2018 Pintas
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Tasting notes
Cima Corgo, Pinhão Valley, Vale de Mendiz. 88-year-old vineyard with a field blend of more than 40 different indigenous grape varieties. All grapes previously selected and destemmed were foot-trodden in stone lagares, where the fermentation continued for 10 days. The ageing and malolactic conversion was done in French oak barrels over the course of 20 months. 5,694 bottles, 300 magnums, 50 3-litre and some really big bottles, up to 12 litres! TA 5.6 g/l, pH 3.63. Unnecessarily heavy bottle. So dark it is almost black, with a deep purple rim. All the classic Douro aromas of black fruit, dark rocks, smoky/stony and spicy. No excess oak sweetness but packed with black fruit. Dense, chewy yet smooth tannins. Rich, complete, embryonic. Be patient with this one. Dry, tannic finesse and great freshness for a powerful wine. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Mark Squires
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Pintas is a field blend (over 40 grapes, but the dominant grapes are Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional) from old vines (around 90 years) aged for 20 months in 30% new French oak. It comes in at 14.8% alcohol. Big, fruity and textured with velvet, this is a sexy Pintas with good balance, intensity of flavor and plenty of concentration. The oak needs to be pulled in over a couple of years, but this delicious Pintas is hard to resist even now. It should develop well and improve over the next decade (or two). How well it develops will determine its final ceiling. It is already a star. The question now is how brightly it will shine. I'm not sure it will outdo the recent vintages, but it should hang with them just fine.