Christie Kiley on August 11, 2014 0 Comments The Douro region of Portugal is often confused with Porto, but this area is not about Port. Rather, this region has a long-standing tradition of making robust and bold wines. Wines worthy of its character and likewise for aging. Many of their wines will include the same wine grapes as their beloved Port does, but it is not the same style. A Small History The first signs of vines were discovered to have been cultivated as far back as the Bronze Age. That is 3000 years ago! Though the fossilized grape pulp was discovered, it does not signify that wine cultivation was in practice. However, as most of you wine enthusiasts know, during Roman times, the culture of wine advanced very quickly. Today, you are able to see ruins of stone tanks and even wine cellars of the Douro region. On October 5th, 1143, the birth of the Kingdom of Portugal there became many settlements throughout the region which became one of the great wine cultivation regions in the area. The city of Porto became an important point that connected the region making it more accessible to foreign markets. The wines of Douro would be transported to Porto on special boats on the Douro River. In order to transport more wine, King D. Manuel I, ordered to demolish the fishing canals so that the navigation for wine transport could be improved. Then, by the 14th century, the exportation of these wines played an important role in being the state’s major income from the taxes on the exports. Most of you out there are familiar with the wine laws that affect the wine making tradition throughout Europe. These laws are put in place to prevent fraud and to maintain prices on grapes and wine and their quality from year to year. The Douro region was the first part of Portugal to be regulated, and between the years of 1757 ad 1761, large granite slabs, written with the word “Feitoria” meaning ‘vineyard’ outlined the region. It was extended in 1788 and later once again to the Spanish border before the twentieth century. Under new rule during the second republic called ‘Estado Novo, three legal wine bodies were created; the Casa de Douro and the Association for Porto Wine Exporters and the Institute of Douro and Port Wines. These enabled the wineries to directly market their wines produced in the region under the name of the producers. Modern Douro If you have yet to see the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Douro region in person, then you at least have to Google it. The landscapes you see today of steep terraces and pyramid-like rows of vine began construction only recently in the 1970s. With such steep mountainsides and the neighboring towering mountainsides, the hours of sun throughout the day can be cut short. So the land and its ingredients were maximized for the best and most efficient sun exposure the vines could get during the day. Each ‘step’ is built with rocks of shist, preventing erosion but also acting as insulation to maintain valuable warmth for the vines in the evening. Our Featured wine this week…Churchill’s Estates Douro 2010 Remember when I mentioned earlier on in this review about the region making wines with the same grapes they utilize for Port, well this is one of them. Here is the blend: 40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca and 30% Tinta Roriz. The grapes are harvested by hand and placed in boxes of only twenty kilograms, where they are brought to the winery. Before the grapes are crushed they go through a further selective process by hand for only the best fruit. Once the wine is made, thirty percent of the batch is put to bed in French oak barrels for twelve months, while the remainder stays in stainless steel vats. Later the two are blended for a bold, balanced wine with great presence of fruit with notes of oak-y complexity. I recommend serving this around 60-61º F so that you may experience the best from this wine. The aromas show a depth and intensity of dark cherry and later summer berries with notes of fennel fronds and freshly torn tarragon with notes of dry spice. On the palate, the notes of the aromas from the fruits come through and open up to more savory notes of baking chocolate and cocoa dustings. It is a big and as you might have guessed bold wine, but the acidity and freshness of the wine lingers with you for moments after. Great wine, really. Enjoy this one for an intimate night at home with loved one and a nice dinner. Make the best Beef Wellington, or even a fancy roast with caramelized root vegetables. More Wine Reviews: Luc Belaire Rare Rosé Fattoria Poggerino Chianti Classico 2010 Domaine Dirler Cade, Pinot 2012 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes F X Pichler 2012 Loibner Loibenberg Smaragd Grüner Veltliner (Wachau)
