An evening, by invitation from The President of the Port and Douro Wines Institute, Gilberto Igrejas, and the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, Domer Rafael. The occasion, an Award Ceremony cocktail and dinner of the Master of Port Canada 2022 competition at the Vancouver Club on October 12th.
It was a privilege to attend this prestigious event and although the focus was definitely on the Master of Port Canada 2022 competition I wanted to share the outstanding wine pairings, dinner, canapés and cocktails that preceeded the announcement. To read all the details of the competition, view my feature here.
Master of Port
Dinner Menu
Kona Kampachi
pineapple mignonette, thai chili, opal basil
Van Zellers & Co 10 year old Tawny Port
GRAPE VARIETIES
A blend of more than 30 different traditional Douro red grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the rio Torto and the Pinhão valleys.
VINIFICATION
Grapes are crushed by foot, before and during the whole fermentation. When the must is ready for the addition of the grape brandy, the fortification is made in one single moment, adding all the brandy to the must and skins in the lagar. Then some more treading ensures good homogenization of the whole wine and that the fermentation is stopped. The blend of must and brandy stays in the lagar for one to two more days, with very slight treading twice a day (10 minutes each time). It is then racked to the storage vat together with all the press wine (we use traditional basket presses). The wines aged in very ancient (more than 100 years old) wood Port casks for an average of 10 years.
TASTING NOTES
10 Years Old Tawny Porto is a blend of old Portos with an average age of 10 years, aged in very old wooden casks. Van Zellers & Co. 10 Years Old Tawny Port is bottled on demand, making it possible for all to enjoy this beautiful Porto over many years, sharing with us their natural evolution throughout time. Complex dry fruits and wild berries notes, with hints of orange peel and creamy toffee. Serve slightly chilled.
WINEMAKERS
Cristiano van Zeller and Joana Pinhão
(wine notes courtesy of the winery)
The Port had pleasing aromas of raisins, figs, molasses and caramel, with a remembrance of the cherries on a crepe suzette en flambé, followed by dates and warm raisin pie.
Inticing flavours of stewed dark cherries, jammy, rich and smooth on the palate. Essence of Italian plum with a nice level of acidity.
Smoked Duck Breast
roasted squash, brussel sprouts
Quinta da Leda DOC Douro Tinto 2019
It presents a deep red color. Its aroma is intense and complex, which dominates plum, cassis, resin, cedar and cloves and nutmeg. It is still highlight aromas of violet and some chocolate, always in perfect harmony with discreet wood, well integrated and excellent quality. In the mouth reveals great elegance, being remarkable its volume, balanced acidity, excellent quality tannins and black fruit aromas, spices and floral. Very long and great harmony. (notes courtesy of LCBO)
The aromas were more delicate with hints of blackberry, plum torte, mandarin orange, and coconut.
Fairly light with medium tannins, lighter fruit flavours, boysenberry and raspberry.Reminiscent of a Pinot Noir with good acidity and some pleasant sour cherry. A nice pairing with the dish.
Ramus Pinto Duas Quintas DOC Douro Tinto 2019
Ripe blueberry and black fruit flavours are detailed with anise, dark chocolate and spice notes in this fresh, plump red. Traces of graphite and black tea mark the finish, with moderate tannins. Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. Drink now through 2023. (notes courtesy of LCBO)
Opening with toasty notes, earthy, grass, mushroom, smoky with white truffle and limestone. Good minerality.
Ripe, rich, smooth and mellow with light tannins. Very, very good but a bit light for the dish.
Van Zellers & Co VZ Douro Tinto 2019
GRAPE VARIETIES
A blend of several grape varieties (over 30) from different parcels in the Rio Torto and Rio Pinhão Valleys.
VINIFICATION
All our grapes were foot trodden in lagares for 1 to 3 days before fermentation, and then fermented in any of the various stainless steel vats for 7 to 10 days at temperatures ranging from 22° to 27° Celsius, with pigeages by hand. We then rack the resulting wines in one and two year old Allier French oak 225 and 300-liter casks from various coopers where they go through malolactic fermentation. All wines are then carefully aged for 21 months in barriques keeping all different fermentations completely separated until the final blending takes place, just about one month before the bottling of the wines.
