Marquês de Borba Reserva 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: João Portugal Ramos

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Top brand for João Portugal Ramos, a great winemaker from near Estremoz, this 9 year old is in a great tasting moment, as his older brothers (97 and 00) seem to be, from what I've been hearing.

Garnet with a slight brownish tinge, the bouquet starts with some tertiary notes, balsamic, some old cupboards, toast, maybe a little leather on the background. Later on, raisins and dried plums start to show up, then some jam and finally a good deal of ripe red fruit mingled with cocoa/chocolate. Very interesting and lively nose, once we let it breathe for a while.

Some sense of evolution on first impact on the mouth, it quickly opens up to a well rounded, elegant and mature wine, showing a great balance between some very noticeable red fruits, good quality oak notes and an added complexity granted by age. Good, long finish that keeps going for a while, a reminder of the great structure behind this wine.

Will probably keep being interesting for some more years, but right now is a delightful wine.

Tasted on 2012-06-13

Quinta dos Carvalhais Alfrocheiro 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Carvalhais

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Light ruby to the eye, the bouquet starts by showing some smoke, hints of red fruits and some rock roses. As it breathes, a stronger oaky, vanilla side emerges, balanced by some more well defined red fruits and flowers. Very delicate, elegant and balanced.

The same feeling persists in the palate, where the elegance is supported by a fresh acidity, remarkable for its age. As in the nose, as it breathes, it starts to grow, becoming a little more robust and full bodied in the mouth, but never leaving behind the balance and elegance.

Red fruits and flowers come along stronger in the long and expressive ending.

Overall, an exquisitely balanced and elegant Dão that seems to be in a great drinking window.

Tasted on 2012-04-02

Grande Follies 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: Aveleda

Region: Bairrada

Country: Portugal

Top brand from Aveleda, I remember the white version as a remarkable white wine from the Bairrada. This red version, although a good wine by all standards, did not stand out so much.

Impressive dark purple color for its age, the bouquet shows lots of dark plums, a hint of smoke and lots of chocolate and coffee. A jammy, sweeter side also creeps up here and there on an intense, with slight evolution notes bouquet.

Full-bodied in the mouth, very structured and still showing hard, lively tannins, the taste continues showing some plums, chocolate and coffee. Balanced and tuned, there are some mixed feelings on whether this will still grow in the bottle for a long time. Finishes long and smooth with notes of jam and blueberries.

Tasted on 2012-03-17

Ramos Pinto Vintage 2003

18.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Dark, concentrated purple in the glass, the nose on this vintage is still a bit closed, although it still manages to show lots of red fruits, some mint and a marked and intense flowery side.

Very structured and powerful in the mouth, with some very hard tannins that still are not hard enough to hide the intense red fruit notes on this. Huge persistence that almos numbs the palate.

This is a very powerful vintage that will definitely grow for some decades - hide some bottles in the cellar.

Tasted on 2011-12-30

Quinta do Além Tanha Vinhas Velhas 2003

16.0 / 20

Producer: Quinta dos Avidagos

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

Elegant bouquet, showing some fine spices, an oaky/vanilla impression and some sweet red fruit. Some leathery notes are also present, hinting at the wine's age.

Nice, lively acidity on the palate, along with some balanced but alive tannins make for a very nice, balanced and complex body. Still showing a healthy amount of red fruit on the palate, this is clearly one wine that will live for some more years. Finish is not very long, but strong.

Tasted on 2011-12-26

Absis 2003

17.5 / 20

Producer: Parés Baltà

Region: Penedès

Country: Spain

I had Penedès pinned down as a white wine region, but with relatively unremarkable red wines. Lately, a series of very good red wines from this spanish region has started to change my mind. This, the 2003 vintage for Absis, is probably the most remarkable from the lot.

Beautiful ruby in the glass, showing no signs of evolution whatsoever, the bouquet is very inviting, subtle and sophisticated. Fleshy red fruits join together with high quality toast/oak notes and a slight vegetable scent in the background.

Smooth and rounded in the palate, the taste still shows a good deal of fleshy red fruits. The wine has a very nice presence, with moderate acidity and velvety tannins that are still going strong after 8 years, giving this wine a very nice, solid structure. The finish is very long, smooth and elegant, showing some slight vegetable notes that manage to enhance the whole experience.

A very good wine that will still live for several more years.

Tasted on 2011-11-14

Chryseia 2003

18.0 / 20

Producer: Prats & Symington

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

The second vintage for Chryseia tasted at Essência do Vinho in March, this was probably my favorite from the lot (and it is a really tough choice, believe me).

Dark ruby, the nose brings to mind dark ripe plums, along with chocolate impressions and coffee and vanilla notes. All very fresh, elegant and multi-layered. A wine you swirl around in the glass again and again since each new swirl seems to bring new aromas to the bouquet.

In the mouth, a full bodied wine, showing some toasted notes in the first attack. Again, a beautifully structured wine, helped along by a crisp acidity but still managing to come along as elegant with soft velvety tannins and a deeply satisfying ending that leaves a oaky, toasty aftertaste.

Judging by this example, I would say the 03 will still grow in the bottle for quite some time. Although it is quite an experience right now.

Tasted on 2011-04-04

Barbaresco Pajè 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: Roagna

Region: Barbaresco

Country: Italy

This 7-year old wine helped my completely uninformed thesis that italian wines must wait at least some years in the bottle before being drunk.

Garnet with some brownish tinges, the aromas point undoubtedly to an italian wine: spices, tobacco and a earthy, tarry quality that is miles away from any fruit bomb. It's a polished, elegant nose showing a mature, sophisticated wine.

The taste confirms the balance and elegance of the wine, with all the parts coming together to form a really well made whole - the acidity is balanced, already tamed with the age, wood perfectly integrated into the wine, polished yet present tannins that give structure and strength to the wine. The finish is long and persistent.

The producer says this Barbaresco can last up to 50 years. I'm not sure about the time frame but it certainly will grow and last for some years. But right now it is an immensely pleasurable wine.

Given the structure of the wine, I would pair it with tomato based pasta dishes. Or a ragu. Yes, a slow meat stew would be brilliant with this wine. Must try it.

Tasted on 2010-08-11

Don Arturo Malbec Roble Proprietor's Selection 2003

16.0 / 20

Producer: Cavas de Don Arturo

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

A seven year old Malbec from Argentina, this wine bouquet is composed at first by vanilla and some toasted, smoky notes. Later on, it opens up to some discreet and elegant red berries. But mostly, the aromas tend towards the spicey, oaked end of the spectrum. The taste is elegant and smooth. The whole set is well balanced and supported by some decent acidity, although it has already lost some of the fruit notes. Those notes appear only in the nice, long finish, along with some chocolate impressions. It certainly develops new complexities and subtleties after some time in the glass, changing again when enjoyed during the meal. A good Malbec that maybe lost some points by being drunk this late - I have a feeling this would be a great wine two years ago. I would certainly love to try a later vintage.

Tasted on 2010-07-24

Cortes de Cima Reserva 2003

17.5 / 20

Producer: Cortes de Cima

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Tasted earlier this year, the first word that comes to mind when trying to describe this wine is elegance. At 7 years old, this wine is starting to develop some old wine aromas, as some camphor, spices, a hint of chocolate, maybe. A great, delicate and elegant nose. The taste is superb, layered and complex, the tannins already integrated with both the oak and the fruit. The finish is extremely long and persistent, with some hints of chocolate.

Roast lamb with rosemary and honey was a fine match for this wine.

Tasted on 2010-05-11

Vertice 2003

16.5 / 20

Producer: Caves Transmontanas

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

This wine is, in my opinion, one of the best secrets in the Douro region. Showing flowers, ripe black fruit and spices in the aroma, it is a full bodied, complex wine. It has good acidity, which, alongside with the still hard tannins, grant it some good years to live. The finish still shows a lot of fruit and it lasts for some time. My only question with the wine is that the alcohol shows itself a bit too much, in my opinion.