www.infoportwine.com
News archives 2001.
06/07/02. All articles older
than 2 to 3 months are entered in
News archives. We start with a title list with accompanying
dates. You will find the full articles in order of
publication if you scroll downwards.
30/12/01. Update "Files".
30/12/01. Sogrape buys Sandeman.
22/12/01. Douro - Unesco.
22/12/01. Tasting Vintages 1999.
22/12/01. Awards.
15/12/01. João Afonso: Wine Yearbook 2002.
15/12/01. New Port Glass.
08/12/01. World Cultural Heritage.
08/12/01. 600 Years Vintages.
08/12/01. Port Wine and gastronomy.
01/12/01. G Porto for young people.
01/12/01. Awards.
25/11/01. Falling sales.
25/11/01. Awards.
25/11/01. Poças and Air Canada.
17/11/01. Readers poll Revista de Vinhos.
17/11/01. Awards.
10/11/01. Burmester/Gilberts.
10/11/01. Awards.
04/11/01. New Port glass.
04/11/01. Harvest in 2001.
28/10/01. Ferreira 250 Years.
20/10/01. Tasting LBV's.
14/10/01. Export figures 2001.
14/10/01. Quinta do Estanho.
07/10/01. First Vintage of co-operative.
07/10/01. Recycling of cork.
29/09/01. New Port glass.
29/09/01. Wiese and Krohn.
22/09/01. Conflict in the world of Port.
22/09/01. Tasting 10-year-old Tawnies.
15/09/01. Casal dos Jordões.
09/09/01. Taylor Fonseca buys Croft and Delaforce.
09/09/01. Hail damage.
02/09/01. Tasting Wine Magazine.
02/09/01. Burmester.
26/08/01. Bad harvest in 2000.
26/08/01. Tasting 20-year-old Tawnies.
18/08/01. Tasting LBV's 1994 and 1995.
18/08/01. Portuguese Wines awards.
11/08/01. New hotel in Távora.
11/08/01. Vintage Touriga Nacional.
04/08/01. Ruby Meio Seco.
04/08/01. Sales figures 2000.
28/07/01. Port types under discussion.
28/07/01. Top Vintages from the nineteenth century.
28/07/01. Port expert in 60 seconds.
28/07/01. Tasting Vintages 1997.
28/07/01 was the day we started.
Update
“Files”.
30/12/01-30/03/02-07/09/02. We have published some small changes and supplements to the
articles in our “Files” today. All changes are printed in italics. The most important
are:
-
changing the paragraph quality
control in “What’s Port?”.
-
supplements on “Types”: 1g.
co-operatives; 2. types of Port up for debate; 4a. Ruby; 4b. Tawnies with
indication of age; 5d. Vintage.
Sogrape
buys Sandeman.
30/12/01-30/03/02. The Portuguese Sogrape Holding S.G.P.S., of the Guedes family, buys
Sandeman from Diageo, the UK spirits giant. It concerns the Port Wine as well as
the Sherry activities. Diageo purchased Sandeman when it took over the spirits
division of Seagram, but had to wait to resell till the approval by, amongst others,
the US Federal Trade Commission. Together with Sandeman are taken over Quinta do
Vau and the second brand Robertson.
Sandeman was founded in 1790 by the Scotsman
George Sandeman. From the start it focussed on the better wines from Spain and
Portugal. In 1928 George Massiot Brown designed the logo the “Don” with the
black cape. In 1980 the company was taken over by Seagram. At this moment another
George Sandeman is in charge. He is a descendant of the seventh generation.
Sixty-five percent of the sales of the company are Port Wines and 35% are
Sherries.
The Sogrape group was founded in 1942 by Fernando Van Zeller Guedes. Nowadays
Fernando Guedes is in charge. Originally the company is especially known by the
Mateus Rosé, but now it delivers many table wines from Portugal and from Finca
Flichman in Argentina. Since 1987 it has possessed the Port house Ferreira/Ferreirinha
with the Quintas do Porto, do Seixo, do Caêdo and da Leda. In 1996 the house
Forrester with the main brand Offley and Quinta da Boa Vista were taken over.
Hunt Constatino Vinhos and Hunt Roope also belong to the concern.
With this takeover the Portuguese part in Port industry has increased
considerably.
Douro
– Unesco.
22/12/01-06/01/02. The Portuguese reacted elatedly now the Alto (high) Douro by the Unesco
has been put on the World Cultural Heritage list. That happened unanimously in
Helsinki on
December 18th during the meeting of the committee concerned.
The designated area comprises the municipalities: Mesão Frio, Peso da Régua,
Santa Marta de Penaguião, Vila Real, Alijó, Sabrosa, Carrazeda de Ansiães,
Torre de Moncorvo, Lamego, Armamar, TabuaVo,
S. João da Pesqueira and Vila Nova de Foz Côa.
The region hopes for a boost to tourism, Douro table wine and Port Wine.
