Years.
-
Gran Cruz 10
Years.
-
SPR Vinhos Rozès
10 Years.
-
Gran Cruz 20
Years.
-
Casal dos Jordões
Vintage 2000.
For more information see: www.citadellesduvin.fr/searchEN2005.php
IVDP events
calendar as of July 2005.
02/07/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Denmark
and Norway:
- Tasting in Denmark:
November 7th - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Tastings in Norway:
November 8th - Oslo Militaere Samfund - Oslo.
November 14th - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
Wine International
July 2005.
02/07/05.
The
English magazine Wine International publishes a list of candidates for its
election of the “Wine Personality of the Year” in its July issue. The fifty
nominees have been chosen after consideration with experts and professionals
around the world. The only candidate from the Port industry is Peter Symington,
the winemaker of the Symington Family Port Companies.
Votes can be given at www.wineint.com/personality
in the categories “Terroir”, “Innovation” and “Pro bono vinum”. The
result will be published in the December issue of Wine International.
Decanter July 2005.
02/07/05.
The
Decanter Port Index in the July issue of this English magazine has decreased by
0.72 points to 119.69 (December 1996 = 100). Fourteen large Port houses are part
of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to 1994.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 187 June 2005.
02/07/05.
The
only Port news in the June issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos is
an article about Churchill’s of Johnny Graham. Among other things João Paulo
Martins
describes the most important problems to start a Port trade: a stock of at least
300 pipas (of 550 litres) and “o lei de terço” as a result of which it is
at most allowed to sell one third of the stocks each year. Nineteen tasting
notes of 5 LBV’s, 3 Vintages Quinta da Agua Alta, 4 Vintages Q. da Gricha and
7 Churchill’s Vintages have been printed along with the article.
Forty Port companies in danger.
04/06/05. During a symposium in Portugal, Jorge Monteiro, president of the
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, forboded nothing good for 40 of the 91
Port companies. He thinks that these companies are not large enough to reduce
costs nor have sufficient product differentation to join in niche markets.
Monteiro has the opinion that concentration by means of acquisitions and mergers
is necessary.
Monteiro also recommends the decrease of trade volumes for price dominated
markets and the increase of volume of the better Port types.
The earlier announced stategic plan for the Port industry will cost 250,000
Euros and has to be ready within a year. The principal purpose will be to
conquer young consumers, new markets and new sales channels.
(Sources: Jornal de Notícias of 29/04/05, Jornal de Negócios of 03/05/05 and
Harpers Online of 26/04/05.)
Top tasting 1963 -
2003 in Bordeaux.
04/06/05. During
the Vinexpo The Symington Family, The Fladgate Partnership and Quinta do Noval
will organize an exceptional tasting entitled “40 Years On” on June 20th
. The Vintages 1963 and 2003 of Croft,
Delaforce, Dow’s, Fonseca, Graham’s, Quinta do Noval en Nacional, Smith
Woodhouse, Taylor’s en Warre’s can be tasted. The tasting takes place in La
Cour Mably in the Rue Mably in the centre of Bordeaux between 17.00 and 20.00.
As far as we know participation is only possible with a personal invitation.
Sale Burmester not
yet confirmed.
04/06/05. The
news in O Público of April 8th that Burmester would have been sold
to Caixa Nova de Vigo - Sogevinus (also Cálem) by Amorim/Natureza has still
not been confirmed (see our News item of
07/05/05). Amorim as well as Cálem refuse every comment. However, O Jornal
de Negócios wrote on May 12th that sources in the sector confirmed the
agreement.
Yet the news continues to amaze. O Público commented on its own news on April
11th already and wrote about the amazement in the sector because the
owner Américo Amorim always talks very proudly about his wines. The newspaper
indicated as an explanation that the offered price must be extremely high.
The effort and enthusiasm of his daughter Luísa Amorim, who is part of the
management of the Burmester/Gilbert’s group, also does not make it a logical
sale. Burmester was revitalized to a top brand (see
our News item of 10/11/01), the design product G-Porto for young consumers
was developed (see our News item of 01/12/01)
and an unique Port encyclopedia on the internet was created (see
our News item of 04/10/03); all under her management too.
Moreover in the article in O Público of April 8th it says that both
quintas of Burmester will not be
sold too. And this is completely against the trend in the Port industry. The not
yet opened tourist accommodation at Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo will
get the name of Hotel Rural Burmester, of all names! You might say that one does
not choose this name if you want to sell the brand.
Finally it seems improbable that a bank (Caixa Nova) would accept the relatively
low returns in the Port industry.
Actually it would be more logical if Sogevinus/Cálem would be taken over by
Amorim than the other way round.
Vintage 2003: generally.
04/06/05. During
a presentation of the 2003 Vintage in London Paul Symington (The Symington
Family Port Companies), Adrian Bridge (The Fladgate Partnership) and Christian
Seely (Quinta do Noval) made some interesting remarks. They are quoted in
articles by Jancis Robinson (JR) and at Harpers Online (HO).
Paul Symington:
“If we do not get people to change the way they see vintage port, without
alienating our traditional customers, we will be stuck with an ever-ageing
costumer profile. I think the wines we make deserve more than this!” (JR)
“The Brits are really very tied to the traditions of vintage Port. Many will
not countenance opening a bottle until it is 20 years old. But we need to get
them to be more adventurous. A lot of people sneer the Americans for serving
vintage port young, but why not?” (JR)
“We’re not making the wines in a different way, to drink young - we’er
making better wines which will age fabulously too.”(HO)
Christian Seely:
“The point about New World wines is that they give huge sensation. With them
you’re not necessarily looking for the subtlety of mature wine. On that basis,
wines like these 2003 ports can give that sort of excitement.”(JR)
“The 2003 Vintages are thrilling to drink young. The huge sensation of Port is
appreciated especially by new consumers who are not bound by traditional rules
and want to have their minds blow away.” (HO)
Adrian
Bridge:
“The exciting thing for us is to show the range of the 2003s, and the
individual house styles.” (HO)
“I expect to see the 2003 Taylor and Fonseca on British shelves for around 44
English pounds, as opposed to 41 English pounds for the 2000s.” (JR)
(Sources:
How to get people to buy 2003 vintage Port - Column of May 21st in
The Financial Times by Jancis Robinson and 2003 Port: a “modern” classic on
Harpers Online of May 13th.)
Port houses judge
Vintages 2003.
04/06/05. Seventeen
employees of Port houses, mainly winemakers, have judged 31 Vintages 2003 in
Oporto on March 12th. Among them were David Guimaraens, Dirk Niepoort,
João Nicolau de Almeida and Charles Symington. The list contains some
surprises:
-
On the first
place we find Noval Silval, the second brand of Quinta do Noval which comes at
the eleventh place itself.
-
Quinta do
Portal occupies the second place.
-
The third place
of Taylor’s and the sixth of Niepoort are not really surprising, but the
seventh place of Delaforce and the tenth of Croft are excellent.
-
The Symington
family is not among the first three, but scores well with four brands in the top
ten (Dow’s, Q. de Roriz, Warre’s and Graham’s).
Here are the full results:
|
1.
Noval Silval |
17.
Romariz |
|
2.
Quinta do Portal |
18.
Quinta do Ventozelo |
|
3.
Taylor’s |
19.
Real Companhia Velha |
|
4.
Dow’s |
20.
Quinta do Vesuvio |
|
5.
Quinta de Roriz |
21.
Poças Director’s Choice |
|
6.
Niepoort |
22.
Fonseca |
|
7.
Delaforce |
23.
Quinta da Peça |
|
8.
Warre’s |
24.
Ferreira |
|
9.
Graham’s |
25.
Sandeman |
|
10.
Croft |
26.
Quinta de Santa Júlia |
|
11.
