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Continuing my research into "Best Supermarket own brand LBV under 10 euros" (Soon to be seen in a bookstore near you - I'm negotiating the film rights even as we speak), I present...

Pingo Doce. Stopper style cork.
8.49 euros
Symington



Decanted at 6pm: Purple, quite clear - alcoholic nose. Nice drink - quite light and airy, but well balanced between fruit, edge and alcohol.
D + 18: Slightly more heat, particularly in the stomach, but the balance isn’t too far off still.
D + 26: Lots of alcohol in the nose - a pleasant drink - not subtle, forsooth, but jolly.
D + 48: This is holding well - slightly chilled this could almost be described as refreshing. I guess this isn't going to win any prizes (even though it's significantly better than the "Contemporal" which did, in fact, win a prize), but I've really quite enjoyed drinking this one, and, for the price, it's worth my putting a few in the cellar for days when I just fancy a bit of a tipple and don't want to step up to the mediocre stuff.

I wonder if this is the same juice as the say Graham's LBV or if they use lesser wines for this one. Any guesses by the experts around here?

Interesting that it's bottled 6 years after harvest. Aren't most of the "high end" LBVs bottled after 4 years, or sometimes 5?

(4-6 is legal... you just don't see many bottled after 6 years.)

AW77 wrote:I wonder if this is the same juice as the say Graham's LBV or if they use lesser wines for this one. Any guesses by the experts around here?

I'm certainly no expert, but I've had the Graham's 2008 LBV and, from what I can remember, it was a thicker, richer, creamier drink than this - the notes (from my "simple notes" phase) say - "Very much enjoyed this one - deep, dark, thick, rich, smooth, blackcurrants, with just enough of a hot edge and a decent enough finish."

WineLoverPT wrote:I'm certainly no expert, but I've had the Graham's 2008 LBV and, from what I can remember, it was a thicker, richer, creamier drink than this

Then it's very likely not the same juice but a lesser one. Well, it would have been too good to be true: getting the same, but paying less.

Glenn E. wrote:Interesting that it's bottled 6 years after harvest.

You seem to have sharper eyes than me. Where does it say that it's bottled 6 years after the harvest?

AW77 wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:Interesting that it's bottled 6 years after harvest.

You seem to have sharper eyes than me. Where does it say that it's bottled 6 years after the harvest?

It doesn't. It says 'obrigatoriamente engarrofado entre o quarto e o sexto ano após a vindima', which my Step 3 Portuguese tells me means that LBV has, by law, to be bottled between 4 and 6 years after the harvest = what we already know.

djewesbury wrote:

AW77 wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:Interesting that it's bottled 6 years after harvest.

You seem to have sharper eyes than me. Where does it say that it's bottled 6 years after the harvest?

It doesn't. It says 'obrigatoriamente engarrofado entre o quarto e o sexto ano após a vindima', which my Step 3 Portuguese tells me means that LBV has, by law, to be bottled between 4 and 6 years after the harvest = what we already know.

Ah yes, Daniel's eyes are even sharper than mine. I missed the first part of that Portuguese. D'ohh!