TASTING NOTES
Van Zellers & Co. VZ 2018 Douro Tinto is issued from traditional and indigenous hand-picked Red grapes grown in different sub-regions of the Douro. The grapes are foot crushed in old granite “lagares” for 24 hours and then ferment in 5.000 kgs stainless steel tanks between 8 and 12 days. After racking and pressing, the wine is then aged in new, one and two year old French oak 225 litres barriques until the bottling date stated on the label. Full, crispy, expressive, fruity, spicy.
WINEMAKERS
Cristiano van Zeller and Joana Pinhão
(wine notes courtesy of the winery)
Scents are subtle with aromas of raspberries and cherries, red apples and hard candy.
Lighter in texture and flavour.
Black Forest
port, dark cherries, chocolate
Ramos Pinto LBV 2017
No notes available.
Cheese board
Sandeman 30 TO Tawny Port
Old gold amber colours with the intense aromas of honey and spices, underscored with deep flavours of dried apricots, hazelnuts and vanilla, creating a rich yet elegant combination. (notes courtesy of the winery)
+ Taylor Vintage 2000
A wet 1999 harvest was followed by a cold and dry Winter with almost no rain. April and May were very wet, June and July very dry and the first half of August extremely hot. Harvest started on 20th September. The resulting wines were big and full bodied with intense colour and very attractive aromas.
The turn of the century was heralded by the production of exceptional Port wines, notably so in the Douro Valley.
TASTING NOTES
Rich magenta colour. Powerful, intense, black fruit and cherry aromas with lovely fragrant aromatic notes. On the mouth this wine is in perfect harmony with beautifully balanced fruit and tannins. Rich, elegant, luscious black fruit flavours. Enormous concentration with again this attractive scented quality coming through. Long rich finish. Very stylish.
(notes courtesy of Taylor Fladgate)
History of the Master of Port competition
Master of Port is a prestigious title awarded to professional sommeliers. The competition was born in France in 1988, and over the course of 18 editions, more than 1400 candidates have taken part in the competition. It is a competition that aims to promote the training of one of the most important segments of professionals, and with its remarkable growth in size and popularity, it has established itself as one of the important steps in the election of the “Best Sommelier in the World”.
The Master of Port winner becomes an ambassador of the Port brand and, therefore, is recognised by the sector as a specialist and representative of the excellence that makes Port one of the best wines in the world.
The selection process for the sommelier who will succeed Gabrielle Plastre, winner of the 1st edition of the Master of Port Canada competition, a joint initiative of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) and the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS/ACSP), took place in the last quarter of 2021. During this first phase , the IVDP held four webinars, in English and French, which covered various theoretical and practical aspects of Port Wine. 76 professionals took part and, in December, the online exam took place to select the ten best competitors, who were invited to continue their training, this time in Portugal, in 2022, to carry out the selection tests for the semi-finals.
Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP)
Quality is an expression of the distinctiveness and uniqueness that is guaranteed and approved by the Port and Douro Wines Institute, created in 1933 as the Port Wine Institute.
Binding specifications, rather than a regulatory standard of global reference, approved by the Interprofessional Committee of the IVDP, translated the will of the winemaking community in the region. Compliance with the specifications is enforced by the control and certification body – the IVDP.
It is the Institute that upholds the control of the quality and quantity of Port and Douro wines, regulating production as well as protecting and defending the Douro and Port designations of origin and the Douro geographic indication worldwide.
Global ambassador for Port and Douro wines, the IVDP is a public body, one of the government’s indirect administrative organizations, with nationwide jurisdiction. It is overseen by the Minister of Agriculture.
With special thanks to Louisa Maria Fry, Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP) for her assistance and information that made this feature possible. Also thank you to Domee Rafael, The Manitoba Club’s Food and Beverage Aficionado/Sommelier, the Vancouver Club for a delightful evening and John Lau @johnlaujohnlau for sharing his photographs. Feature image courtesy of Vinhos do Douro e do Porto The dinner was complimentary for me and one guest. #sponsoredpost
