Earlier this week, I attended the
IVDP wine tasting event in downtown Toronto. This event featured many Ports and Douros commonly found in the LCBO general list, as well as a few from the Vintages section. Some wines could only be purchase by direct order only. I was excited to find out that some wines (which are currently not available at the LCBO) were being tasted in the coming days for possible inclusion in a future Vintages release.
About 75% of the wines available for tasting were Port, and most of the remainder were dry red table wines; only a handful of white table wines were available for tasting. There was also a selection of cheeses & crackers, fruits and a delicious tray of dark chocolate truffles that go perfectly with Port.
The music from the female DJ got better as the evening progressed - I found myself bobbing my head quite a bit to the electro-tech-house tunes.
In all, I tasted 18 wines (and, yes, I did spit out good wine). If you're not into Port and would like to get a nice introduction, I would highly recommend the Cálem or the Warre's Otima (both reviewed below). Here are some of my tasting notes:
Red Wine:
QUINTA DO VALLADO 2009 (XD)
Red fruit aromas and cherry, blackberry flavours. Tannins present for ageing. Medium-full bodied. Looking forward to when this bottle is available in stores.
ADRIANO RAMOS PINTO DUAS QUINTAS RESERVA 2004 (XD) - $72.00
Prune, dark fruit aromas. Palate consists of dark fruits. Chalky tannins need more time to develop.
QUINTA DO NOVAL TOURIGA NACIONAL 2008 - DOC, Douro (XD)
Dark berry, oak and currant aromas all follow through on palate. A little strong on the alcohol.
VEEDHA DOURO RED 2008 - DOC (
#255851) (D) - $12.95
Red fruits, pepper, spice, herbs on the palate. Ripe fruit and ready to drink now.
Port Wine:
CÁLEM FINE WHITE PORT (
#224568) (S) - $13.95
Honey, caramel aromas and flavours. Very smooth and syrupy. Reminds me of a Vidal Icewine. Delicious!
WARRE'S OTIMA 10 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT (
#566174) (S) - $21.95
Honey and caramel fill your senses. Smooth. Well made and highly recommended.
TAYLOR FLADGATE 30 YEAR OLD TAWNY (
#540252) (S) - $183.95
Burnt honey, caramel notes. Acidic finish requires this one to be slightly chilled prior to serving. Quite good.
TAYLOR FLADGATE VARGELLAS VINHA VELHA 2009 (S) - $275.00
Very sweet with aromas of crème caramel. Tasty. Alcoholic finish.
FERREIRA LATE BOTTLE VINTAGE 10 YEARS OLD (S)
Smooth, caramel aromas and taste and very well-focused. Recommended.
Who else attended and what were your impressions?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tasting Note:
