Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa 2017

€ 245.00

For the connoisseurs a real privilege and very special wine. Since the first edition in 1998, this red wine has been one of the great Portuguese wines with the highest awards in the national and international press. Intense and vibrant purple color. A lot of body and complexity. with aromas of wild flowers, white pepper, some blueberries, some vanilla and soft dark chocolate. A wine that becomes more nuanced with time and that continues to evolve in the bottle. The tannins are beautiful, well integrated and perfectly in harmony. In short, a very accessible wine, but it would be a waste to drink this wine immediately, so let it evolve a little until 2024.

The 2017 harvest will go down in the as the earliest ever at Quinta do Crasto. An unusually warm and dry winter meant that the vines’ growth cycle began earlier than normal. Low rainfall continued throughout the cycle leading to moderate water stress and the vines had to naturally adapt to these adverse weather conditions. Harvest began on 8 August, with the first white grapes. This was an important decision since it allowed us the desired levels of freshness and natural acidity. On 18 August, we started picking the red grapes at the Quinta da Cabreira vineyard in the Douro Superior subregion. We are able to irrigate the grapes on this property and this was instrumental in keeping the vines working in a well-balanced fashion and enabled the berries to achieve perfect ripeness. In late August, evening temperatures fell significantly, which helped finish o the ripening of the grapes. A period of warm days combined with cool nights yielded the perfect balance, so that the harvest of the first Quinta do Crasto red grapes could begin. Dry days in September ensured a smooth harvest. The harvest wrapped up much earlier than normal, namely on 19 September. On balance, we can say that 2017 was a year of lower yields, with fewer bunches of smaller grapes, but that had excellent concentration and an optimal skin to pulp ratio. This was a challenging year for the viticulture and winemaking teams. We had to perfectly time the harvest to ensure maximum quality. 2017 will certainly go down in history as a year of exceptional wines

Food pairing

Excellent wine for hearty meals with red grilled or roasted meat, lamb and game dishes. This is also a wine with which you can perfectly close a meal.

Grapes

a mixture of 30 old grape varieties including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca, Sousão, Rufete, Arinto & Rabigato. About 20 months in new oak barrels (90% French oak; 10% American oak). The final wine is made from a selection of the finest barrels.

Alcoholcontent

14,5%

pH: 3,61

Store & Serve

Serve at 16-18 ° C

To drink from 2024 to 2050

Critics & Awards

4,8/100 - Vivino (180 ratings)

96/100 - Robert Parker The Wine Advocate Tasted: Feb 2020 -When to drink: 2023 to 2045

19/20 - Grandes Escolhas Tasted: Feb 2021

95/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: Dec 2021

This wine comes from a single vineyard of old, field-blend vines. Named after the granddaughter of the estate's founder, the wine offers rich tannins, tamed by black-currant fruits and acidity. Still developing and young, the wine has a great future. Drink from 2024. Roger Voss

Tags: Quinta do Crasto - Douro