2015 was the best year ever for our family business. Actually, I did not want it to finish! And the cherry on the top of the cake arrived few weeks before Christmas when the latest reviews from the American magazines were published: Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine & Spirits. For those that like these ratings, here are the results:

Prior to the publication of these reviews, other publications had tasted and reviewed our wines and Ports. On the image above you can find the most relevant reviews given to our wines throughout 2015.

But, before I finish, let me remind you of this: You, dear lonely consumer, are the most important wine critic of all. Without you, we wouldn’t exist.

Cheers,

Practical information that you may want to know: we have just finished to bottle what is the last batch of this first edition of 1996 Colheita (we made three bottlings between 2010 and 2013). The remaining volume we have, a bit more than 10.000 liters, will remain aging in oak pipes and in tonel for the next decades, before we touch it again and put it in bottle.

Cheers,

Oscar

This is certainly a vitamin supplement, specially for us that tend to focus the major part of our energy in Port production. Claudia, the winemaker, was happy for this recognition on her reserve Douro red. It certainly does not change anything about us, but we understand this selection as a indication that we are following the right star.

Wines from the Douro dominated Olly’s list, with 3 still whites, 11 still reds, 1 Moscatel and 1 Port. Here is the list:

1.     Vales de Ambrães – Avesso 2012 – Vinho Verde
2. Casa da Senra 2012 – Vinho Verde
3. Soalheiro 2012 – Vinho Verde
4. Alvarinho Solar de Serrade 2012 – Vinho Verde
5. FP 2012 – Bairrada
6. Quinta da Raza Arinto 2012 – Vinho Verde
7. Montes Ermos Reserva 2011 – Douro
8. Beyra Quartz 2011 – Beira Interior
9. Redoma 2011 – Douro
10. Quinta de la Rosa 2011 – Douro
11. Pato Frio Antão Vaz 2011 – Alentejo
12. Vinhas do Lasso 2010 – Lisboa
13. Dona Ermelinda 2011 – Península de Setúbal
14. Valle Pradinhos 2011 – Trás-os-Montes
15. Muros de Melgaço 2011 – Vinho Verdes
16. Quinta de Saes Encruzado 2011 -Dão
17. Quinta dos Roques Encruzado 2011 – Dão
18. Esporão Reserva 2011 – Alentejo
19. Arenae 2010 – Lisboa
20. Marquês de Borba 2011 – Alentejo
21. Almeida Garrett, DOC Beira Interior TNT 2010 – Beira Interior
22. Sexy 2011 – Alentejo
23. Zéfyro 2009 – Alentejo
24. Altano Quinta do Ataíde Reserva 2009 – Douro
25. PAPE 2010 – Dão
26. Claudia’s 2009 – Douro
27. Manoella Douro 2010 – Douro
28. Quinta Nova – Colheita 2010 – Douro
29. F’OZ 2011 – Alentejo
30. Palpite 2010 – Alentejo
31. Poeira 2010 – Douro
32. Vertente 2009 – Douro
33. Casa Cadaval Trincadeira Vinhas Velhas 2009 – Tejo
34. Tinto da Ânfora 2010 – Alentejo
35. Duas Pedras 2011 – Alentejo
36. Crasto Superior 2010 – Douro
37. Quinta de Foz de Arouce 2009 – Beiras
38. Quinta dos Quatro Ventos 2009 – Douro
39. Aliança Bairrada Reserva 2011 – Bairrada
40. Quinta dos Roques 2010 – Dão
41. Esporão Reserva 2010 – Alentejo
42. Cedro do Noval 2009 – Douro
43. Julia Kemper Touriga Nacional 2009 – Dão
44. CH, Chocapalha 2009 – Lisboa
45. Quinta de la Rosa Reserve 2010 – Douro
46. Quinta do Sagrado Reserva 2007 – Douro
47. Henriques & Henriques Verdelho 15 Years Old – Madeira
48. Adega Coop. Favaios Moscatel de Favaios Colheita 1980 – Douro
49. Família Horacio Simões Bastardo 2009 – Península de Setúbal
50. Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Douro

Other wine critics chosen for the UK Great 50 Portuguese Wines’ previous editions were: Richard Mayson, Charles Metcalfe, Tim Atkin, Simon Woods, Jamie Goode, Sarah Ahmed, Tom Canavan and Julia Harding. For 2013 Olly Smith decided to focus on wines between 7 and 30 pounds.

