2016 La Rosa Branco, Quinta de la Rosa, Douro, Portugal
Critics reviews
Mark Squires - 31/08/2017
About this WINE
Quinta De La Rosa
Quinta de La Rosa is a small estate in the heart of the Port wine-growing region in Alto Douro, near Pinhao, owned and operated by the Bergqvist family: Tim, his wife Patricia, son Philip and his two daughters, Sophia and Olivia, with the aid of the talented winemaker Jorge Moreira since 2002
The Quinta and its vineyards were given to Tim's mother as a Christening present by her parents, the Feurheerds, who established the property in 1906.
It remains one of the few Single Quintas where the vineyards start at the bank of the Douro and rise 450 meters to the towering top of the mountain. From the river's edge to the top, one passes through 11 different microclimates. This gives La Rosa great flexibility to add variety and complexity to its Port.
La Rosa and Tim Berqgvist are special. In many ways they represent what the Douro is all about... pride, courage, tradition, and the determination to produce the finest product from in one of natures' most difficult climactic conditions.
Quinta de la Rosa produces small quantities of superb quality Ports and red wine (Val da Clara Douro label)
Vintage Port
Vintage Port accounts for only a small percentage of the total Port production - which includes Tawny, Ruby, Late Bottled Vintage, Single Quinta Vintage styles, among others - but is the finest, longest-lived and most expensive style that is produced. The best are as good as any wine in existence.
With the exception of legendary vineyards like Quinta do Noval Nacional and Quinta do Vesuvio, Vintage Port is made from a blend of wines from a producer's finest plots. It is aged for around 18 months in wooden casks before bottling; from then on the watch-word is patience. At least 15 years ageing – and for the top wines it will be significantly longer – is required before the tannins, spirit and fruit are fully integrated. Indeed, the finest examples can last well over 50 years.
Vintage Port is only made in exceptional years (normally around three times per decade) with considerable stylistic variation between different years and shippers. However, they all share a sweet, warming, spicy richness, power and complexity. In other good but not great vintages, many shippers produce a Single Quinta Vintage Port from their finest vineyard. These are made in the same way and have the same style as Vintage Port but tend to mature faster and are less profound. All Vintage Port throws a sediment as it matures, and thus requires decanting.
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
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Description
The 2016 Branco, recently rebranded from the douROSA, is a blend of 45% Viosinho, 25% Rabigato, 25% Cdega do Larinho and 5% Gouveio, unoaked and coming in at 12.5% alcohol. This lighter-styled wine has become their regular Branco, while what used to be the regular Branco, often an overachiever, has been rebranded as the Reserva, a designation much more appropriate for its quality level. That said, now that this is branded as La Rosa Branco, I think there are some hints that it will see an uptick in quality, becoming more serious than the douROSA as we go along and not just a carbon copy of it. Indeed, winemaker Jorge Moreira said to me that it isn't just the douROSA any more. That makes it a very nice value at the price point. Fairly solid for this level, with a fresh but serious feel, this is nicely done. It may even show a bit better than the 2015, a heralded white vintage, granting that I do not have them side by side. In any event, it is hard to go wrong at this price.
Mark Squires - 31/08/2017
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