Quinta do Noval |
27.
Casal dos Jordões |
|
12.
Quinta do Crasto |
28.
Smith Woodhouse |
|
13.
Niepoort Secundum |
29.
Vale d’Açor |
|
14.
Quinta da Gavoisa |
30.
Borges |
|
15.
Gould Campbell |
31.
Ramos Pinto |
|
16.
Poças |
|
Richard Mayson: Vintages
2003.
04/06/05. The
author of “Port and the Douro”, Richard Mayson, published an article about
the Vintage 2003 on Decanter Online. He characterizes Dow’s, Fonseca, Quinta
do Noval and Noval Nacional as wines which are “giving very little away at
this stage but certain to develop well over the long term”. He finds Croft,
Graham’s, Taylor’s and Warre’s “more open at this stage. These wines
will close up in due course but are certain to retain their elegance and
finesse”.
The article can be found at: www.decanter.com/news/63978.html
Column
Robinson: Vintages 2003.
04/06/05. Jancis
Robinson has also devoted her column in the Financial Times of May 21st
to the 2003 Vintages. She wrote on Vintages in general:
“The problem is not that the wines are unthinkably expensive compared to other
fine wines made with infinite care, especially when one remembers that yields in
the Douro valley are about half those on a top Bordeaux estate. The problem is
vintage port’s exceptionally long life cycle. The wines have always been made
on the assumption that they start to come into their own from about 20 years old.
Traditional wine drinkers regard vintage port as the one wine they can stash at
the very back of the cellar and so many of the world’s port lovers tend to
have good stocks of slow-maturing wine already. The price of older vintages of
port have been slow to rise over the last two decades, so newcomers to the style
have been able to furnish their cellars with relatively mature wines bought in
the saleroom.”
She ranged the wines she tasted like the English football competition:
Premiership:
Fonseca.
Quinta do Portal. (see
a)
First Division:
Quinta do Noval Nacional.
Quinta do Portal 2. (see
b)
Smith Woodhouse.
Second Division:
Barros.
Graham’s.
Poças Junior.
Quinta do Noval.
Third Division:
Croft.
Delaforce.
Dow’s.
Poças.
Quinta do Noval Silval.
Quinta de Roriz.
Skeffington.
Link of the month June 2005.
04/06/05.
For
this month we have chosen www.cdasilva.pt
C. da Silva is a small, Portuguese family firm especially known by its brand
Dalva.
The simple, but nice website is available in English and Portuguese. The
admitted information is generally brief, but more extensive about the Dalva
products of which the large availability of Vintages and Colheitas is striking.
Vinhos Borges
increases Port production.
04/06/05. The
Sociedade dos Vinhos Borges has plans to double its Port production in the next
three to four years. This production is now 5% of the total trade of the company.
For these plans a vinification centre at Quinta da Soalheira will be build,
within two to three years, for one to two million Euros.
(Sources: Jornal de Negócios and Diário de Notícias of 05/05/05.)
Packaging award for
Solene/Wine Cluster.
04/06/05. During
the 39th Vinitaly from April 7th to 11th in
Verona Italy, the “Label of the Year” award of the 10th
International Packaging Competition is granted to the Porto Solene Ruby Special
Reserve of Wine Cluster Co (see our News item
of 04/09/04).
This award is granted to the very best of the gold medal winners. In contrast
with its name this award not only concerns the label but the whole concept of
bottle, stopping, capsule, label, box
and so on.
For pictures and more information see www.portosolene.com
Vinalies Internationales
- Paris.
04/06/05. During
the eleventh Vinalies Internationales from February 25th to March 1st the
Liqueur Trophee was awarded to the Late Bottled Vintage 1996 of Gran Cruz.
Gold medals were awarded to:
-
Burmester
Jockey Club Reserve.
-
Cálem LBV
1998.
-
Cálem Vintage
2002.
-
Ferreira Duque
de Bragança 20 Years Old Tawny.
-
Ferreira
Vintage 1982.
-
Gran Cruz LBV
1996.
-
Gran Cruz Tawny.
-
Offley Baron of
Forrester Reserve.
-
Offley LBV
1999.
-
Romariz Reserva
Latina.
-
Rozès Vintage
2001.
-
Sandeman 40
Years Old Tawny.
-
Vista Alegre
LBV 1999.
The eleven silver medals can be found at: www.oenologuesdefrance.fr/vinalies/contenu.php
and choose Pays: Portugal and Region: Porto e Douro.
IVDP events
calendar as of June 2005.
04/06/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Denmark,
France and Norway:
- Tasting in Denmark:
November 7th - Palácio da Bolsa - Copenhagen.
- Tasting in France:
June 19th - 23rd - Vinexpo - Bordeaux.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=28
and www.vinexpo.fr
- Tastings in Norway:
November 8th - Oslo Militaere Samfund - Oslo.
November 14th - Hotel Grand - Oslo.
Wine Spectator
May 31st , 2005: Vintages 1991 and 1992.
04/06/05. James
Suckling reviews and judges the Vintages 1991 and 1992 in the May issue of the
American magazine Wine Spectator.
Ten years back Suckling had a slight preference for the 1992 Vintage with 94
points against 93 points for the 1991 Vintage. Now he still finds it difficult
to determine which is the best, he finds their styles unchanged. Suckling
recommends the maturing of both years for another two or three years.
The highest score was for the Taylor Fladgate 1992 with 96 points. The
disappointment of this tasting, with eight Vintages 1991 and four Vintages 1992,
was the Quinta do Noval Nacional 1991 with 86 points. Suckling even suggests the
possibility of a bad bottle.
Wine
International June 2005.
04/06/05.
Samantha
Caporn and her team have judged many wines from 1995. Twelve Vintages and one
Colheita were tasted in the category Port. The Smith Woodhouse Madalena Vintage
got the highest score with 95 points. At the bottem of the list we find the
Quinta do Portal Vintage with 81 points. The Colheita of Barros finished second
best with 94 points.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 186 May 2005.
04/06/05. The
May issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
Hotel Rural Burmester:
Fernando Mello reviews this new, luxurious accommodation at Quinta Nova de Nossa
Senhora do Carmo of the Amorim/Natureza group (Burmester/Gilbert’s). He
calls it the first hotel in the Douro region dedicated to wine, but possibly
this is a bit too little respectful for the Vintage House Hotel in Pinhão with,
among others, its Wine Academy (see Round trip 13b).
The Burmester hotel offers six suites and five rooms (high season 130 to 110
Euros), many facilities, wine activities and possibilities for children. Melo
values the tourist activities with 19 points on a scale to 20.
Suckling: Vintages 2003.
RdeV publishes the scores which James Suckling gave in his tasting report at
Wine Spectator Online. Croft,
Fonseca, Niepoort, Quinta do Noval Nacional, Q. de Roriz and Q. do Vesúvio got
95 to 100 points. Dow’s,
Ferreira, Gould Campbell, Graham’s, Q. do Noval, Ramos Pinto, Smith Woodhouse
and Taylor Fladgate scored 92 to 94 points. Burmester,
Feist, Q. do Grifo, Q. do Infantado, Q. do Noval Silval, Poças Director’s
Choice, Quarles Harris, Q. de la Rosa, Royal Oporto, Sandeman, Q. Vale da
Mina, Q. do Vale Dona Maria and Warre’s have 89 to 91 points. Barros,
Burmester, Kopke, Offley, Osborne, Poças and Wine & Soul received 85 to 88
points. At the bottom of the list we find Hutcheson with 80 to 84 points.
Excitement about Vintage 2003.
07/05/05. There is excitement about the excellent expectations of the Vintage
2003 in the Port industry.
