The 2011 Vinha da Francisca (Quinta Vale d. Maria) is another new bottling from one of the Quinta’s parcels. This is the debut release. Its name references Cristiano’s daughter. The vineyard was just planted in 2004, the year of her 18th birthday. Other vines date only to 2007. It is an approximate blend of Sousao (50%), Touriga Franca (15%), Tinta Francisca (5%), Rufete (10%) and Touriga Nacional (20%), making it a rather unusual Douro blend. Fermented in tank, it was then aged in a mixture of new (65%) and one and two year old (35%) French oak barriques for 21 months. It is listed at 15% alcohol. Bright and focused – -a lot of the wines of this vintage seem to require those descriptors – this is better than I expected, frankly. It has a crisp, Burgundian feel once past the initial oak overlay, and a gripping, slightly astringent finish. Sousao tends to project acidity. Quite elegant in the mid-palate, it should be a perfect food wine, given its sunny disposition. Like most of the lineup here, it is unevolved and a bit disjointed, but it blossomed the next day, fleshing out in the glass surprisingly well and showing much better. I doubt it is quite as concentrated as the feeling of “fullness” made it seem to be, but it projected fine flavor on the finish and that fresh, lively feel. Give it some time to come around for best results. It is a nice success for a new bottling and it might yet deserve an uptick. There were 5,675 bottles produced, plus some large format bottles. Drink 2015-2026.
Many of the big reds were just bottled at the end of June or July, 2013, then seen in early Fall in the USA, so take it as a given that they are unevolved and need some time to show their stuff. Most of them should be in retail circulation in the USA in early 2014, shortly after this article appears. They tend to be in small supply. The theme here is many labels and brands, but not much quantity for each one. So, act quickly when they get here if you’re interested. If they have a flaw, it is primarily that they are as a group on the pricey side. You and your wallet will have to deal with that part. This issue features three small-production specialty wines illustrating different parts of the Quinta’s terroir. Since two of the three are relatively new, I asked van Zeller what he was attempting to demonstrate. I got a very long answer – but an interesting and worthwhile one. So, I’ll let him tell it, with some necessary condensation for space. “We have very many factors that influence each part and each parcel of vineyards in the Douro: altitude, sun exposure, steepness of the soil, rockiness of the soil, density of vines, etc., all multiplied (especially in the vineyards planted before 1975) by an extraordinary different number of grape varieties. ? Vinha da Francisca and Vinha do Rio (are) specific parcels that show a very special character. In reality CV was the first wine we produced under this theory. It is the only vineyard we have facing north (at the time I had not ? fully developed (the idea) to call it Quinta Vale D. Maria Vinha do something - CV is a great name anyway). ? In the case of Vinha da Francisca and Vinha do Rio I wanted to show two different and somehow extreme parts of our terroirs (CV being already established on its own): (a) - the younger vines of the quinta , showing from now on, not only the development of the age of these vines, vintage after vintage, but being also the symbol of the future; (b) - the oldest vines of the quinta , showing the maturity and "wisdom" (have I any?) of the family and Vale D. Maria?the full tradition of the field blends in the Douro.” While Francisca has never been part of the regular Vale d. Maria blend, note that the Rio parcel has been traditionally. When I asked how the separate blending would affect the flagship Estate wine, Vale d. Maria Tinto, van Zeller said: “A part of Vinha do Rio will always be part of Quinta Vale D. Maria Douro Red?Rio has a potential to produce some 2.000 to 3.000 bottles but we have only been bottling as Rio between 900 and 1.900 bottles.”
(WA 30th Dec 2013)
