Quinta Dos Murcas Reserva Red 2013
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Wine
Enthusiast -
The Somm
Journal -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Aroma of great complexity and elegance, the result of its evolution in the bottle. Dominated by ripe black fruits, balsamic aromas, such as rockrose, and spicy notes, from its aging in barrel. Firm and concentrated, with a present and balanced acidity, it has ripe tannins well involved in its body and volume. It presents a long and persistent finish, where its balance and elegance stand out.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a rich wine based on a field blend of traditional Douro grapes. It is massively concentrated, firm and properly mature, with rich black fruit and spice leading the flavors. It is perfectly aged and ready to drink. Now Wine Imports. Editors’ Choice.
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The Somm Journal
Grown on the right bank of the Douro River on the Quinta dos Murças estate, this field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousão, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Roriz shows fresh aromas of red plum and salted beet. On the plush entry are notes of ripe red berries, caramel apple, chocolate, and marzipan. Creamy and bright, it’s a gorgeous expression of terroir
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Reserva is an old-vines field blend—Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca and others—aged for 12 months in used French oak. This (happily) is the year the winery abandoned both American and new oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. There doesn't seem to be quite enough concentration here, but the fruit is wonderfully expressive, pure and flavorful. Good structure supports the blueberries and plums nicely. It is a bit tight, but the tannins are moderate enough so that you can easily drink this now. That is probably the biggest question mark of the Reservas this issue in terms of where it is going. Despite many virtues—impeccable balance, freshness and tasty fruit—I'm not sure it has enough concentration to truly reward long aging. I suspect the difficult 2013 harvest played a role there, but the winery says it got in all the grapes for this by the time the torrential rains started. Plus, the style here will lean to elegance in general. We'll see. It is certainly a pleasure to drink right now. Let's lean up for the moment and see where it goes. There were just 13,200 bottles produced (compared to nearly 36,000 in 2012), reflecting the difficult vintage conditions and truncated harvest in 2013.
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Robert
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Robert
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Quinta dos Murcas dates back to 1714 and is one of three estates owned and operated by the Esporao, one of Portugal’s leading producers of fine wine. As of 2021, the entire estate has been certified organic, a reflection of Esporao’s commitment to organic and sustainable agriculture. Murcas is nestled on the right bank of the Douro River, between the towns of Regua and Pinhao. Stretching over 3.2 km along the riverfront, mainly with southern exposure, Quinta dos Murças encompasses a total of 155 ha (383 acres), of which 48ha (118 acres) are vineyards with indigenous grape varieties. The estate is distinguished by the remarkably vertical topography of its slopes covered in vines that boast dozens of native grape varieties. In fact, Quinta dos Murças pioneered the practice of vertical vineyards in the Douro Valley. Characterized by 8 different terroirs, those viewing Murças from a distance are unable to fully comprehend its true size or realize the many different exposures and soil diversity within its steep slopes. Under the leadership of Winemaker, Jose Luis Moreira da Silva, Murças produces award winning wines year after year that enhance the reputation of both the Douro and Portugal.