2017 Quinta da Corte
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Tinto Grande Reserva is a 60/40 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional aged for 32 months in 15% new, 500-liter French barrels. It comes in at 14.4% alcohol. This producer is pushing the envelope a bit, and I'm not always sure that is for the best. The mid-palate finesse is very fine and so is the structure, but the long time in wood doesn't help this. It is not at all drenched in vanilla, but the flavor profile is still affected. That seems a bit different, shall we say, with a touch of sour blueberries. It also acquires a certain dull demeanor instead of showing the vivid fruit you could get so easily in 2017. Overall, this is a step up over the 2016 Tinto, but I'm not so sure it is a complete success. It can be drunk now, but maybe another year or two of aging will help it. There were 4,000 bottles and some magnums produced.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Mark Squires
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,413 g – unnecessarily heavy. If this is the same blend and winemaking as the 2016, then it is a blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. Fermented in tank, aged in 225-litre barrels (50%) and 500-litre casks. 15% new wood. So dark it is black at the core with a purplish rim. Extremely ripe black fruit, both dried and fresh. On the palate, this is dense, concentrated, chewy and tannic. Even with all this intensity and ripeness you can still see the Douro character in that savoury/mineral flavour and the attractively dry tannins. Surprising freshness for such a powerful wine. Needs time and food. Just very slightly bitter on the finish. (JH)