I got a last minute email inviting me to taste through some wines from Ramos Pinto. I couldn’t resist – when I visited Porto in the spring of 2017 I had a few free hours before spending a few days visiting Vinho Verde. I took the opportunity to stroll on the shore of the Douro and visit a few of the Port houses. A clear highlight was when I stepped into Ramos Pinto.
When I entered the tasting room it was packed – it was clear that people love this place. I had <
Every single wine I tasted that day is seared into my memory – the sweetness of the wines helped keep fruit fresh and ripe. The age of the wines in the blends added complexity – spice and nuttiness. The finish on all the Ramos wines were so clean it just leaves your mouth begging for another sip.
I brought back a bottle of the regular Tawny port – it cost me about 15$ Canadian and it’s still one of the best Port’s I have ever tasted. At the time I couldn’t afford the 10 or 20 year offerings at the winery – but they were well worth the money. But enough about my trip from last year. How do the wines taste now? Well the great news is we have a few things to look forward to.
White Porto Adriano – $24.95 – **** – This was a genuine surprise for me – as I tasted the white port at the winery in Portugal and I wasn’t impressed. Tasting it this week I was stunned. My mom makes a white fruit cake that has a vanilla base layered over all the spice and candied fruit – this feels like a slice of the best part of Christmas in my home – while this wine sat in my glass a citrus note started to poke through and kept this wine clean and light on the palate with only spice lingering.
Tawny 10 Year Old – $47.95 – ****½ – I wouldn’t say I regret not buying this bottle in Portugal – but the quality and consistency of this wine is something to covet. My first aroma of this wine took my memory back to the tasting room with vivid recall. There is both an intensity and an elegance to this wine that will make you fall in love with this style of wine if you’re a skeptic. The flavours are rich fig, plum, cocoa – it offers all the best parts of young port wines. The finish starts to offer hints of nut and spice showing a bit of age. This is truly the best of both worlds – especially if you’re new to this style of wine – it highlights the best parts of young port wines while giving a glimpse of what to expect from older bottlings.
Tawny 20 Year Old – $79.95 – ****+ – This is an outstanding 20 year bottle of Port – but I felt that a little of the depth from the 10 years old bottle. Now don’t get me wrong – of you like the taste of liquid silk this may be the bottle for you. The cocoa and spice is huge and is starting to eclipse the fresh fruit in the bottle. Don’t get me wrong the riper, fresh fruit is still there – it’s just working a little harder for attention. The nutty note is really starting to move to centre stage and it manages to keep the palate refreshed and leaves you begging for your next sip.
These wines will be available from Select Wines