The very first announcement, of the Churchill’s Vintage, was done by James
Suckling at Wine Spectator Online on March 4th. After that the
declarations of Niepoort, The Symington Family Port Companies, Quinta do Noval,
The Fladgate Partnership and Quinta do Vale Meão were made public well before
the traditional date of April 23rd - Dia de São Jorge/St George’s
Day. It is very likely that many announcements will follow.
The quality of this Vintage is mainly the result of the excellent harvest (see
our News item of 06/12/03) after which the expectations were already great
immediately. Dirk (van der) Niepoort stated in the April issue of Revista de
Vinhos that his Vintage 2003 could be another
1945 (one of the best years of the last two centuries).
One of the most important presentations of the Vintage 2003 will take place
during the Vinexpo in Bordeaux at La Cour Mably on June 20th. Then
The Fladgate Partnership, Quinta do Noval and The Symington Family will jointly
organize the tasting “40 years on – a tasting of
2003 and 1963 Vintage Ports”.
The Symington Family has made seven vintages 2003: Graham’s, Dow’s,
Warre’s, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris and Quinta do Vesuvio.
Extensive information on these products will be available at www.thevintageportsite.com
from the second week of May.
The Fladgate Partnership has produced four Vintages 2003: Taylor’s, Fonseca,
Croft and Delaforce. For
more information see the press release at this page.
Meanwhile James Suckling published a judgement of 35 barrel samples of the
Vintage 2003 at Wine Spectator Online on April 18th. He writes that
this Vintage already looks to be outstanding.
Burmester sold to
owner Cálem.
07/05/05. The
Portuguese group Amorim/Natureza has sold Port house Burmester to the Spanish
group Caixa Nova de Vigo - Sogevinhos. Caixa Nova has also owned 99% of Cálem
since 2003.
Amorim was the owner of Burmester for six years. The sale includes the brand
Burmester, its stocks and its complex in Vila Nova de Gaia.
The Quintas Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo and São Cibrão have not been sold
by Amorim. Eleven
hotel suites will be brought into use at Quinta Nova in June.
Although it is not mentioned in the news coverage, the information gives the
impression that Gilbert’s, with its design product G-Porto, is also part of
the transaction. (See also our News item of
01/12/01.)
(Source: O Público of 08/04/05.)
New rock engravings
in Côa valley.
07/05/05. New
engravings from the Palaeolithic age have been found on thirty rocks near the
river mouth in the Parque Arqueológico Vale do Côa in the eastern part of the
Port region. (See also: Files/Roundtrip 11.) The
drawings are of a good artistic quality and date mainly from the Iron Age.
The management of the park expects that it will soon be possible to visit the
new site. However, the place is difficult to reach. There are plans to lay some
footpaths and to make it possible to visit the site by boat.
(Source: Jornal de Notícias of 05/03/05.)
Link of the month
May 2005.
07/05/05. For
this month we have chosen www.grahams-port.com
Graham’s, together with Dow’s, Warre’s, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell,
Quarles Harris and Quinta do Vesuvio, is part of The Symington Family Port
Companies.
The website of Graham’s is well designed and offers extensive information. The
paragraph “Robotic Lagar” at the page “About us” offers a very
informative article by Charles Symington that deserves special attention.
Concours Mondial de
Bruxelles 2005.
07/05/05. During
the eleventh Concours Mondial de Bruxelles from March 31st to April 2nd
the following medals were awarded to Port:
Great Gold Medals:
-
Rozès Reserve.
-
Gran Cruz LBV
1996.
Gold Medals:
-
Rozès LBV 1997
Unfiltered.
-
Burmester 20
Years Old Tawny.
-
Ferreira Duque
BraganVa
20 Years Old Tawny.
-
Sandeman
Founders Reserve.
-
Sandeman 20
Years Old Tawny.
-
Sandeman 40
Years Old Tawny.
The eleven silver medals can be found at: www.concoursmondial.be/en_frameset_uitslagen.htm
and choose Portugal.
Next year this concours will leave Belgium for the first time and will it be
organized in Lisbon at the end of
April.
Vinitaly 2005 -
Verona, Italy.
07/05/05. During
the wine competition of the 39th Vinitaly from April 7th to 11th
the “Premio Special” for Portugal was granted to Cálem.
No medals have been won by Port products in this competition. However, six
“Gran Menzione” awards were granted:
-
Romariz Reserva Latina.
-
Cálem Reserva
Tawny.
-
Cálem LBV
2000.
-
Rozès 10 Years
Old Tawny.
-
Rozès Vintage
2000.
-
Quinta do
Estanho Vintage 1996.
For more information see: www.vinitaly.com
IVDP events
calendar as of May 2005.
07/05/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Brazil,
England, France and Spain:
- Fair and
tasting in Brazil.
May 10th - Tasting Douro and Port Wines - Curitiba.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=52
-
Fair in England.
May 17th - 19th - Fair LIWSF - London.
See also: www.londonwinefair.com
-
Tasting in France.
June 19th – 23rd – Vinexpo – Bordeaux.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=28
and www.vinexpo.fr
-
Tasting in Spain.
May 14th – 16th - Riberexpo 2005 – Peñafiel, Castilla
y León.
See also: www.ivdp.pt/noticia.asp?cod=29
Decanter May 2005.
07/05/05. The
May issue of the English magazine Decanter contains the following information on
Port Wine:
-
In the section
“Best New Releases”, the PoVas
LBV 1998 has been chosen for Portugal.
-
The Decanter
Port Index has decreased by 0.03 points to 119.70 (December 1996 = 100).
Fourteen large Port houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to
1994.
Decanter June 2005.
07/05/05. The
June issue of the English magazine Decanter contains the following information
on Port Wine:
-
In Steven
Spurrier’s Choice, the Burmester Colheita 1990 is presented as the best
fortified wine.
-
The Decanter
Port Index has increased by 0.71 points to 120.41 (December 1996 = 100).
Fourteen large Port Houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to
1994.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 185 April 2005.
07/05/05. The
April issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
Porto Extravaganza 2005:
Bar do Binho in Sintra organized this particular tasting for the third time
since 2001. Day 1 had been dedicated to Niepoort, day 2 to Wiese & Krohn and
day 3 to Real Companhia Velha.
Vintages 1991 and 1992:
The editorial staff compares the ratings which James Suckling gave to eight
Vintages 1991 and four Vintages 1992 in Wine Spectator with its own ratings and
establishes that they are not equal but that there are many similarities.
The Fladgate Partnership: Press release Vintages 2003.
07/05/05.
Taylor's.
The 2003 vintage followed an outstanding viticultural year in the Douro
Valley, with excellent ripening and harvesting seasons. For Taylor's Chairman
Alistair Robertson, the 2003 harvest was his 36th spent at Quinta de Vargellas,
the company's most famous property. "2003 was a perfect year in the
vineyard", he commented. "A wet winter to build up water reserves,
excellent flowering conditions and plenty of heat and sunshine in the Summer.
All the ingredients for a great vintage port were there."
Wine maker David Guimaraens agrees: "We had textbook ripening conditions,
with a dry and bright Summer rounded off by some light rain at the end of
August. The weather for picking was excellent with clear sunny weather
prevailing throughout the harvest".
The 2003 wines have shown promise from an early stage. However Taylor's has
maintained its house tradition of announcing on 23rd April, St George's Day.
Adrian Bridge, Taylor's Managing Director, commented: "A declaration
decision is something you do not rush, even when the wines are as clearly
magnificent as the 2003's".
As is to be expected from a warm dry year, the 2003 vintages ports are wines of
massive scale. Adrian Bridge commented: "The hot Summer gave us
concentration and power but the wines also have excellent structure and great
finesse. The Taylor 2003 is very much in style, with a wonderful complex nose
and great depth and stamina evident on the palate."
