Quinta do Crasto Touriga Franca 2017
€ 59.20
| Producer | Quinta do Crasto |
| Region | Douro |
| Grapes | Touriga Franca |
| Ageing | 18 months in new French barrels |
| Alcohol | 14.5%vol |
| Serving | 16°C, decant Store at a constant 15°C |
| Scores | 92/100 Wine Spectator |
Touriga Franca 2017: red fruit, flowers and silky tannins.
Tasting note
Deep violet. Impressive intensity and highly concentrated red fruit aromas, in harmony with soft floral notes. Intense on the attack, then elegant, with excellent volume and silky tannins, well integrated with red fruit.
The finish is fresh and persistent: a balanced wine that shows the true essence of the grape.
The story
The Touriga Franca was first launched in 2019, with the 2016 vintage: Crasto’s third single-variety wine, alongside the Tinta Roriz and the Touriga Nacional.
The grapes come from the quinta’s best plots and reach the winery in 22 kg crates, where they are strictly sorted. Then follow fermentation at a controlled temperature and eighteen months in 225-litre French oak barrels.
2017 was the earliest harvest ever at Crasto. After a warm, dry winter the growing cycle started early and it stayed dry. White grapes were picked from 8 August, reds from 18 August, and everything was in by 19 September. Lower yields, with smaller bunches and berries, but excellent concentration.
Food pairing
Ideal with all kinds of meat, especially grilled.
The producer
Quinta do Crasto lies on the right bank of the Douro, between Régua and Pinhão, in the heart of the Cima Corgo. The quinta is recorded as early as 1615, and in 1918 the Port merchant Constantino de Almeida bought the estate. His descendants still own it: in the 1980s Leonor de Almeida and her husband Jorge Roquette began modernising the vineyards, and since 1994 Crasto has released its wines under its own name.
The vineyards lie on steep schist terraces, with many very old field-blend vines, such as Vinha da Ponte and Vinha Maria Teresa. Crasto also owns Quinta da Cabreira in the Douro Superior, the source of the Superior wines.
Critics & Awards
92/100 Wine Spectator | Tasted: Oct 2021
4,6/5 Vivino (48 ratings)