Tasting
Vintages 1999.
22/12/01. The Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos no.144 of November 2001
reports a tasting of 22 Vintages 1999.
The panel does not call 1999 a classic Vintage year. Big names like Dow, Fonseca,
Graham and Taylor did not declare. Many Vintages are marketed under a second
brand name. Various producers did not get involved in this tasting.
On a score chart of 0-20, Quinta do Infantado, Q. do Roriz, Q. do Tedo and Rozès
share first place with a score of 17 points.
At the bottom of the list we find Quinta de Santa Bárbara with 15 and Portal
with 14 points.
Awards.
22/12/01. During the eighth
“Concours Mundial du Vin” held in Brussels in April 2001, the
Cooperativa Vitivinícola do Peso da Régua won a gold medal with its
Tawny Porto Cortez 20 Years Old.
During the “International Wine Challenge London” in May 2001, Graham did the
same with its Malvedos Vintage 1995.
João
Afonso: Wine Yearbook 2002.
15/12/01-06/01/02. Today we published a review of A minha selecVão
- Anuário de Vinhos 2002 by João Afonso, a former ballet dancer. It is a handy,
nicely designed book with tasting notes of mainly Portuguese wines, 50
pages of which are about Port Wine (see: Files/Library).
New
Port Glass.
15/12/01. The new Port glass will be introduced in Portugal before Christmas.
The glass, designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira by order of
the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP), looks much like the former standard ISO
glass. The goblet is nearly identical, but the stem is some 10 millimetres
higher. The glass is especially noteworthy because of the indentations for the
fingers at the top of the stem.
The Portuguese reacted indignantly when it turned out that the glass is produced
in France. The managing director of the IVP, a public body, declared that the
Portuguese industry will get subsequent orders if it can show sufficient
capacity and competency. The production of limited series in crystal is also
being studied, as this is a manual labour that Portuguese manufacturers feel
more comfortable with.
The glass will be distributed during “glass-breaking-ceremonies” in Peso da
Régua and Oporto. For each broken glass a new one is given to the public and
the catering industry (the glass shards will be recycled).
We hope that, with the introduction of this new
glass, the catering industry, and not only in Portugal, will get rid of all the
much too small Port glasses. Those awful mini-goblets spoil much of the drinking
pleasure. Better a small quantity in a proper glass than a brimful
“thimble”.
Word
Cultural Heritage.
08/12/01. Between December 11th and 16th Unesco will
decide if the Douro region will be acclaimed as “World Cultural Heritage”.
The proposal of this was presented on June 30th of last year and
adapted later on.
It is not impossible that existing buildings that will be deemed unsuitable will
have to be torn down.
If the declaration is confirmed, an intermunicipal organization will be put in
charge to prevent new flaws of landscape and building.
600
Years Vintages.
08/12/01. On www.wineloverspage.com
you can find an article called “600 Years of Vintage Porto”
Hersh reports a spectacular tasting with 8 Vintage Port enthusiasts from around
the USA together for a weekend tasting. They were privileged to taste the
Vintages: Quinta de Vargellas “Vinha Velha” 1995, Taylor 1970, Quinta do
Noval Nacional 1967, Sandeman 1966, Taylor 1963, Douro Wine Shippers and Growers
Association LDA 1963, Sandeman 1955, Graham 1955, Cockburn 1955, Fonseca 1948,
Quinta do Noval 1945, Sandeman 1945, Taylor 1927 and Taylor 1924.
Hersh gives much information and good tasting notes about these wines.
Port
Wine and gastronomy.
08/12/01. Port industry is paying more and more attention to gastronomy.
The Instituto do Vinho do Porto gave a presentation to 40 members of the Academy
of Food and Wine Services in Aberdeen on October 15th and to members
of the Association of Wine Educators in London 3 days later.
The same institute promoted the second edition of the “Concurso do Vinho do
Porto e Gastronomia 2001 ” from November 5th to November 13th.
G
Porto for young people.
01/12/01. Port house Gilberts Ca., Lda, daughter of Burmester (see also news
item of 02/09/01 and 10/11/01), has launched a new brand by the name of G Porto,
which is the first to be wholly geared to the 25 - 35 years age bracket.
After extensive market research the designers Liz Wren and Michael Rowe from
London have redesigned everything, except Port Wine itself.
The bottle, only available in half litres, still of the traditional dark glass,
now carries an almost bottle-high, moulded G. The letter looks hand-written with
a long, open tail. The firm name and the type indication are printed in that
open tail.
G Porto comes in 6 types: Ruby, Tawny, Extra Dry White, Late Bottled Vintage
Unfiltered, Tawny 10 Years Old and Vintage (see: Files/Types). Every type has
its own colour-coded capsule, for the Vintage this is the traditional black.
Besides information about storing and serving, the back labels mention
gastronomic suggestions for each type.
