Quinta do Crasto, Vintage Port, Duriense, Portugal, 2003

About the Producer
Nestled on a privileged location in the Douro, Quinta do Crasto is one of the oldest winemaking estates in the region – the name ‘Crasto’ is derived from the Latin word ’castrum‘, which means ‘Roman fort’. The first known references to Quinta do Crasto can be traced back to 1615, long before the Douro became the world’s first Demarcated Wine Region in 1756.

In the early 1900s, Quinta do Crasto was purchased by Constantino de Almeida, the founder of the famous Constantino Port house. Today, his granddaughter, Leonor Roquette, and her husband Jorge Roquette own and manage the estate, together with their sons, Miguel and Tomás. The Roquette family has invested tremendous time, attention, and resources to rebuild and expand the vineyards and facilities to produce top quality Port and Douro table wines. Vineyard mapping, DNA-matched replanting, a new state-of-the-art wine cellar and centuries of tradition mean that no detail in the winemaking and vineyard management is overlooked.

Located in the heart of the Cima Corgo, Quinta do Crasto is officially classified as an ‘A’ grade vineyard property. The estate covers 335 acres of predominantly southern-facing slopes, extending from the banks of the Douro river up to an altitude of nearly 600 meters. One hundred and eighty-five acres of vineyards are planted primarily on terraces carved from schist, the characteristic slate-like bedrock of the Douro that allows vine roots to penetrate deep into the ground in search of water. With growing global interest in Douro wines and indigenous Portuguese varieties, the Roquette family has continued to invest further in the Douro with a new vineyard of 371 acres located in the Upper Douro (also known as the ‘Douro Superior’).
About the Wine

In a world where non-vintage dessert wines prevail, this is something for the true collector. From the 98 point vintage, it’s a Port Wine Spectator cites as entering it's prime drinking window. Made by one of Portugal’s first-ever producers in the Douro region, our Sourcing Team declared it “something a little extra special for Members.” A dessert wine sure to excel for the next 50 years; it's a prize for the palate and a treasure for the cellar. 

Porto’s secret is its endurance: grown in one of the harshest terroirs in the world, the fruit (which spans across dozens of (varieties) has taken (literally) centuries to acclimate to the miles of steep granite and slate gorges, sending their roots deep into the fissures between the rocky soil. For Quinta do Crasto, the grade “A” vineyards extend along the river Douro’s right bank, implementing the ancient traditions and innovative techniques to further the passion for great wine into every bottling.

The taste of the passion is here in the glass: a wine that, at almost ten years of age, is already what our Panel called “extraordinary.” Perfectly formed, with cacao, black cherries, and plums on the palate, it’s a sweet sampling of the elegance of a Port. Foot trodden and fermented with natural yeasts before its fortification with brandy, it’s unfined purity from the blissful ’03 vintage. The taste of the vintage and the steep granite of the Douro comes into the glass in what can only be described as “deep, dark divinity,” it’s premium drinking for prized access.

Grapes

Vintage Port

Origin
Duriense, Portugal

Tasting Notes
This beautiful quinta, high above the Douro, has produced a generous, raisin and black fig-flavored Port. It is ripe, plummy and sweet in style, although the tannins at the end show good structure. Imported by Broadbent Selections, Inc. 

90 Points - Wine Spectator 

Product size: 750ml