Portugal: Red, Douro
2019 GOLD: 3 SILVER: 4 BRONZE: 1 COMMENDED: 9
2018 GOLD: 2 SILVER: 9 BRONZE: 3 COMMENDED: 9
The Douro is a complex region, and its myriad layers and styles were reflected here. We had everything from cheap and cheerful to top-end pricey, fresh to super-ripe, and rustically traditional to sleek and modern. Unsurprisingly, there was little consensus among our tasters as to which styles they preferred, though there was a general wariness of both oak and tannin.
The days when the Douro was viewed as a cheap wine producing region, it seems, are now firmly in the rear-view mirror. Few tasters mentioned price as a factor, and there were no complaints about paying £15-£20 for something with ambition, provided the quality stacked up.
This makes sense. After all, the Douro is an incredibly difficult (and expensive) place to grow grapes and make wine. But it’s a good story to sell to the public who are, in most cases, warm to the story being presented to them.
Most interesting medal this year? The Quinta do Crasto Syrah – a non-DO Syrah. Wonder what Dona Antonia Ferreira would have made of that…
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘This was a very good flight, with different styles and price points. We were finding medal-worthy wines at both ends of the spectrum, at £7 and at £30. Changes in winemaking and the quality of winemaking are making a difference in the Douro.’ Tom Forrest, team leader
‘This flight started with fruit-driven, and then went into more modern style, with new oak, but it didn’t overpower the fruit. This style of wine sells well.’ Oliver Nagy, Hakkasan Hanway Place
‘It was really great that you could smell the origin of the wines. The winemakers are adapting what they do well, and modernising it. You get a lot of wine for the money. If you have some on the list people are easily blown away.’ Carolina W Seibel, Moio Restaurant
‘I was a little disappointed with the flight as a whole. The area has progressed, but there seem to be a few producers that haven’t raised their game to what we expect these days. The more concentrated wines would show better if they were decanted.’ Nelio Pinto, Candlesticks
‘It would be better to see more at the bottom end, as the Douro is an up-and-coming region and still represents excellent value for money.’ Charlie Carter, Ten Green Bottles