This is the first time that the most important packaging components are totally
of Portuguese manufacture.
The design (bottle, symbol and name) is registered internationally.
Gilberts calls the packaging highly innovative, rare and unique and we could not
agree more.
G Porto wants to give an unforgettable experience
to young people with a new concept for a new consumer. Gilberts presents G Porto
as young and bright, tasty, full of refinement and sensuality and versatile in
every sense of the word. Presented in an elegant and attractive bottle it should
be an all-round companion for every occasion.
Awards.
01/12/01. During “Les Olympiades du Vin 2001” in Bordeaux gold medals went
to Ferreira Tawny 20 Years Old Duque de BraganVa
and Offley Colheita 1975.
Falling
sales.
25/11/01. Sales of
Port Wine decreased by 2.3% in the first 9 months of 2001. This loss was
entirely accounted by the September sales and constitutes a break with
increasing sales over the last 10 years.
Awards.
25/11/01. During the International Wine Challenge 2001 in London PoVas
Júnior was chosen to Wine Maker of the Year by Wine Magazine.
The same magazine awarded its Port Trophy to the PoVas
Vintage 1997.
PoVas
and Air Canada.
25/11/01. PoVas
Júnior has been contracted by Air Canada to supply its Executive Class
passengers with PoVas
LBV 1995.
The Canadian airline’s initial order was 5,000 bottles.
The Canadian market holds seventh place in world ranking for Port exports. About
66% of exports to Canada are “Special Category” Ports (see: Files/Types 1b).
Readers
poll Revista de Vinhos.
17/11/01. The Portuguese Magazine Revista de Vinhos no.143 of October 2001
contains the results of the annual readers poll of best wines from all
Portuguese regions and of a number of general categories. The report does not
mention the number of participants.
For Port Wine the results were as follows:
Taylor’s easily maintained its number one position. The big surprise was
Ferreira, which almost doubled its votes and rose from five to two. Quinta do
Noval fell from two to three. Fonseca is four in the ranking. Sandeman rose from
seven to five. Niepoort fell from four to six. Calém and Burmester are on seven
and eight respectively. The newcomers are Barros on nine and Warre on ten.
Dow’s, last year’s sixth, and Quinta do Vesúvio, last year’s eighth,
disappeared from the top ten.
In the category Best Wines of Portugal, Taylor’s dropped out off the top ten,
with its disappearance there is no more Port in it.
Awards.
17/11/01. During the International Wine Challenge London in May 2001 the
following medals were awarded to Port Wines:
Gold: Ferreira Tawny 20 years Old Duque de BraganVa,
Offley Barão de Forrester Tawny 10 Years Old, PoVas
Colheita 1970, PoVas
LBV 1996, PoVas
Vintages 1996 and 97, Warre’s Otima, Warre’s LBV 1992 Unfiltered and
Warre’s Tawny 20 Years Old.
Silver: PoVas
Tawny 30 Years Old and PoVas
Colheita 1967.
Bronze: Casal dos Jordões Vintage Character Unfiltered. This Port Wine is one
of the few organically produced (see news item of 15/09/01).
Burmester/Gilberts.
10/11/01-17/11/01. Natureza SGPS, subholding of the Amorim group, announced its strategy
for the Port houses Burmester and Gilberts.
Initially investments will mainly go towards replanting of vineyards and a new
winery at Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo.
Luísa Amorim tells the newspaper Dário Económico of November 7th
that Burmester will focus on high quality wines which will be distributed
by clubs and specialized wine houses.
Gilberts will continue selling through the catering industry and major retailers.
Amorim will not make another attempt at buying Douro-quintas, but it will remain
in the market for any favourable proposition.
About a possible purchase of Sandeman, Luísa Amorim says that there is
agreement of confidentiality.
Awards.
10/11/01-17/11/01. During the eighth “Concours Mundial du Vin” in Brussels in April
2001 Port did very well.
Grand Gold Medals went to Feuerheerd Colheita 1986 and Vista Alegre Tawny 30
Years Old.
Of the 19 Gold Medals 13 were given to Port, including Andresen LBV 1995, Borges
Vintage 1970 and Romariz Colheita 1934.
Of the 27 Silver Medals 21 went to Port, including Borges Vintage 1995
and PoVas
Colheita 1989.
New
Port glass.
04/11/01-30/12/01. On September 10th the new Port glass will be presented in
Museu de Lamego, a town south of Vila Real (see also our news item of 29/09/01).
That happens within the framework of the first silver Biennale. The theme of the
exposition is Port Wine, more in particular objects to decant. Several
artists have been commissioned to make new designs.
Harvest
in 2001.
04/11/01-30/12/01. This year the yield in Portugal was 20-30% higher than the average of
the past 3 years.