As usual the vintage blend is based on the wines of the company's two oldest
properties. Quinta de Vargellas provides the backbone for the blend and gives it
complexity and elegance. Quinta de Terra Feita, one of the oldest vineyards, is
the source of its depth, intensity and focused fruit. This year Taylor's second
Pinhão Valley property, Quinta do Junco, also contributed to the blend.
Offers
and allocations of Taylor 2003 vintage ports will be made in the coming days
through the company’s distributors throughout the world. Adrian Bridge notes:
“A new vintage port declaration is one of the most eagerly anticipated events
in the wine calendar, especially since it does not happen every year”. He
added: “A declaration allows consumers and collectors to acquire one of the
world’s great iconic wines for prices which remain very reasonable compared to
those of other classic appellations.”
As
usual, the Taylor declaration offer is expected to be over-subscribed and early
reservations are recommended.
Tasting
notes:
Inky purple black with narrow magenta rim. Classic Taylor nose, with exotic
scents of violet and gumcistus set against an impenetrable background of intense
dark berry fruit. Stylish and racy palate, displaying a tight fabric of sinewy
tannins and packed with concentrated grapey flavours which intensify through the
seemingly endless finish. Like many other great Taylor vintages this wine is an
archetype of restrained power, its elegance and breeding concealing massive
inner strength and stamina.
Fonseca.
2003 was a remarkable year in the Douro Valley, providing the combination of
growing and ripening conditions which traditionally precede a great port
vintage.
Fonseca’s Managing Director, Adrian Bridge, commented:
“2003 was a textbook year in our vineyards and this comes through
clearly in the magnificent quality of the wines”.
Wine maker David Guimaraens explained: “2003
had all the ingredients of a great vintage year, with its hot Summer and perfect
picking conditions. All the classic
grape varieties performed well, providing the balance and completeness essential
for the future development of the wines”.
He added: “2003 has produced an
archetypal Fonseca vintage, combining full bodied robustness with the wonderful
rich complex fruitiness characteristic of the house style”.
Fonseca is one of the most famous vintage port houses and its rich fruity
long-lasting wines are produced on the firm’s own estates in the Pinhão and Távora
valleys.
The Fonseca 2003 vintage blend was drawn from the estates of Quinta do Cruzeiro
and Quinta do Panascal.
Adrian Bridge noted: “The secret
of great vintage port lies in the vineyard.
Fonseca’s estates have benefited from decades of investment and
pioneering development. This, as
well as their unique locations, allows them to produce vintage ports of
consistent quality and style”.
Offers and allocations of the Fonseca 2003 vintage will be made in the coming days through Fonseca’s distributors. As the declaration offer is always over-subscribed, it is recommended that reservations are made early to avoid disappointment.
Tasting
notes:
Intense purple black center with narrow magenta edge.
Nose bursting with the potent complex fruitiness which is the hallmark of
the Fonseca style. The fruit is
rich and luscious, a harmonious blend of blackcurrant, raspberry, cherry and
plum. Full bodied on the palate with tightly knit, chewy tannins
which provide both volume and structure. The
succulent jammy fruit flavours seem to last for ever on the incredible long
finish. A big, opulent wine in the
Fonseca tradition with the background and depth of flavour to ensure a long life
in bottle.
Croft.
Announcing the declaration, Chairman Alistair Robertson commented:
“The 2003 declaration marks a turning point in Croft’s long and
distinguished history”.
Croft’s Managing Director, Adrian Bridge, explained:
“Since Croft’s return to family ownership almost four years ago, we
have invested huge resources and energy in Quinta da Roêda, one of the finest
estates in the Douro Valley. The
2003 vintage benefited from two years of vineyard management by our dedicated
and expert viticulture team. In
addition, we reinstalled traditional granite treading tanks to return to foot
treading and allow this magnificent vineyard to express its unique character to
the full. This had not happened for forty years. These changes start a new cycle in the history of Quinta da
Roêda which has re-established itself as a ‘first growth’ producer of
vintage port.”
He added: “It has been our aim to restore Croft to its rightful
place in the first rank of vintage port houses and with the outstanding Croft
2003 I believe we have achieved that goal.”
2003 was exceptional in the Douro Valley, bringing together many of the factors
which distinguish the great vintage years.
Wine maker David Guimaraens explained:
“2003 was an excellent year in the vineyard.
Plenty of rain in winter and a perfect flowering season followed a hot
dry Summer to bring the grapes to full maturity”.
He added: “The 2003’s
are massive, tannic wines but they have excellent balance and complexity as
yields were even across all the classic grape varieties.”
Commenting on the Croft 2003, he said: “The
aromatic power of this wine is extraordinary, with masses of powerful berry
fruit flavour. A return to foot
treading has revealed the essence of the Roêda wines.”
The Croft 2003 blend was drawn entirely from Quinta da Roêda.
Offers and allocations of the Croft 2003 Vintage port will be sent out shortly through the firm’s distributors. The Croft 2003 is expected to be among the most highly rated of the vintage and it is recommended that reservations are made as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Tasting
notes:
Very deep purple black with a narrow purple rim.
Extraordinarily powerful and heady nose with an almost overpowering
abundance of jammy fruit in which blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry combine
with fine aromatic notes of gumcistus. Big
mouth-filling palate, crammed with rich, thick tannins and bursting with
luscious fruity flavour.
Delaforce.
Delaforce, founded in 1868, is one of the most respected Port houses and Vintage
Port producers.
Managing Director Adrian Bridge commented:
“2003 was an excellent year in the Douro Valley, with the hot dry
Summer and perfect picking conditions producing powerful wines which
nevertheless have great finesse and complexity.
It give us great pleasure to announce the declaration of a Delaforce
vintage from this outstanding year”.
The Delaforce 2003 Vintage blend is based on the wines of the firm’s own
estate of Quinta da Casa Nova in the Pinhão Valley and those of Quinta da Côrte,
the superb estate in the Rio Torto Valley where Delaforce also makes its well
known Single Quinta Vintages. These
are blended with the wines from other top Cima Corgo vineyards to achieve the
elegance and balance which characterise the Delaforce Vintage Port style.
Wine maker David Guimaraens noted: “Delaforce
Vintage Ports achieve their balance by drawing from wines of different vineyards,
each contributing its unique character to the blend.
The art of blending is a long tradition at Delaforce and adds a layer of
complexity and elegance to its wines.”
The 2003 Vintage Declaration is likely to attract considerable interest and the
year is already being characterised as outstanding by the wine press.
Offers and allocations will be made shortly through Delaforce’s
distributors and representatives worldwide.
Tasting
notes:
Dark purple black with vivid purple rim. Displays the classic Delaforce elegance and refinement on the
nose, with all elements in perfect balance.
Delicate cedary and floral scents are set against a well defined fruity
background of blackcurrant and plum. The
deceptively supple middle palate gives way to a long finish, revealing firm
well-integrated tannins. A
beautifully balanced wine, understated and harmonious, justifying the house’s
reputation as a master of the Port blend.
Profile Port consumer in
Portugal.
02/04/05. The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) carried out a
market research amongst 1,263 consumers in Portugal.
Generalizing, the Portuguse Port buyer proved to be a man between 35 and 49
years old who purchases four to six bottles costing 20 Euros or more a year. (See
also the AEVP research in the five countries with the largest consumption in our
News item of 12/02/05.)
The IVDP research was carried out in Greater Lisbon and Greater Oporto between
July and September 2004 and showed that more Port is bought in Lisbon (!) than
in Oporto. A large share (81%) likes to give Port as a present, but this
possibility is often forgotten.
Fifty-six percent of the questioned subjects is used to buying Port, 63% thereof
is male. The fact that somebody does not buy Port does not also mean he
doesn’t not drink Port.
