Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port 2003
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Aromas of licorice, blackberries and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with light sweetness and an incredible core of gorgeous raspberry fruit. Long finish. Another 1865 Roriz in the making?
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Roriz is located on the south bank of the Douro, just east of Pinhão, a vineyard farmed by João van Zeller, whose family has owned the quinta for six generations. The vineyard produced fruit with an explosive power in 2003, layers of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry and esteva, all concentrated and fresh without a hint of super-ripeness. Pull back the purple velvet curtains of that youthful fruit and there's a substantial tannic structure, a gritty, complex bitter chocolate flavor that holds the fruit in play for over a minute after each sip. Thoroughly delicious, with a long life ahead. Drink 2025-'40.
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Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.