WTN: Crasto, Portal, Encostas de Estremoz.

WTN: 2008 Quinta do Portal Douro Colheita Tinto.

13.5% alc, $25 Cdn, opened one hour did not decant. 60% T Roriz, 25% Nacional, 15% Franca.

Big dark brooding colour, light-medium purple rim. On the nose pepper, red and black fruits, spice, cherry. `Blackberry` from across the table.
Initial entry is dry, soft tannins, medium-bodied, pepper. Hint of oak and red tone fruit. Earthy, tad smoother than the Crasto I list below. Nice balance, good intensity and character. No chocolate as yet, evolved nicely overnight. Will cellar for a couple of years but nice now.

WTN: 2009 Quinta do Crasto Douro Tinto.

Just appeared on the shelf downtown, $25 Cdn. Opened and decanted one hour to give it some air. Opaque ruby, purple rim. Nose shows spice, black fruits, cherry, hint of chocolate. Hint of herbs here too. Palate entry is dry, tannic, earthy, full-bodied. Needs time for sure but good with right food. `Concentrated`from fellow taster as we nibble on some pot stickers (bad choice). I do not find too ripe or raisiny..yet!

WTN: 2004 Encostas de Estremoz Grande Escolha, Alentejano.

Can still be purchased for $28 Cdn around here. Bottled in 2007, 18 mths new french oak.
Alicante Bouscheit, T Nacional, T Franca and CS. Lot 5107, opened one hour, no sediment noted.

Colour is a medium red ruby, some bricking on rim. Nose shows some initial funk but blows off, revealing blueberry, cherry, some spice and warmth. `Not really showing much`thought my partner.
Dry, blackberry, slight tannin, needs to lengthen I think. Cherry, pomegranite and a better mouthfeel as it opens. On day 2, quite smooth, some cocoa. Nicely aged for those who want to dabble in Portugal.

I think I had a couple glasses of that Portal a few weeks ago, fairly nice wine. The restaurant where I had it has a bunch of bottles lined up at the end of the bar with corks in them, and these are the wines you can get by the glass. It is usually something like Monte Vehlo or EA; while perfectly drinkable, nothing fancy. But on this night they had the Portal - I only got a brief look at the label but I'm pretty sure it was the '08. It seemed a bit dark and brooding to me, but better than some other vintages of the Coheita tinto, which always struck me as a bit thin.

The '09 Crasto sounds like a good wine - I've been overlooking their regular bottling for the last few years, as there always tended to be something better around. I may need to try this one.

Bob, your TN has encouraged me to do a Wine Search(er) on Crasto and Portal. I found quite a few hits but mostly in the Flemish area, which means quite a few kilometres and the possibility of language embarrassment (there are occasional nationalistic Flemings who pretend not to understand English or French, mainly the latter).

There seems to be quite a spread in Crasto prices; from €6,50 for Flor de Crasto 2009 to €90 for Quinta Maria Theresa 2009. One of the few mentions in the French speaking area is about 4km from here and he offers Old Vines Reserva NV for €24 (is this a port?).

Was yours the Flor de Crasto? Sounds great QPR at €6,50 even if I have to wait for a trip to Antwerp with in-house PO to translate possible Dutch .

Not Bob, but here is how the hierarchy goes at Crasto:

Flor de Crasto: young vine cuvee, easy drinking, no oak, about $10 here (NJ).
Quinta do Crasto: older vines, no oak - I believe this is the one in Bob's note, $15 here.
Crasto Superior: Wine made with a mix of old and young vine fruit from the Douro Superior, up near the Spanish border (the usual Crasto wines come from the Cima Corgo, between Pinhao and Regua). Huge new project. Haven't tried this one.
Reserva Old Vines: 60+ year old vineyards with something like 30 mixed grape varieties (newer vineyards are not planted mixed like this). Sees oak, very good wine. Tends to be $30-$45 here. I'm thinking the NV bottling near you is an error.
Maria Teresa, Vinha da Ponte: very old vines (ca. 90 years), mixed varieties. Supposedly great, but I don't buy too many $130 bottles of wine, so....

There are some whites and single vineyard wines that we don't see much here. Ports, too (we just finished a very nice bottle of their '05 unfiltered LBV). A very fine producer which is easier to find than many others from the Douro.

Thanks Joe, good answers naturally. Flor de Crasto is definately entry level but good. The Quinta do Crasto Douro 2009 is quite big considering it has seen no oak! Superior is one I have not tried.
I have to add that I am a big fan of Portal so look here too, also Quinta Nova!