As other researches also prove, Port is not associated with young people. In
addition, people do not believe Port to be especially suitable as an aperitif,
but see Port more as a digestive and as a nightcap.
Most Port - 59% - is bought in hypermarkets, followed by supermarkets with 27%,
chiefly because of the varied offer and the moderate prices.
The types that proved to be best known are the Reserve, the Vintage and the
Colheita. Porto Ferreira, D. António and Porto Calém were best known as brands.
The IVDP wants to repeat this research every two years. The same research for
Douro table wine will be carried out in the intervening years starting in 2005.
Rich, Rare &
Red by Ben Howkins.
02/04/05. Today we
publish a review on the book Rich, Rare & Red by Ben Howkins. The book is a
new edition of a text from 1987 or
1982. To make it current a separate preface has been written. Because of this it
is especially a book for collectors.
For more see: Files/Library.
Link of the month
April 2005.
02/04/05. For this
month we have chosen www.osborne.es
The Osborne site is available in English and Spanish.
The information on Port Wine is good. The many other products of the group also
get attention. Of course this is in the first place Sherry, but the table wines,
spirits, pork products, water and fruit juice, energy drinks and an own chain of
six restaurants are also highlighted.
IVDP events
calendar as of April 2005.
02/04/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Brazil,
Denmark, England, France and Italy:
- Fair and
tasting in Brazil.
May 3rd - 5th - Fair Expovinis/VivaVinho - São Paulo.
May 10th - Tasting Douro and Port Wines - Curitiba.
- Port tasting in Danmark.
May 2nd - Tasting - Aarhus.
- Fair in England.
May 17th - 19th - Fair LIWSF - London.
- Tasting in France.
April 18th – Tasting L’Amateur de Bordeaux - Paris.
- Tasting in Italy.
April 10th - Tasting Port Wine Vinitaly - Verona.
Decanter April
2005.
02/04/05. The April
issue of the English magazine Decanter contains the following information on
Port Wine:
-
In Steven
Spurrier’s Choice, the Quinta do Noval Colheita 1974 is presented as the best
fortified wine.
-
The Decanter
Port Index has decreased by 0.72 points to 119.73 (December 1996 = 100).
Fourteen large Port Houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to
1994.
Wine International
May 2005.
02/04/05. After five
years Samantha Caporn and her team have again judged many wines from the top year 2000. Twenty-five Vintages were
tasted in the category Port. Taylor’s, Quarles Harris and Quinta de Roriz got
the highest score with 95 points. Martinez scored lowest with 81 points.
Wine Spectator
April 31, 2005: 100-points wines.
02/04/05. James
Suckling has published an essay entitled: “Portraits of perfection – What
does it take for a wine to earn 100 Points” in the April issue of the American
magazine Wine Spectator. It concerns all wines that ever received 100-point
ratings from editors of WS.
In a first list of 32 blind tasted wines you find three Port Wines:
-
Fonseca Vintage
1994,
-
Quinta do Noval
Nacional Vintage 1994,
-
Taylor Fladgate
Vintage 1994.
The original tasting notes as well as actual tasting notes of all these wines
have been included to this issue.
In a second list with wines from non-blind tastings or retrospective tastings
years later, you find five Port Wines:
-
Fonseca
Vintages 1977, 1948 and 1927,
-
Quinta do Noval
Nacional Vintages 1963 and 1931.
In an extra list of 48 blind tasted wines rated with 99 points you find one Port
Wine:
-
Quinta do Noval
Nacional Vintage 1997.
Wine Spectator
Auction Index April 31, 2005.
02/04/05. Peter D. Meltzer comments the last Wine Spectator Auction Index in the April issue as
follows: “As a category, Vintage Port fell 5 percent. However, Graham’s 1997
bucked the trend to average U$ 59 per bottle – up 59%”. The Vintages 1963,
70, 77, 94 and 97 of Fonseca, Graham’s, Taylor’s and Warre’s have been
entered in this index tabel.
Revista de Vinhos
no. 184 March 2005.
02/04/05. The March
issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the following
information on Port Wine:
Tasting Vintages 2002:
João Afonso reports on a tasting with 18 Vintages 2002. The tasting panel
characterizes this vintage as: “Good Port from a minor year” and “More to
drink than to store”.
Twenty-six Vintages from 2002 have been registered at the IVDP. Especially the
Symington group and Taylor/Fonseca have not yet marketed their Vintages 2002.
The highest score of 17.5 points went to Quinta de Santa Barbara of PoVas.
At the bottom of the list we find Calém and Ramos Pinto Q. de Ervamoira both
with 14 points.
Tourism in Graham’s lodges:
Fernando Melo reviews
the tourism in the lodges of Graham’s (The Symington Family) in Vila Nova de
Gaia. The well equiped complex offers an overwhelming view at the Douro and
Oporto from the balcony. Almost 90,000 people visited these lodges in 2004.
Individual visits and tastings are free, for groups Graham’s offers extensive
arrangements. Melo rates the tourist activities with 18 points on a score chart
with a 20 point maximum.
Graham’s
Trophy 2005 – the contest as seen by the jury.
By Maartje Koning, winner in
2002.
05/03/05. The
fifth edition of the Dutch Graham’s Trophy took place during a packed Wine
Professional in the Rai in Amsterdam on January 10th. Five finalist
competed for the fiercely desired first place, which includes a four days trip
to the Douro, by demonstrating their Port knowledge in several ways. The
planning was more professional than ever with a blind tasting, a character
description of an indicated Port, an oral presentation and a blending contest.
The winner will bear the title “Port Ambassador” for a year and participate
in the jury of the Graham’s Trophy 2006. This last mentioned also happened
with the 2004 winner: herewith a jury impression.
While
the five remaining participants (Wieger Roelevink, Arno Aartsen, Jeroen van
Dullemen, Ingrid Larmoyeur and Luis Vicente) are slogging away at a character
description of one of the selected Ports, the members of the jury have withdrawn
to a separate room to once again go through the scoring and also to judge the
several Ports profoundly. It concerns Ports which are well represented in the
Dutch market and which therefore should be recognizable by the participants.
(The same Ports are also used for the blind tasting later on in the day.) It
concerns a Kopke Colheita 1996, a Dow’s 10 Years Old Tawny, a Graham’s
Vintage 1980, a Warre’s Warrior Special Reserve and a Fonseca Late Bottled
Vintage 1977. Every participant had been asked to orally propound his character
description to the jury. Attention is not only paid to the correctness of the
technical details (colour, smell, taste) of the Port, but also to presentation
capacity, wine-food combination and commercial insight of the participant. The
wine-food combination of Luis Vicente was the most striking: he brought the
members of the jury water to the mouth with his refreshing salad with
vinaigrette and hard cheese served alongside the Dow’s 10 YOT.
The
blind tasting had been planned as the second part and after this it was once
again the juries beautiful task to award points. Ingrid Larmoyeur turned out to
be the best at this segment. Blind tasting is difficult of course, but it
remains shocking that many could not even recognize the Graham’s Vintage 1980
as a Vintage.
During
the last part, the blending contest, the jury was free of duties for a moment
and could observe the participants as they, sometimes a bit clumsily, tried to
get a set amount of Port in a glass using a pipette. The idea of the blending
contest is to reproduce an example (a Graham’s 20 YOT) as best as possible
from three different components from various years. The participants had half an
hour to dig out the exact formula and to make their blend. The most difficult
task is then for the jury: to judge the results. Because the age of the three
different components is more or less close and they therefore have a comparable
colour, it is extra difficult to judge the blends created by the participants.
Fortunately Euan Mackay (of Graham’s) is on hand to assist. Most important is
that colour and aroma of the blended Port are similar to the example. Finally it
is time for the taste, which in most cases comes close, but does not match
completely.