In the Douro region quantity rather varied, but quality generally was
very good. Especially in vineyards where was harvested in the second half of
September the results sometimes were exceptional. The rain in October had
negative effects, particularly in the higher situated areas in the Cima Corgo
and the Douro Superior. In Muxagata in the municipality Vila Nova de Foz Côa (Douro
Superior) the harvest was the smallest in recent years, but that may be caused
by lack of water in summer.
In the newspaper Jornal de Notícias of 29/10/01 some producers are quoted:
- Dirk
Niepoort had a 15% higher production at his Quintas do Nápoles and do
Passadouro in the Cima Corgo. He calls quality excellent.
- Eduardo
Natividade of the independent Quinta do Sairrão in S.João da Pesqueira (Cima
Corgo) states a 25% higher production and an exceptional quality.
-
Abílio Pereira of Adega
Cooperativa de Vila Nova de Foz Côa (Douro Superior) says that the yield was
almost the same as in 2000 but that quality was superior.
-
António Rocha of Adega
Cooperativa de Meda (Douro Superior) tells that the production was 10% higher
and quality above average.
-
Fernando Pinto of Adega
Cooperativa de Peso de Régua (Baixo Corgo) reports a 40% higher production
compared to 2000, but production only was 10% higher in comparison with 1999.
Ferreira
250 Years.
28/10/01. This year the Port house A.A. Ferreira SA celebrates its 250th
anniversary. The house owes most of its fame to the efforts of Dona Antónia
Ferriera, nickname: Ferreirinha or little F. (1811-1896). She was a very
commanding woman. Her friendship/relation/cooperation with Baron Joseph James
Forrester was also of strong influence on the development of the company and the
spreading of its name.
During a trip in 1861, Dona Antónia, Forrester and others the boat they were on
capsized on the wildest part of the Douro. Forrester perished. Dona Antónia and
the others survived. It was said that the ladies were saved by their crinolines
and Forrester died because of his belt with gold sovereigns.
Since 1987 Ferreira is part of the Sogrape-group.
For the occasion of this jubilee Ferreira has prepared a book and two particular
Port collections.
Henrique Gomes de Araújo wrote ”A Casa Ferreira - a construVão
antropológica do successor”.
The first Port collection is produced in a circulation of 250 units each
containing 6 different Vintages with a total age of 250 years. The oldest is
from 1863 and the youngest from 1997. The bottles are packed in a special
designed oak-wood box together with a set of glasses and the book
”A.A.Ferreira Vinhos com História” by Gaspar Martins Pereira.
The second collection is even more exclusive. Its
encompasses 10 boxes, again with the glasses and the book, and 24 Vintages from
years between 1815 and 1997. The sum of the concerning harvest years is 2000.
The prices of these collections are not published. Ferreira is accepting offers
which will then be analysed.
Tasting
LBV’s.
20/10/01-07/09/02. The Portuguese magazine Revista de Vinhos no. 142 of
September 2001 reports a tasting of 45 Late Bottled Vintages (LBV’s)
from 1990, 92, 94, 95, 96 and 97 (see: Files/Types 5a).
In the ”From The Editor” section Luís Ramos Lopes quotes a shipper: ”I am
content with my good stock of Colheitas ….but people want LBV.”
João Paulo Martins opens his article with: ”Vintage is rare and expensive.
For anybody who wants to drink his Port Wine regularly, there is always LBV, a
wine that never fails, it is inexpensive and has good quality. What more can you
wish for.”
The tasting panel finds the filtered LBV’s softer than the unfiltered (see:
Files/Types 1d).
The panel is critical of the fact that the indication ”Unfiltered” often is
absent from the labels. Even though this is not required; it is bad service to
consumers.
It surprises us that the article does not mention the bottle years of these
LBV’s. The difference of maturing for 4, 5 or 6 years in casks must have a
substantial influence. Further more, by not mentioning the bottle years, buyers
do not know which version is being referred to in the tasting results.
On a score chart of 0- 20 Warre 1992 and Quinta do Infantado 1996 share first
place with a score of 18.
At the bottom of the list we find Quinta do Ventozelo 1994 and Reccua 1995 with
14.5, and Anno Cockburn’s 1996 with 13.
Export figures 2001.
14/10/01. Total export of Port Wine increased by 2.75% to nearly 59 million
bottles in the first 7 month of 2001.
Sales increased in: Denmark by 23%, Holland 20.1%, Ireland 17.2%, Luxembourg
9.7%, Spain 5.2%, the UK 4.3%, France 3.5% and the USA 1.1%.
The decreasing markets were: Norway by 23%, Canada 22.5%, Belgium 14.1%,
Switzerland 11.4%, Sweden 10.1%, Germany 7.5%, Japan 5.8% and Italy 4.1%.
Quinta
do Estanho.
14/10/01-30/12/01. Quinta do Estanho (tin) is owned by the Acácio Queiroz Cardoso
family.
Quinta dos Corvos (ravens) also belongs to the company. The quintas are situated
opposite to each other at the Rio Pinhão.
