QUINTA DO CRASTO 2007 DOURO

  

It has been more than a decade since we started selling dry reds from the Douro even though a lot of folks have been treating it like the hot new thing in recent years.  The first one we ever sold was Quinta do Crasto and this ripe, round, plush, lusty red is as interesting an option now as it was a fresh idea for us back then.  The 2006 is simply what we yanks call a fastball down the middle, plump, ripe, plummy fruit with low acidity and soft tannins.  For those not yet familiar with the genre, this is a blend of red grapes from the same vineyards in the Douro where Ports come from, in this case from 20 year-old vines, but fermented dry and not fortified.  The varieties are Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional.  Each varietal is vinified separately and then blended.  Velvety, plush, and easy to grasp, it is an easy going, well priced, very likeable beverage.