After
the jury has carefully checked and counted the points per participant various
times, it turns out that three participants have very close scores, but that
Arno Aartsen (sommelier and working in a wine shop) is allowed to call himself
the Graham’s Trophy 2005 winner. The prize giving and thus also the
alleviating announcement, comes after the participation in the masterly
Port-food masterclass by Sergio Herman (Restaurant Oud Sluis).
Arno,
congratulations!
Maartje Koning.
Returns Quinta do Portal increase
quickly.
05/03/05. In
2004 the returns of Quinta do Portal (QdoP) have increased by 45% to 3 million
Euros. For 2005 a growth with 50% is expected to 4.5 million Euros.
In 1991 the company QdoP was set up by the Portuguese Mansilha Branco family
which had already owned vineyards in the Douro region for over a century.
Besides QdoP the Quintas da Abelheira, do Confradeiro and dos Muros are part of
the company with in total 95 hectares in the classes A to D. The production is
made up of: Douro table wine 20%, Port Wine 70% and Moscatel 10%. The company is
specialized, as one of few, in fortified Moscatel and it has a small production
of Espumante (sparkling wine).
In 2004 QdoP sold some 700,000 bottles in Portugal for almost 1.9 million Euros,
in volume an increase by 60%.
In 2004 the introduction on export markets was extremely important for QdoP. In
2005 its priority is to strengthen
these positions, although the company remains attentive on new possibilities. In
2004 the USA were the most important foreign market with about 20% of the
export. The company also expects a strong growth here in 2005. Other markets of
QdoP are: Germany, the UK, Spain, Canada and Brasil. In 2004 the total export
rose by 30% to 1 million Euros or 300,000 bottles and forms 30% of the total
returns.
New markets which offer possibilities for the company are: South Africa, South
Korea, Angola, Hungary, Mexico, Finland and Sweden.
In March the company will put into use a tourist accomodation with 10 rooms at
Quinta do Portal.
(Source: ICEP, Empresas of 10/02/05).
Differences with
fifty years ago.
05/03/05. In
November 2004 we found the booklet “A Few Words About Port” from 1956 in an
antiquarian bookshop in Oporto. It only numbers 31 pages and was written by José
Joaquim da Costa Lima, agriculture engineer and director of the Instituto do
Vinho do Porto at the time. The booklet was awarded a first prize of the Office
International du Vin and now gives us a splendid picture of the changes in the
Port industry during the passed 50 years.
-
the Douro
region had been divided in the Baixo and Cima Corgo. The Cima Corgo continued to
the Spanish border. The eastern part is now indicated as Douro Superior (see
Files/What’s Port?).
-
the harvest
began early October, sometimes at the end of September. Nowadays the harvest is
generally from mid September to mid October. Maybe this is because the Douro
Superior was less important at the time.
-
Da Costa Lima
describes almost with astonishment how Vintage Ports were made in Great Britain
and were highly appreciated, to continue with: “We consider, however, that the
classic Port Wine is that which has been matured in cask, as is done in Portugal
in the wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia; as a matter of fact, it is by this
traditional process that the oenological excellence, which not all judges have
had the good fortune to know, are attained.”
-
Another
quotation: “Although Port is essentially a dessert wine, it may also be taken
as an apéritif… However, it must be emphasized that it is as a dessert wine
that it must stand its trial and be judged.”
But
not everything has changed: the high production costs are already mentioned in
1956.
Link of the month
March 2005.
05/03/05. For
this month we have chosen www.fonseca.pt
Fonseca, together with Taylor’s, Croft and Delaforce, is part of The Fladgate
Partnership/Quinta and Vineyard Bottlers.
The site is available in English, French and Portuguese. The texts are well
legible in spite of the black background. The offered information is good. The
chapters “Viniculture”and “Hosting a Tasting” deserve special attention.
Sales figures 2004.
05/03/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has published the sales figures over
2004. The volume
decreased by 0.9% to 92,806,425 litres, the revenues decreased by 2.7% to
400,024,224 Euros.
The top 10 in volume were:
The
top 10 in revenue were:
The
volume of the Special Categories (see Files/Types 1b)
decreased by 0.5% to 15,655,113 litres, here the revenues decreased by 1.2% to
129,627,147 Euros.
The
top 6 in volume for the SC were:
The
top 6 in revenue for the SC were:
Full
information can be found at: www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?codPag=75&codSeccao=6&idioma=1
New start for Casa
do Douro?
05/03/05. On
Friday February 18th four protocols about the future of the Casa do
Douro (CdoD) have been signed by the Portuguese government, the Silva Reis
family - owners of Real Companhia Velha (RCV), the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro
do Porto (IVDP) and the CdoD.
This signature is controversial because of the large political and social
pressure and because the outgoing government was devastatingly defeated during
the election two days later.
The CdoD is mainly responsible for the organization of the interests of small
farmers and cooperations since the last reorganization of the sector which
became effective on November 26th, 2003. (See
also our News item of 04/10/03.)
The following matters, which should improve the financial position of the CdoD,
are arranged in the four protocols.
Sandeman changes of
distributor in UK.
05/03/05. Sogrape
Vinhos S.A. (Ferreira, Forrester/Offley and Sandeman) has announced that the
distribution in the UK of its brand Sandeman will transfer from Pernod Ricard to
Stevens Garnier on March 1st .
The company Garnier which already looks after the distribution of the Sogrape
table wines sees new chances for Sandeman.
Founded in 1790 in London, Sandeman was the first branded Port sold in the UK.
Sogrape bought Sandeman in 2002 from Diageo, the English beverage giant.
The leaving of Sandeman does not influence the relation between Sogrape and
Pernod Ricard. PR continues to do the distribution of the Sogrape products
worldwide.
(Source www.just-drinks.com)
William Pitters
sold.
05/03/05. The
French drinks group William Pitters International has been sold by Bernard
Magrez to the French group Marie Brizard. This deal has yet to be confirmed by
the Ministry of Economy.
William Pitters International has originated after Margrez bought the brand
Porto Pitters in 1964. This brand still forms an important part of the group. As
far as we know the Port of William Pitters is produced by Real Companhia Velha.
(Source www.decanter.com)
IVDP events
calendar as of March 2005.
05/03/05. The
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto has planned the following events in Brazil,
Denmark, England, France, Germany and Italy:
Fair
and tasting in Brazil.
May 3rd - 5th - Fair Expovinis/VivaVinho - São Paulo.
May 10th - Tasting Douro and Port Wines - Curitiba.
Port tasting in Danmark.
May 2nd - Tasting - Aarhus.
Fair
in England.
May 17th - 19th - Fair LIWSF - London.
Tasting
in France.
April 10th – Tasting L’Amateur de Bordeaux - Paris.
March 6th - 8th - Fair Prowein - Düsseldorf.
Tasting
in Italy.
April 10th - Tasting Port Wine Vinitaly - Verona.
Revista de Vinhos:
the “Best of the Year 2004”.
05/03/05. The
editors of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos have published their choice
of the “Best of the Year 2004” in
no. 183 of February 2005. The following awards were given to the Port industry:
-
Winemaker of
the Year (fortified wines): Jaime Costa of Burmester (Amorim/ Natureza).
-
Viniculture
Technician of the Year: José Manso of Barros Almeida.
-
Awards of
Excellence were for the 30 Years Old Tawnies of Krohn (Wiese&Krohn) and
Quinta do Castelinho, the 20 Years Old Tawny of Q. do Noval and the Vintage 2002
of Q. de Roriz.
-
Best from the
Port region awards went to 20 Ports.
-
Sixteen Ports
received a Best Buys award.
Revista de Vinhos no. 183 February 2005.
05/03/05. Apart
from the “Best of the Year 2004” (see above) the February issue of R evista
de Vinhos contains the following information on Port Wine:
New products:
Judgement by the editorial staff. Score chart of 0 to20.