The vineyards of QdosC are classified in the A- and B-class, those of QdoE in
the B-class.
Of the harvest of 24 hectares in total 105,000 litres of Port Wine
and 120,000 litres of table wine are produced in an own winery. The company doesn’t buy in
grapes or young Port Wine.
The available products, all under the brand
Quinta do Estanho, are: White-doce, Old White Special-doce, Tawny, Ruby, Reserva,
Vintage Character-unfiltered, LBV 1995- en 97-unfiltered, Aged Tawny 10, 20, 30
and over 40 years old, Vintage 1989, 91, 94, 96 and 98 (see: Files/Types).
Exports to the USA, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Switzerland and
Holland are frequent and to many other countries exports are occasional.
Very special are the design displays and packaging such as bags and bottles.
The company also includes 24 hectares of olives and pines.
First
Vintage of co-operative.
07/10/01-30/12/01-07/09/02. The first Vintage ever made by a co-operative is marketed by Adega
Cooperativa de Santa Marta de Penaguião, a village between Vila Real and Peso
da Régua. It is a Vintage 1998 under the brand Caves
Santa Marta. This presentation is really a major event in the traditional
world of Port.
Co-operative Santa Marta de Penaguião is one of the most dynamic in the Douro
region. It was established in 1959 by 96 founder members, nowadays there are
2100. In 1986 this co-operative was
the first to ship directly from the region (see: Files/Types 1f/g).
On average it produces 11 million litres of wine a year. Santa Marta de Penaguião
markets some 4.5 million litres of Port Wine and of Douro table wine under its
own labels. The rest is sold in bulk to other companies.
Recycling
of cork.
07/10/01. Every year worldwide billions of bottles must be uncorked. In Holland
alone there are as many as 325 million of them. Together that makes 1.5 million
kilos of cork or 150 truckloads.
Cork comes from the cork oak. It originates out the dead and shed cells of the
bark. It takes at least 20 years before the trees can be peeled for the first
time. After that this can be repeated 10 times, every 9 years, without damaging
the trees. Intensive
supervision is exercised over peeling in the right
way as well as over the maintenance of the corkwoods, where a special flora and
fauna has developed. Almost 70% of all cork grows in Portugal.
Cork is a unique and unsurpassed product. Only the best quality can be used for
closing wine bottles, but that is once only.
In Holland the recycling of corks was started in 1999 by a non-profit
organisation in the town of Zwolle. Also the stopper corks of many Port bottles
and the capsules are processed. They organize the gathering, sort, remove rests
of glass, plastic and paper and ship in large containers to Portugal. There it
is all washed, grinded en mixed with new cork in the cork factories. At last it
is pressed together and made into floors, isolation material and foot beds.
On www.kurkrecycling.nl you can find
the gathering addresses in Holland. Corks are recycled in other countries as
well, but we do not know where. Please mail us when you do.
New
Port glass.
29/09/01-30/12/01. The newspaper Diário de Notícias wrote on 20/09/01 that in November
a new Port glass will be presented by the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP). The
latest specially designed Port glass is already over 25 years old. The president
of the IVP, Jorge Monteiro, told that the glass is designed by the architect
Sisa Vieira.
According to Monteiro the new glass will be more beautiful and more striking.
The design process is guided by wine connoisseurs and marketing people.
The glass will be presented in many countries. To begin with some 300,000
glasses will
be made. Later on a set of crystal glasses will be made.
The new glass has a higher foot and a higher cup in tulip form. It will be
smaller than glasses for red and white wine but it will be in the same style. In Portugal the
price will be about 1.15 Euro.
Wiese
and Krohn.
29/09/01. Wiese and Krohn Successors, LDA was founded in 1865 by the Norwegians
Theodor Wiese and Dankert Krohn. In 1922 export manager Edmundo Falcão Carneiro
bought more than half of the shares. He worked there from 1910. Since 1937 the
company is fully owned by his family. At this time it is managed by Fernando (second
generation) and his daughters Iolanda and José Falcão Carneiro.
W and K is a typical shipper with a few vineyards of its own and a large buy in
of grapes and young Port Wine, mostly from neighbouring producers.
Its own grapes come in from Quinta do Retiro Novo in the Rio Torto valley. These
vineyards are classified in the highest A-class. On average, the yearly
production of this Quinta is 47,500 litres of Port and 17,000 litres of Douro
table wine.
At Quinta do Retiro Novo they have a winery yearly producing 400,000 litres
of Port and 40,000 litres of table wine. Beside that is bought in some 850,000
litres of young Port Wine.
Although W and K produces nearly all types of Port, their specialization is
Colheita Port (see: Files/Types 5b). All of it is marketed under the brand name
Krohn. The assortment now includes Rich Ruby, Vintage Character, Unfiltered Late
Bottled Vintages 1987/91 and 95/99, 20-year-old Tawny, Colheitas 1960, 65 and 66
and Vintages 1991 and 95.
