Winery - Symington Family Estates
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dominated by spicy wood, this first vintage from the Symington family’s organic vineyards is big, rich, very toasty, with layers of new wood over the sweet blackberry fruit. If it doesn’t hang together now, it is likely to integrate over the next few months, as the exuberant wood and alcoholic heat calm down.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Symington family table wine program is going well, to judge by this excellent 2003 Reserva. It packs plenty of lush blackberry fruit into a creamy, medium-bodied wine with supple tannins. Accents of vanilla and spice add nuance to the nose and midpalate, while some peppery notes add length to the finish. Drink now–2010, possibly longer.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This wine from the Symington Port company is ripe, juicy and packed with red fruits. It is designed for early drinking, with its fresh bright flavors and light acidity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A lean, structured wine, with dense tannins, jammy fruit and dark berry flavors. The wood comes through strongly, offering high spice, and giving the wine a dry core.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This value Douro wine shows firm tannins and acidity. But it also has the brightest black berry fruits to balance that layer of dryness. It is a solid wine that reveals minerality, firm flavors and a final black fig sweetness.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Altano, a table-wine project of the Symington family, famous for their various Port houses (among them, Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s), takes a two-pronged approach to marketing. A pricier Reserva offers greater richness and texture along with hints of oak, but while the entry-level Altano lacks the rich texture and density, it offers good value. Cherries and sappy green herb notes combine in a lightweight, easy quaffer that folds in dark chocolate and black tea notes on the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A light, fresh wine, showing berries, a touch of wood and very soft tannins. The finish shows a more meaty, rustic aftertaste, but also good acidity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Thin and a bit one-dimensional, Altano opens with aromas of cracked black peppercorns and green bell peppers; more green pepper, plus loads of oak, flavor the palate and the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Rich and soft, with easy spice and fruitcake flavors, this is a very approachable wine. It has some acidity to give an edge, the red berry fruits showing through the light tannins, leaving a fresh, dry aftertaste. This wine was formerly sold under the Cockburn Port brand.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The aromas are attractively fresh, while the palate is more towards full, fat fruits. So the green perfume gives way to melon and pear only just touched by citrus acidity. Treat this as a food wine, not an apèritif. This wine was formerly sold under the Cockburn Port brand.
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