-
Quinta do
Portal Lágrima Branco 13 points.
-
Ramos Pinto LBV
1998 16.5 points.
Alves de Sousa:
Domingo Alves de Sousa presents some new table wines and the first own Port Wine
in an article by Luís Antunes. This LBV 1999 gets 15.5 points.
Quinta do Estanho:
In 2004 the sales of Q.
do Estanho increased by 36% (Portugal +30%, export +27%).
Profile
of the Port drinker and the future of Port.
12/02/05. Early 2004 the AEVP (the organization of large shippers) carried out a research
on Port consumption in the five countries representing 80% of sales (France, The
Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium and England). Generalizing, the Port drinker
proved to be a 45 years old middle class woman who consumes on average one or
two glasses twice a month. It also turned out that the consumer under thirty did
not know Port and those who had tried it, did not like it or found it did not
fit their lifestyle.
The AEVP thinks that without further measures it will be necessary to reduce
proceeds or volumes.
A strategic plan for the next ten years will be made early 2005 under command of
the Interprofessional Council of the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do
Porto).
Exhibition Museu do
Douro reopened.
12/02/05. The magnificent exposition “Hanging Gardens” of the Museu do Douro has been
reopened on February 3rd. The exhibition, which began on December 14th,
2003, was visited by 28,750 people till the end of December 2004. The reason for
the temporary closing was that the loan agreements of some objects had to be
extended. The collection on show will hopefully form the basis for the
definitive museum in the future.
The exhibition can be found in a hall behind the Solar do Vinho do Porto in Peso
da Régua. See also: Files/Round trip
9c.
(Source: Diário de Viseu of 02/02/05.)
IVDP book: Port
Wine.
12/02/05. Today we publish a review on the book Port Wine from 2004 of the Instituto dos
Vinhos do Douro e do Porto. The book has a splendidly design and contains many
informative maps and tables. The eight authors, co-ordinated by Gaspar Martins
Pereira, have performed excellently. This book may not be absent from any Port
library.
For more see: Files/Library.
Solar do Vinho do
Porto also abroad?
12/02/05. An agreement has recently been made about the rights of use of the “Solar do
Vinho do Porto” brand between the municipality of Oporto and the Instituto dos
Vinhos do Douro e do Porto. Because of this it is possible to also use this name
in other towns inside or outside Portugal.
See also: Files/Round trip 2.
Wine Tourism Awards
2005.
12/02/05. The Great Wine Capital Global Network has granted its annual tourism awards in
Melbourne in November 2004. The capitals, which are part of the group, are:
Melbourne, Bordeaux, Cape Town, Bilbao-Rioja, Oporto, San Francisco-Napa Valley
and Florence. Seven International winners and 28 National winners were
designated for the year 2005.
Quinta do Panascal (Fonseca) was chosen as International winner in the category
Wine Tourism.
The wine cellars (lodges) of Croft in Vila Nova de Gaia were chosen as National
winner in the category Arts & Culture.
The visitors’ centre of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman was chosen as National
winner in the category Parks & Gardens.
It is striking that all three belong to The Fladgate Partnership.
For more information see: www.greatwinecapitals.com
Winner Dutch
Graham’s Trophy 2005.
12/02/05. Sommelier Arno Aartsen has won the fifth edition of the Dutch Graham’s Trophy.
The finals took place during the Wine Professional fair in Amsterdam on January
10th. Aartsen of course got the Trophy, but also the right to a
three-day trip to Oporto and the Port region.
Aartsen
works in Restaurant De Hofstee in Bladel.
See also our News items of 30/10/04, 04/12/04 and
01/01/05.
Link of the month
February 2005.
12/02/05. For this month we have chosen www.martinez.pt
Martinez, together with Cockburn’s, is part of Allied Domecq, the only
multinational still active in the Port industry.
This site is available in Portuguese, English and Spanish. A French version is
under construction. The site is well organized and offers good information.
IVDP events
calender as of February 2005.
12/02/05. No planned events for the moment.
Wine International
February 2005.
12/02/05. The only Port news in the February issue of the English magazine Wine
International can be found in the column “First Taste” by Simon Woods. He
has chosen the Quinta do Noval Colheita 1974 as one of the two “Interesting
buys” and rates this wine with 96 points.
Wine International
March 2005.
12/02/05. The March issue of the English magazine Wine International contains no Port news.
Decanter February
and March 2005.
12/02/05. The February issue of the English magazine Decanter reports that its Vintage
Port Index has increased by 0.49 points to 120.13 (December 1996=100). Fourteen
large Port houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to 1994.
In the March issue the index increases by 0.32 points to 120.45.
Wine Spectator
February 2005.
12/02/05. The February issue of the American magazine Wine Spectator published a large
number of updated “Vintages Cards”.
The list for Vintage Ports is presented by James Suckling and contains the most
important years from 1960 to 2000. The highest scores are for the years 1994
with 99 points, 1963 with 98 points, and 1997 and 2000 with 97 points.
The following five Vintages 2000 are recommended in a box along the article:
Graham’s 98 points, Quinta do Noval 96 points, Churchill’s and Smith
Woodhouse 95 points, and Quinta do Vesuvio 94 points. It is remarkable that
three of these five have been made
by The Symington Family (Graham’s, Smith W. and Vesuvio).
About 2003 Suckling says: “There are echoes that 2003 will be another great
vintage, but no Port shipper will confirm this yet, so we’ll have to wait
another year for official news.”
Revista de
Vinhos no. 182 January 2005.
12/02/05. The January issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the
following information on Port Wine:
Generally:
The design of the magazine has been renewed. After lengthy considerations the
editorial staff has decided to maintain the 0-20 score chart for all its wine
judgements.
Quinta do Infantado:
This quinta has recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its export directly
from the company in the Douro region since 1979. Officially this was not allowed
before 1986.
For the opportunity of the jubilee the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira (designer
of the new Port glass) was given the task to design a label for the LBV 2000.
Luís Antunes reports on the jubilee celebrations and mentions that QdoI
developed a style of Medium Dry red Ports to better express its own terroir. He
also pays attention to the conversion to organic agriculture – now already 12
of the total of 46 hectares. The company so far only markets an organic white
Port.
The editoral staff
judges the LBV 2000 with 16.5 points and the Vintage Character with 17.5 points.
New owners for Quinta da Romaneira.
01/01/05. On December 2nd Decanter-online reported that a group of
investors around Christian Seely (AXA - Q. do Noval) has recently rounded off
the purchase of Q. da Romaneira for an amount of 10 million Euros. The project (with
no connection to AXA) is an Seely’s initiative and was purchased together with
some dozen private French and British investors. It is the intention to renovate
the moribund wine company and to start a luxury hotel.
Q. da Romaneira is situated in Pedroso, 10 kilometres east of Pinhão. It is one
of the largest, most imposing and most isolated quintas in the region. The
company is 450 hectares in size of which 300 hectares with old vines. Only 70
hectares vineyard are in production. The three kilometres wide quinta is located
on the banks of the Douro.
Seely told Decanter that he is sure that Romaneira offers excellent
possibilities to make great wines. He will start to replant 40 hectares and over
the next ten years wants to produces as many table wines as Vintages and LBV’s.
The 2004 harvest has already been executed under the responsibility of Seely.
The planned super-luxurious hotel will have about 20 rooms. Hotelier Theirry
Teyssier will get the supervision; he also directs the luxurious Dar Ahlam
project in a Moroccan oasis. The hotel should open in 2006.
In 1993 Seely (England, 1960) was appointed Managing Director of Quinta do Noval
by AXA Millesimes and has since overseen an extensive renewal programma at this
famous quinta. In January 2002 he was appointed General Manager of AXA. Today he
is based in Bordeaux, but he retained his direct involvement at Q. do Noval and
regularly visits the Douro region.