Export forms 96% of total sales. France is the largest market by far. Other
major markets in Europe are Belgium, Italy, Holland, Spain and the UK. Smaller
quantities go to Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg. Outside Europe is shipped to
Brazil, the USA and in small volumes to Japan.
Godfrey Spence writes in The Port Companion: ”A few samples of their Vintages
have proved to be light and early-maturing but elegant. The Tawnies and
Colheitas have a singular, rich unctuousness about them, smooth and quite
viscous. Generally, Krohn wines are very distinctive and in some ways rather ’un-port-like’,
so they may surprise some people.”
Conflict
in the world of Port.
22/09/01. A major conflict about the harvest of 2001 has developed between the
large Port houses/ shippers and the representatives of producers and
co-operatives. In early August when the Commissão Interprofessional da Região
Demarcada do Douro (CIRDD) determined the production quota (benefício) they
also made price agreements for grapes and young Port. The representatives of
producers, co-operatives and the state forced these agreements upon the shippers.
The large shippers, organized in the AssociaVão
das Empresas de Vinho do Porto (AEVP), therefore started a procedure at the
European Commission against the alleged cartel forming.
The newspaper Diário de Notícias called it a Port war.
Merca Douro, a union of producers, winemakers and traders of Port already showed
itself very concerned about this development and about the wild trade in
production rights.
In the meantime an anonymous letter is circulating in the region about buying
production rights without the respective grapes, which is not allowed. Casa do
Douro has threatened to go to court over this. The CIRDD, Casa do Douro and the
Instituto do Vinho do Porto will this year be making use of 200 controllers
during the harvest campaign.
In
the background the problems facing the Casa do Douro (CdoD) are playing a major
roll. For a very long time CdoD has been the most important organization in the
Port industry. In 1990 CdoD bought 40% of the shares of Real Companhia Velha,
also known as Royal Oporto, and thereby became a direct rival of the large
shippers, even though CdoD has to be independent. In 1997, after serious
struggles, various important activities were transferred from CdoD to a new
organization, CIRDD. This has caused major financial setbacks for CdoD.
Ever since, CdoD has focused on becoming the representative of the smaller
producers and co-operatives and in early August seems to have instigated the
attack on the large shippers.
The irony is that CdoD can only solve its financial problems by selling its
stocks of Port for which it needs the help of these large shippers.
In the Portuguese press this affair is already being referred to as a Port soap.
Tasting
10-year-old Tawnies.
22/09/01-30/12/01. Portuguese Wines no.17 of August 2001 reports a tasting of 39
ten-year-old Tawnies.
The differences were enormous. Some wines had the colour of a 30-year-old (very
pale, completely tawny or golden), while others appeared younger than 10 years.
In this case the shippers from Vila Nova de Gaia scored better than the estate
bottlers/ producers. The reason is said to be the huge stocks the shippers can use
for the best blends.
On a score chart from 0-20 Delaforce, Ferreira Quinta do Porto and Ramos Pinto
Ervamoira share
first place with a score of 17.5.
At the bottom of the list we find São Pedro das Águias with
13.5 and Caves da Porca Milenium with 13.
Casal
dos Jordões.
15/09/01-07/09/02. The ExploraVão
Agrícola Casal dos Jordões is one of the few producers of organic Port.
Control and certification is done by Socert-Portugal.
The Port vineyards are situated in the Rio Torto valley in the heart of the Port
region at an altitude of between 90 and 300 metres, with slopes of between 15
and 35 degrees. They are classified in the highest A-class. The company is owned
by the family Jordão.
Arlindo da Costa Pinto e Cruz tells: ”Of the harvest from our 50 hectares of
vineyard we make 140,000 litres of Port and 275,000 litres of tablewine. We
market 35,000 litres of Port ourselves, all organic, and bottled traditionally (see:
Files/Types 1d). The rest is sold to Sandeman.”
The
number of own products is limited. Those are organic Vintage Character, young
Tawny and a little quantity, not organic, of 10 years old Tawny under the brand
Casal dos Jordões. Under the brand Majara is also marketed an organic Vintage
Character. During the last 3 years prices were won with all these products in
Coimbra, London, Lisbon, Verona and Brussels. Export goes to the whole of Europe
and to Japan, the USA and Canada.
The
company also produces organic olive oil (from 13 hectares), plums, kiwis, apples,
oranges, nuts, peaches and grapes.
Casal
dos Jordões is part of the Rota do
Vinho do Porto. It does not offer overnight stays. Visiting is possible with 4
persons at a time.
Taylor
Fonseca buys Croft and Delaforce.
09/09/01. A consortium of Gonzalez Byass (Spain) and the Portuguese group Taylor
Fonseca buys the Croft and Delaforce Sherry and Port brands from Diageo, the UK
spirits giant. Diageo is selling to help secure approval from the US Federal
Trade Commission for the purchase of the Seagram drinks business.
