Douro red wines: panel tasting results

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, Christine Allen and Valentin Radosav tasted 70 wines, with 4 Outstanding and 56 Highly recommended.

Douro reds panel tasting scores

70 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly recommended 56

Recommended 10

Commended 0

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release Douro valley reds, including single-varietal or blended wines

It’s no secret that the Douro has been making excellent still red wines for years. But what is astonishing is the level of consistency that the region has managed to achieve in recent vintages – and this tasting, which featured wines from a wide range of those vintages, served to confirm this.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Douro red wines panel tasting

‘What surprised me most was the consistency, fruit expression and use of oak,’ said Christine Allen. She felt the wines showed great finesse, fruit concentration and impeccable balance, pointing to very good vineyard management and winemaking practices. Valentin Radosav concurred, adding that the use of oak, in most cases, was very well judged. ‘If you have beautiful fruit, just let it express itself, and this is what seems to be happening,’ he said.

The level of uniformity and reliability can be expressed in numbers. 60 out of the 70 wines received an average rating of 90 points or above – a remarkably positive performance.

Douro is renowned for its hot, arid conditions, hence it would be reasonable to expect wines that are robust, powerful, and high in alcohol. However, in general, this selection displayed very good harmony and, on the few occasions alcohol exceeded 14%, the wines retained a sense of elegance and balancing freshness.

See all 70 wines from the Douro red wines panel tasting

‘They were not as big as I expected them to be, and even wines from hot vintages seemed balanced,’ said Allen. Radosav agreed: ‘There is an excellent level of quality across the board.’

The wide spectrum of vintages, from 2014 to 2021, included powerful wines from extremely dry and hot years like 2018, as well as more elegant wines from cooler vintages such as 2019. Wine lovers who enjoy more mature bottles should seek out wines from 2016; while those who prefer a more vibrant and fruit-forward wine should look for bottles from 2020. In general, the panellists agreed that high quality was a common theme, regardless of the harvest date, so readers can buy wines from recent vintages with confidence.

Another sign that should inspire confidence is the presence of Touriga Nacional on the label. With almost 5,000ha, it is only the third most-planted grape variety in the Douro valley, behind Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (according to the latest Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho data), yet it contributes to the quality of the region’s wines like no other variety.

Touriga Nacional revealed its personality and demonstrated that it can transform and elevate any blend with its captivating aromas and refined structure. It’s interesting to explore the single-variety wines, but there is no doubt that the best wines from the region are blends, especially from older vines, aged 40+ years.

What could be better? Allen suggested that wineries should not be afraid to release wines a little later. ‘If producers can afford to wait an extra year, many of the wines would certainly benefit,’ she affirmed. This is a sensible suggestion, since there are a few reputable producers whose wines would certainly have done even better in this tasting had they been given more time to develop in the bottle.

Generally speaking, the Douro reds offer excellent value for money, at a wide range of price points – especially when you consider the challenging, laborious growing conditions and low yields. The best wines are outstanding and can stand shoulder to shoulder with high-end wines from any other wine region in the world. So there can be only one message for consumers: there has never been a better time to explore the red wines of the Douro valley.

Douro red wines panel tasting scores

The following wines all scored 92 points or above

The judges

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW is a wine writer, consultant and educator. Moving to the UK from Brazil in 1989, he was a director at some of the UK’s most prominent distributors, becoming a Master of Wine in 2008. He is co-author of Conheça Vinhos (‘Understanding Wine’, Senac) an awarded book in Portuguese.

Christine Allen is marketing director for distributor Maisons Marques et Domaines. With years of experience in both on- and off-trade, she is particularly focused on Old World regions, notably Spain, Portugal and Burgundy, and is a DWWA judge for Spain.

Valentin Radosav is an advanced sommelier and a DWWA judge for Portugal. Formerly head sommelier at Michelin one-star Gymkhana in Mayfair, he is now learning and development manager for The Stafford hotel in London SW1.

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