Finalists
Graham’s Trophy.
01/01/05. The
following participants have reached the final of the Dutch Graham’s Trophy
2005 on January 10th, 2005:
-
Luis Vicente.
-
Wieger Roelevink.
-
Arno Aartsen.
-
Ingrid Larmoyeur.
-
Jeroen van Dullemen.
For more information see our News items of
30/10/04 and 04/12/04.
Port sales decrease
again.
01/01/05. Jorge Monteiro, president of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, has stated
that this year the volume of Port sales will decrease by about 3% compared to
last year. The high rate of the Euro has an extra negative influence on the
export to the UK, Canada and the USA.
However, the sales of Special Categories continues to increase. Moreover
Monteiro stated he expects the
generally decreasing trend to change in 2005.
The top ten countries in revenue in the period January to September were:
Renewal of our article Round trip.
01/01/05. Today we publish our largerly renewed article Round trip. We have made
many changes and additions as a result of our trip to the Douro region and
Oporto in November.
See: Files/Round trip.
Gérard Depardieu
interested in the Douro.
01/01/05. The
French film star Gérard Depardieu also wants to purchase a vineyard in the
Douro region. He already has interests in wine companies in France, Morocco and
Algeria.
In the Douro region he would be interested in Quinta d’Água and a not
specifically mentioned Solar in the heart of the area.
Q. d’Água is about 48 hectares in size of which some 50% is under vine. This
quinta has Port rights in class B.
Link of the month
January 2005.
01/01/05. For
this month we have chosen www.quintadobucheiro.com
António Pinto Dias Teixeira nowadays manages this completely independent quinta
that has already been owned by the same family for 250 years.
The website of Q. do Bucheiro is available in Portuguese, English and French.
The site is of splendid design and
provides excellent information.
New “Port and the
Douro” by Mayson.
01/01/05. The second, fully revised and updated, edition of Richard Mayson’s “Port and the
Douro” (see File/Library) is now available. The hard
cover version has been published in the “Classic Wine Library” of Mitchell
Beazley with ISBN no. 1 84000 943 8. The prices are UK 20 pounds, USA 29.95 $
and Canada 39.95 $.
The most important changes are:
-
the part on
Douro grapes has been rewritten totally.
-
the recent
changes in the wineries (robots) have been added.
-
the last
changes of types have been discussed.
-
the part on
Vintage Port has been enlarged.
-
the survey of
producers and shippers has been updated.
-
the chapter on
Douro wines has been expanded substantially.
-
the epilogue
“Future for Port and the Douro” has obviously been adapted.
Links
page: additions in January 2005.
01/01/05. We
have added to Port links:
-
www.casalagricoladecever.com
Quinta de Cevêr or Q. do Pinheiro.
-
www.cm-porto.pt/pagegen.asp?SYS_PAGE_ID=470385
Museu do Vinho do Porto in Oporto.
-
www.romarigovinhos.com
-
www.adegavilareal.com
Adega Cooperative de Vila Real.
The
address of Quinta de Marrocos has changed in: www.quintademarrocos.com
We
have added to Port tourism links:
-
www.casalagricoladecever.com
Quinta de Cevêr or Q. do Pinheiro.
-
www.casasantaeufemia.com
Casa da Quinta de Santa Eufémia.
-
www.cm-porto.pt/pagegen.asp?SYS_PAGE_ID=470385
Museu do Vinho do Porto in Oporto.
-
www.pestana.com/EN/Hoteis/LisboaPortoCascais/Porto
Hotel Pestana Porto with a view of the Douro and the lodges in Vila Nova
de Gaia.
We
have added to General (wine and tourism) links:
www.rosehillwinecellars.com
Everything for your wine cellar. Canada en de VS.
Striking red bottle
of Rozès.
01/01/05. The Port house Rozès of the French SPR Vinhos S.A. has paid extra
attention to the design of their (Ruby) Reserve (formerly Vintage Character)
bottle. Especially the bright light red colour will certainly catch the
customers’ eye once on the shop shelves.
IVDP events
calendar as of January 2005.
01/01/05. No
planned events for this moment.
Decanter January
2005.
01/01/05. The
January issue of the English magazine Decanter contains the following
information on Port Wine:
-
Steven Spurrier
chooses the Marks & Spencer 20 Years Old Tawny (Croft) as the best fortified
wine in his article “When to drink sweet wines”.
-
The Decanter
Vintage Port Index has increased by 1.08 points to 119.64 (December 1996 = 100).
Fourteen large Port houses are part of this index with 21 Vintages from 1927 to
1994.
Wine International
January 2005.
01/01/05. The
January issue of the English magazine Wine International contains the following
information on Port Wine.
-
Simon Woods
gives the Marks & Spencer Vintage 1989 (Morgan Brothers - Croft) 94 points
in his column “First Taste”.
-
A tasting panel
has hazarded itself to judge Ports in the First and Business Classes of airlines
and reports on this in the article “Cellars in the Sky”. The supply was
surprising large and varied. The Graham’s 30 Years Old Tawny scored highest of
the First Class products with 96 points. The Dow’s LBV 1997 with 93 points got
this honour for the Business Class products.
-
Another tasting
panel has judged Single Quinta Vintages and writes on this in the article
“Striking individuals”. The following five were chosen for a “Good Value
Award” from the 4 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals and the 8 Seals of
approval:
. Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha 1995; 95
points; 19,99 pound.
.
Cockburn’s Q. dos Canais 2001; 90 points; 19,99 pound.
.
Dow’s Q. do Bomfim 1995; 91 points; 20 pound.
. Taylor’s Q. de Vargellas 1995; 91
points; 22,99 pound.
. Graham’s
Malvedos 1995; 94 points; 32 pound.
Wine Spectator
December 31, 2004 - January 15, 2005.
01/01/05. The December/January issue of the American magazine Wine Spectator contains the
following information on Port Wine:
-
Dana Nigro
announces that Taylor’s will release a limited edition of luxury boxes with
Quinta de Vargellas Vintages 1995, 1997 and 2000. These wines come from a parcel
of its old vines. Only a hundred of these sets will be available in the USA and
they will be priced at U$ 900.
-
Peter D.
Meltzer comments the last Wine Spectator Auction Index as follows: “Port fell
3% overall, with the 1997 Vintage dropping a more dramatic 18%, returning to the
level it attained in the first quarter of 2004”. The Vintage 1963, 70, 77, 94
and 97 of Fonseca, Graham’s,
Taylor’s and Warre’s have been entered in this index tabel.
Revista de Vinhos no.
181 December 2004.
01/01/05. The
December issue of the Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos contains the
following information on Port Wine:
New products:
Judgement by the editorial staff. Score chart of 0 to 20.
-
Solene Ruby
Special Reserve 16.5 points (Wine Cluster Co/PoVas).
-
Quinta do
Infantado Vintage Character 17 points.
-
Barros Colheita
1975 17.5 points.
-
Caves da Porca
20 Years Old Tawny 16 points (Adega Cooperativa de MurVa).
Vallegre:
João Afonso reviews this company which name originated in 1998 by contraction
of the names of its two most important quintas Q. do Valle Longo and Q. da Vista
Allegre. The trade of the company increased from 60,000 bottles in 1990 to
750,000 bottles nowadays. Eight tasting notes with judgements between 16 and
17.5 points have been printed along the article.
Website Cálem:
António Falcão reviews the totally renewed website www.calem.pt
Quinta de Roriz:
João Afonso reviews
this quinta as a result of the presentation of two table wines and the Vintage
Port of the 2002 harvest. Q. de Roriz is jointly owned by João van Zeller and
The Symington Family. The Vintage 2002 gets 18 points.
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