Gonzalez Byass is buying the Croft Sherry Business and ownership of the
company’s Spanish assets for 54 million Euros. Taylor Fonseca has bought the
Port assets in Portugal, as well as the Delaforce Port brand and global
marketing rights to the Croft brand for 28.5 million Euros. It includes the
stocks of Port Wine, the installations in Vila Nova de Gaia and Quinta da Roêda
(60 hectares). This quinta is ’coming home’. Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman
bought it in 1844 but it went to Croft as a due to the marriage of John
Fladgate’s daughter in 1875.
The buy will be formalized next Monday September 10th.
Hail
damage.
09/09/01. Violent hailstorms brought enormous damage in and around the Port
region on Monday August
27th. However the high expectations of quality and quantity for the complete
harvest are not endangered.
In the municipalities of TabuaVo,
Vila Real, Régua and Vila Flôr, vineyards as well as other growths were hit.
The showers didn’t last more than 10 to 15 minutes. Some hailstones were as
big as mothballs.
The damage in the hit vineyards often reached 70 to 80%, sometimes even 100%.
Also if only a part of the grapes is damaged, the effects will be disastrous
because of the rotting process.
In areas of several hectares all vine leaves are gone. Recovery of these
vineyards can take 2 to 3 years.
Tasting
Wine Magazine.
02/09/01. In the blind tasting International Wine Challenge 2001 held by Wine
Magazine in London Portugal and Port house PoVas
scored excellent.
Of the 30 participating countries Portugal came in third with 23 gold medals of
which 19 for Port.
PoVas
was even crowned as best Port maker of the year with 4 gold, 2 silver and 1
bronze medals.
Burmester.
02/09/01. Natureza, who about 2 years ago bought Burmester and Quinta Nova de
Nossa Senhora do Carmo, recently rounded off the acquisition of Quinta S. Cibrão.
This quinta of nearly 200 hectares is situated close to Barca d’Alva in the
east of the Douro Superior, an outstanding Port area.
Natureza is a sub-holding of the Amorim group, focusing on nature- and
agriculture products. Apart from Port and table wines this includes for example
olive oil, cheese of pure origin and special pork meat products.
In the past the group made an unsuccessful bid on
Sandeman. That shipper was sold by the English group Diageo who had
acquired it from Seagram.
Bad
harvest in 2000.
26/08/01. Is the bad harvest of 2000 in the Douro valley good or bad news?
Probably a little bit of both.
On account of extreme bad weather in May the production was small (30-40% less
than in 1999). But a fixed given in agriculture and for sure in viniculture is
that less fruit mostly produces better quality. And that is how it seems to be
for the year 2000. Quality is considered good up to very good with chance of
many and special Vintages.
A drawback is that a small harvest can lead to higher prices. That effect will
probably be toned down by the rule that in any single year only one third of one
harvest year may be sold.
Tasting
20-year-old Tawnies.
26/08/01. Portuguese Wines no. 16 of June 2001 reports a tasting of 33
twenty-years-old Tawnies.
The heading of the article mentions that many consider Tawnies of this age to be
the cream of Tawny Ports, but this theory is subsequently left unexplained.
However the author, João Paulo Martins, then gives the following magnificent
definition: ”Unlike Vintage Port, which is a gift of nature, an old Tawny is
the absolute expression of the winemaker’s skill and craftsmanship in moulding
a wine to his taste.”
On a score chart from 0-20 Dow’s and Cockburn’s share first place with a
score of 18.
At the bottom of the list we find Offley and Porto Cedro, both with 14.5.
Tasting
LBV’s 1994 and 1995.
18/08/01. Revista de Vinhos no. 127 of June 2000 reports a tasting with 10 Late
Bottled Vintages (LBV’s) 1994 and 27 LBV’s 1995.
On a score chart from 0-20 Niepoort – Lemos and Van Zeller Vale de Mina LBV
1995 scored highest with 18.5 points.
The lowest score went to Martinez LBV 1995 with 13.5 points.
Portuguese
Wines awards.
18/08/01. In Portuguese Wines no. 15 of April 2000 several awards were given to
the Port industry.
Niepoort became Winery Of The Year for fortified wines.
Winemaker Of The Year for fortified wines was awarded to António Agrellos of
Quinta do Noval.
Awards of Excellence were given to Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira Vintage
1998, Niepoort Vintage 1997, Quinta do Noval Vintage 1997 and Graham’s Vintage
1997.
Best Buys awards went to Vallegre Vista Alegre LBV 1995/2000, Lemos and van
Zeller Vale da Mina LBV 1995/2000 Unfiltered and Quinta do Infantado Ruby Meio
Seco.
