From €8.30, £8.99, $15.99
On a trip to Portugal in May (I will be publishing a detailed report on Bairrada soon), the sun refused to shine until I got to Quinta do Crasto in the Douro, making the lively and unexpectedly intense Crasto Branco 2015 Douro the perfect way to start the evening’s tasting on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. Since then I’ve been waiting patiently for this 2015 vintage, bottled in March 2016, to become widely available.
It has all the lemony freshness you thirst for on a sunny day, along with a light aroma of orange blossom, the flavour of fresh pears and crisp acidity – all natural despite the sunny warmth of the Douro Valley – and a vibrant but creamy intensity thanks to the time spent on the lees after cool fermentation at 14 ºC in stainless-steel tanks. And it’s not all about fruit, there’s also an attractively dry stony aftertaste giving it a surprisingly long finish at this price. Even better for quenching the thirst, the alcohol is just 12%.
The Roquette family at Quinta da Crasto were one of the first producers in what one might call the modern era of the Douro Valley to give serious attention to unfortified wines. They have been making reds since the mid 1990s but the success of the whites in the last few years has encouraged them to plant 8.7 ha (21.5 acres) of vineyards for the white varieties Viosinho and Gouveio at Quinta do Crasto (pictured below).
In the meantime, the Gouveio, Viosinho and Rabigato grapes come from several sources: mainly from rented vineyards planted on schist and granite in the Cima Corgo, plus smaller amounts from Crasto's own vineyards in both Cima Corgo and Quinta da Cabreira and Muxagata in the Douro Superior. The vines in the rented vineyards have already reached the respectable age of at least 20 years and winemaker Manuel Lobo was at pains to point out that they have complete control over all that happens in the vineyard.
Although this is delicious now in the first flush of youth, there is no hurry to drink it. I'd expect it to keep well and develop a wider range of flavours over the next few years in bottle; the 2008, which had slightly higher acidity, was still tasting fresh and vibrant in May this year.
With a total production of around 95,000 bottles, there is plenty to go around. It is imported into the UK by Enotria & Coe and available at £11.50 from Great Western Wine. A loyal supporter of Crasto in the UK, Adnams are also selling it at the remarkably low price of £8.99. Broadbent Selections is the US importer. According to Quinta da Crasto, it is also available in the following countries: Angola, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Macao, Mozambique, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, UAE, Uruguay and Trinidad.