Enjoy your week-end and make a toast with a Portuguese wine!

Oscar

2010 Vintage Port tasting by Wine Passion Magazine

In February 2013 Wine Passion Magazine carried through a tasting of 2010 Vintage Port. Active Port lovers know that in 2010 Port producers harvested good grapes and made nice Port. But this was not an outstanding vintage, as 2007 or more recently 2011 were. Despite that, we had 3.000 liters made with grapes from our main vineyards, Quinta Vale d’Agodinho, which we believe it’s quite good. This batch pretty much respects what a good harvest in Vale d’Agodinho has: fresh, well ripened fruit without being jammy, some spiciness and a bit of mineral notes, mostly obtained from the grapes in the area facing north. Tannins are compact without being harsh. This is how my sister Claudia defines the Ports we make there. And we think 2010 has all that. Thus, we decided to bottle 3.000 bottles of a Single Quinta Vintage Port as we thought would be a shame to blend with something else and leave our friends without the chance to taste it.

Going back to Wine Passion Magazine, it happens that, for them, the 2010 Vintage that stands out the most is our Quevedo – Quinta Vale d’Agodinho. Great news for us certainly! We are always happy when we see people liking and enjoying our Ports. But, as important as journalists’ opinion, is what you all think about our Ports, and, in this case, about the 2010 Single Quinta Vintage. Let us know. Send your tasting notes and help us to complete this text with “users'” opinions. I’ll post it right below.

Cheers,

Oscar

Related articles

• Salon “Off” along the Rio Douro: Simplesmente…Vinho
• How Portugal reached your glass
• Just a drop: A port wine tasting in Porto

Please take a look at all videos that Wine Spectator selected and vote for one! I hope the one of your preference is that  related to Port Wine The deadline for voting finishs on Sunday, September 18th. 2nd and 3rd place are annouced on 19th and the winner on the 20th. So please vote and spread the word!

Oscar

P.S. We failed to win this contest. The winner was “Zinfandel – Paso’s wine”, which in my opinion well deserves this prize. At least in one thing we did not fail, in put the name Port among Wine Spectator featured videos!

Going back to this photo taken in 2008, yesterday, while I was presenting our wines in Warsaw, Poland, in a new wine bar that is selling our Ports (I’ll talk about that later), I got a tweet with this message: #nakedwines won online retailer of the year at the #oln awards and photo of foot treading @quevedo on the screen @thedorchester! It took me a while to understand but then I got it, our client in the UK, Naked Wines, won the award for best online retailer by Drinks Retailing Awards and on the big screen guess what? A photo of me and my friends treading grapes in a lagar!  So you know where you have to come if you want to be on the screen next time!

Oscar

• ranking 9 with 94 points CARM Douro Reserva 2007
• ranking 14 with 100 points Dow 2007 Vintage Port
• ranking 22 with 96 points Quinta do Vallado Reserva 2007

Oscar

And you know, if you have something to say about our wines, write it now, or…. whenever you want!

Oscar

This is the time for you to say what you think about our blog. And you only have until May 30th to vote. So please click here for the survey link and participate.

Now I’ll open a good bottle from the cellar, yep, I also celebrate nominations!!!

Oscar

There are over 850 pictures in the photobase, some definitively very impressive. Take a look, it is worth. I was lucky to win the 5th place with a photo taken during a treading of grapes in Quinta das Aranhas. Ah, and I will also get a nice baseball cap with a bottle o Port and a ForTheLoveOfPort inscription.

Thank you ForTheLoveOfPort!

Oscar Quevedo