Quinta do Crasto Douro Superior Red 2017 Douro, Portugal 75cl

Quinta do Crasto is a benchmark Douro estate, run today by the Roquette family, but this wine comes from further east than its home vineyards on the river, in the Douro Superior. This is the hottest and most remote stretch of the valley, close to the Spanish border, where the estate farms separate parcels for a distinct, more powerful style all of its own.

The red is built from traditional Douro varieties including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. The Douro Superior fruit, grown on hot, arid schist far from the river’s cooler bends, brings depth and a firmer frame, so this reads as a clear step up from the everyday Crasto red in concentration and ambition.

2017 was a hot, dry and early vintage across the Douro, with low yields and small, thick-skinned berries. The result is a rich, deeply coloured red with plenty of stuffing, and this cuvee carries that concentration well without tipping into heaviness.

Expect intense dark fruit, black olive and a stony, mineral thread, with well-defined structure, a touch of spice and a long, savoury finish. There is grip and density here, so it will reward a few years in the cellar, or a generous decant if you want to open it now.

This is a red for the table and for keeping. Serve it with venison, slow-cooked beef, game birds or mature hard cheese. If you like the muscle of a top Douro blend or a structured Rhone Syrah, the Douro Superior speaks your language.