Best Wines from the Port Region awards were received by PoVas
Vintage 1997, Fonseca Vintage 1997, Taylor’s Vintage 1997, Quinta do Vesúvio
Vintage 1997, Quinta do Castelinho Vintage 1997, Real Companhia Velha Quinta das
Carvalhas Vintage 1997, Ferreira Vintage 1997, Quinta de la Rosa Vintage 1997,
Dow’s Vintage 1997, Calém Quinta da Foz Vintage Touriga Nacional 1996 and
Burmester Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo Vintage 1997.
New hotel in Távora.
11/08/01. The French company Sociedade de Vinhos Senhora do Convento, S.A. is
going to rebuild a late cloister into a hotel. In a part of the galleries in the
building from the twelfth century they make 56 beds in total. The hotel will be
opened in the beginning of 2004 and will have a swimming pool, a tennis court
and a conference room too.
Távora is situated south of the town of Pinhão at the N323 some 10 kilometres
from the Douro.
The same French company owns Vranken that produces mostly Port for the
homemarket at Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Aguias.
Vintage
Touriga Nacional.
11/08/01. Quinta da Foz of Calém has a Vintage Touriga Nacional 1996. A Vintage
of only one grape variety is rare.
The Touriga Nacional is seen as most important Port grape, but according to
Mayson in Port and the Douro (see: Library) it accounts for only 2% of the total
wine planting. Its small grapes gives a powerful, deep red wine with much tannin,
black current notes and an intense fruit character. The down side is its low
yielding of 1-1.5 kg. per vine (other types more or less 2.5 kg.). But since
1980 the Touriga Nacional is coming back. At prominent Quintas
in the Cima Corgo and the Douro Superior (see: What’s Port?) it now
represents 20-30% of the vineyard.
Ruby Meio Seco.
04/08/01-07/09/02. Quinta do Infantado has a Ruby Meio Seco (Medium Dry). That is
rare. For White Port a subdividing in sweetness is standard (see: Files/Types
3). For red Port there are at the most some subtle differences (see: Types 1h).
Sales
figures 2000.
04/08/01. In
2000 the proceeds of Port sales increased by 4.7% to US$ 370,5 million. This is
more than the old record from 1988. The volume of 957,000 hectoliters rose with
0.4%.
The prices of Standard Ports (see: Files/Types 1b) were higher than in 1999,
while more bottles of Special Categories were sold.
The export to Canada as well as to Holland increased significantly. Sales in
Portugal also increased.
Port
types under discussion.
28/07/01. Within the Port organizations the different types or styles have been under
discussion for some years now. Initially, possible changes were to be published
in 1999. Now the Port Wine Institute has announced that it hopes to present its
decisions in 2001. Clearly a case of heavy labour. No matter, the Port itself
remains very nice.
Top
Vintages from the nineteenth century.
28/07/01. A list of top Vintages from the twentieth century can be found in many places (see:
Files/Library: Mayson). But the Revista de Vinhos no. 124 of March 2000 gives a list
of toppers from the century before: 1847, 52, 53, 54, 58, 59, 63, 68, 70, 71,
72, 73, 75, 78, 90, 96 and 97.
Port
expert in 60 seconds.
28/07/01. In Food and Wine of December 2000 Joseph Ward tells how you can learn enough
about Port in very short time to sound like a genius.
He says: The top Vintage years in the twentieth century are 1927, 45, 63, 70,
77, 85 and 94.
The first 2 are very rare, the last 2 are too young.
So, by remembering 1963, 70 and 77 you "know it all".
Tasting
Vintages 1997.
28/07/01. The Revista de Vinhos no. 124 of March 2000 reports a tasting of 47 Vintages
from 1997.
In his introduction says João Paulo Martins: ”The declaration of a Vintage
always is a feast. But, in case of a nearly unanimous declaration as in 1997, it
is not a feast but only a festivity.”
The best, with the qualification Excellente, were Niepoort, PoVas,
Quinta do Vesúvio, Real Companhia Velha Quinta das Carvalhas and Quinta do
Castelinho.
Exhibiting signs of oxidation, the least, with the qualification Suficiente,
were Martinez, Cockburn and Quinta Eira Velha, all three belonging to the
Cockburn group. In a previous tasting, Martinez had shown the same results.
It is
interesting to compare these results with the opinion of columnist Carlos
Ernesto Cabral de Mello in Vinho Magazine, year 3, no. 13. He joined a tasting
in São Paulo with 26 Vintages also from 1997.
He qualified 9 to the top:
Niepoort, PoVas
and Quinta do Castelinho are the same as in Revista de Vinhos (RdeV).
Ferreira comes in RdeV at Muito Bom + / Excellente, directly under the top.
(Muito Bom = very good)
Dow’s scores in RdeV Muito Bom + , the second group under the top.
And Ramos Pinto, Quinta do Infantado, Fonseca and Calém rate in RdeV
Muito Bom / Muito Bom + , as average.
Copyright
© 2001-2011 infoportwine
All rights reserved.