Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Report from ... Duorum Dinner - November 16, 2010

I was doing a little house cleaning this morning when I discovered some tasting notes from a dinner I attended back in November of 2010 at the University Club of Toronto in the Big Smoke ... it was a wine tasting and dinner around a wine project out of Portugal called Duorum.  Duorum, according to the info I have sitting in front of me is a `joint project between two of Portugal`s best known oenologists: Joao Portugal Ramos and Jose Maria Soares Franco`.  It looks like I found dinner passable but I found the wines to be much more than that with 4 of them garnering four-and-a-half star ratings ... so instead of just letting these wines languish on my desk I thought I would share them with you, and if you see the Duorum label and have opportunity to buy these wines I would snap them up.
Pre-Dinner Wines of Note ...
Duorum 2008 Old Vines Reserve (**** 1/2)
full of dark fruit with spice on the palate, 14% alcohol but doesn`t show it because it is supple and smooth with hints of anise and cassis.
Tons de Duorum 2009 (**** 1/2)
lots of cherry here, sweet, smooth and fruity with red licorice and anise; good acidity and tannins.  Only 6 months in oak barrel.  If it ever makes it`s way to Ontario shores it would retail for only $9.95, a total steal.

Dinner Wines ...
Vila Santa White 2009 (****)
best of the two whites poured with the first course of pickerel; made with three indigenous white grapes: sweet fruit, fresh and very tropical.

Conde Vimioso Reserva 2007 (**** 1/2)
a delicious red with chocolate, red cherry, blackberry, mint and cassis notes, the finish delivers bunches of delicious black cherry.
Duorum Reserva 2007 (**** 1/2)
another stunning and delightful wine with smoky notes that compliment the cassis, black raspberry, spice, dark chocolate and all culminates in a long finish.

Final thought:  As much as I enjoy Port I found the Duorum 2008 was passable but not outstanding, but of course a vintage Port needs time.

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