Tasting Report: Wines from the Vin Divino Portfolio: Austrian Wines

These are my tasting notes from a recent tasting of the wines of Vin Divino. The tasting reaffirmed my belief that within a few years, Austrian wines will be considered the up and coming wine region offering incredible values and unique styles and flavors. Most of the wines in this tasting were good to very good, with a few being outstanding. The majority of the wines are even better with food as they are structured to stand side by side with a variety of cuisine. (Image taken at Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City)
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Food and wine pairing: Key lime torte and…

Key lime torte is one of my favorite desserts. A delicate crust, wonderful custard filing and a sugar and lime sauce is a great way to finish a meal. Recently I really enjoyed a glass of Donny Boon Muscat Vin de Glacier (2005, $15 / 375 mL) with a slice of Key lime torte. The pairing was almost perfect. The flavors in the wine melted together with the torte, and the acidity of the wine was a perfect match for the creamy custard filling.

Have a better pairing idea?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Tasting Notes: Dow’s Port

Random Notes from a recent wine maker’s tasting:

Dow’s Bomfin - 2005: This Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez (Tempranillo) and Tinta Barroca was the only red table wine on hand. I found the nose to be quite interesting with some nice dark cherry and plum, as well as a touch of spice. The fruits in the wine were ripe and overall very good, but the wine fell apart into the finish and left me wondering where all the fruits went from the nose! I think that a little more of the Touriga Nacional could have went a long way in gving this wine a good structure and more tannins. My rating: 84 pts

Dow’s 2001 Late-Bottled Vintage: Nose of ripe fruits, spice and burnt oak. Well put together on the palette with a long, dry finish. Would benefit from more structure, but quite good. My rating: 86 pts

Dow’s 10 Year Tawny Porto: - Soft reddish yellow color. Hazelnut and vanilla on the nose, as well as grapefruit and anise. Sublte notes of hazelnut and citrus on the palette, but lacking any serious presence. A delicate, medium dry finish. My rating: 86 pts

Dow’s 20 Year Tawny Porto: - Beautiful amber color with reddish hue. Bouquet of nuts, vanilla, spice, and burnt wood chips. On the palette the wine is alive. Rolling flavors throughout the palette consisting of nuts, citrus, vanilla, and nutmeg. Much better structure and overall integration than the 10 year. Very good. My rating: 91 pts

Dow’s 2003 Vintage Porto: - Spicy nose that needs time to breathe to reveal black cherry and blackberry fruits. A lot of great flavors in this wine with solid fruits that I feel could evolve into something special. Keep this one in the cellar for a while. Drink 2020-2040. My rating: 90 pts

Dow’s 1985 Vintage Porto: Good color for the age. Rich nose of chocolate, black fruits, and a touch of spice. Very elegant across the palette with exceptional balance and focus. Long, lasting finish that is a touch dry but complex and very pleasing. Ready to drink now. My rating: 93 pts

An overview of Porto

Port wine is a type of fortified wine produced solely in the Douro region (Porto) of Portugal. The wine begins as a blend of many different grapes (Touriga Nacional being the primary grape used) and becomes a “fortified” wine during fermentation when alcohol, usually brandy, is added to the wine to cease fermentation and allow high amounts of residual sugar to remain. The outcome? Seriously rich, sweet wine that is served with desserts or with blue cheeses. Non-port fortified dessert wine are made in other areas of the world, but by international law can not use the term “Port” or “Porto” on the label.

The following are the major types of Port:

• Tawny port - Aged in Oak for some time, Tawny port takes on a light, brownish yellow color and tends to have “nutty” flavors which are from the long time spent in oak. Most people new to Port really like Tawny ports which are often very elegant. A 10 year Tawny Port is a blend of wines that are at least 10 years old. Often, older wines are combined with younger wines to create good complexity, bringing young ripe fruits into an oaked, developed older wine. The result can be elegant layers of fruit and spice.
• Ruby port- The least expensive of the Ports, Ruby is aged in concrete vats or stainless steel tanks, preserving the characteristics of the fruits. The result is a wine with a rich color and is drunk young. Some Ruby Reserves can be great wines and are usually less than $20.
• White port- As the name suggest, this is made from all white grapes and is very light in color. It can be dry (which is often mixed with tonic water, lime and mint leaves as a cocktail) or can be sweet and served chilled on a warm summers night. White Port is a great alternative to the dark stuff and can be quite refreshing and enjoyed as an apertif.
• Vintage port- The most sought after type of Port, Vintage Port consists of grapes that are all from one particular vintage. These are only made with outstanding vintages of Port and therefore are quite rare. Vintage Port is rich and elegant, and usually requires decades of aging to reach full potential.
• Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)- LBV Port is made from wine that was harvested as a vintage Port, but for one reason or another did not make it out of the Oak barrels in the time frame required (i.e. low demand). Nonetheless, LBV Port can be very good Port that can be a touch sweeter than Vintage Port, a lighter style of wine, and is usually about half the cost of the Vintage type.

A final note: Port wine is great with or as a dessert, and also with pungent cheeses. Don’t be afraid to try a few different styles and see what you prefer. Although they can be costly and are not usually drunk in large quantities (maybe a small glass or two in a night), Ports tend to save well in the fridge and can be enjoyed over days, an in many cases even a few weeks. With all wines, always store them in cool, dark places when unopened, and once uncorked, kept with a good seal in the fridge!

Saude!

Quinta Seara D’Ordens Porto LBV 1999 - $24

Late-Bottle Vintage, or LBV ports are considered vintage ports (meaning all the grapes for this wine are from 1999 harvest). They are typically aged for 4-6 years in stainless steel and/or oak, and are “late bottled”. They are typically ready to drink when young and can age successfully for years.

This wine is imported by Luso Imports of Dulles Virginia from the producer in the Douro region of Portugal where all Port is made. Quinta Seara D’Ordens has been making some very good ports lately, including a sweet white port that I will review in the near future. This LBV wine was aged in tanks for 20 months and then in new French oak for 2 more years. The result? This 1999 LBV has an outstanding bouquet. A lovely nose of berries, chocolate and oak. The palette is medium in body and has very nicely structured fruits with hints of chocolate and black berries. The wine is very well balanced and has a medium finish. Serve with a medium sweet dessert, enjoy it with blue cheese, or my favorite - by itself!

Inniskillin Oak Aged Vidal Ice Wine (2004) $80 (375 ml)

I really like ice wine. An excellent way to end a great dinner is with a perfectly chilled bottle of a good ice wine paired with a dessert that contains just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to accompany the wine without overpowering it.

The Inniskillin Winery is on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Growing up in Michigan, I had the pleasure of visiting Niagara Falls, Ontario, at least 3 times a year with my family. But it wasn’t until I began drinking wine myself that I learned that Niagara Falls was not just waterfalls, shopping and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, but it was also the hub of outstanding producers of wine.

The 2004 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine is incredible. We usually have a bottle with our dessert when eating at one of our favorite restaurants Fleming’s. The wine is filled with exotic fruits and is quite complex. Apricot, mango, pear, honey and a touch of vanilla come to mind. The finish lasts forever, leaving an impression that is sure to keep you coming back for more. May do very well with age, but if you’re like me…it’s hard to keep a bottle of this around very long! Although pricey, definitely worth every penny.