Altano 2006 - Red Douro DOC
Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide
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.
01/11/2008

Altano 2006 - Red Douro DOC
Wine Spectator - Buying Guide
A crisp style, with lots of bright berry and cherry flavors. Chewy tannins envelop the assertively meaty and spicy finish. Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. From Portugal. Drink now through 2010.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 31/10/2008

Altano 2006 - Red Douro DOC
Fifteen Terrific Wines $15 and Under
Altano 2006: Look out for Portugal: Top producers are turning out dry table wines with remarkable success. Made from typical Port grapes, this sexy, spicy, medium-bodied red is an absolute bargain. ($8)
O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah.Com, 01/01/2008

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
The New Douro 2005 - London 2008
There are no wines – starting with the Symington’s Altano, that I would not drink with enormous pleasure.
Steven Spurrier, Decanter, 01/02/2008

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
Drink of the week: Altano 2005 Douro
Portugal's Douro Valley is most famous for the rich, sweet Port wines it puts out, but the region makes excellent dry wines as well. Here's proof, and at a bargain price. A blend of tinta roriz and touriga franca - the same grapes that go into Port wines - this has the cherry-berry flavors and whiff of herbs that you'd expect from a Port, only it's dry. With plenty of acidity, it feels light on its feet even though it packs plenty of fruit, and it carries enough tannin to take on a double-cut pork chop with ease. No wonder - it's made by the Symington family - owners of Port houses Warre, Dow, Graham, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell and Quinta do Vesuvio.
Tara Q. Thomas , The Denver Post, 30/12/2007

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
25 top wines for Christmas
Douro reds can have alcohol levels of 14 per cent but those produced in 2005 are actually rather elegant with the richness and tannins of hot-climate reds. This one is an easy drinking, raspberryish Douro and very affordable.
Tim Atkin, The Sunday Observer, 16/12/2007

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
Douro 2005 table wines - the tasting notes
70% Tinta Roriz, 30% Touriga Franca, from various Symington properties. Four months in used 400-litre US oak for 80% of the blend. Sweet spicy aromas, even a hint of toffee. Opens up to a much more meaty complex wine. Tannins are rounded but clearly present. Just enough freshness. Good value. 13% (JH) £5.49 Waitrose
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 07/12/2007

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
Spectator selection from this issue's buying guide
A creamy Portuguese red, with a sanguine quality to its raspberry flavors. The toasty finish offers chocolate and spice.
Wine Spectator, 30/09/2007

Altano 2005 - Red Douro DOC
Fresh, spicy nose is nicely savoury. The palate is quite rich and mouthfilling, with a rounded, spicy character and good definition. This is much better than previous vintages of Altano.
Jamie Good, Wineanorak.com, 01/01/2007

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC
“Charles Symington’s creation using fruit from the valleys of the Torto and Pinhão rivers. Reliable and great value”
Giles Macdonogh, Decanter, 01/12/2007

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC

Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 31/10/2007

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC
In our glasses
What sold us: Porto's Symington family strikes again with this dry red blend of Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, two of the grapes used in sweet Port. Sure, there's an owl on the label, but not in that critter-label way. Pepper, coriander and raspberry aromas make for a versatile wine that's far more serious than its price tag suggests.
Jon Bonné , San Francisco Chronicle, 01/07/2007

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC
WINE SPECTATOR · BEST VALUES
Dried cherry and red plum flavors dominate this muscular red; the long finish is filled with smoke, spice and cream flavors. Drink now through 2010.
Wine Spectator, 15/06/2007

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC
"Charles Symington´s creation using fruit from the valleys of the Torto and Pinhão rivers. Reliable and great value."
Decanter, 01/12/2006

Altano 2004 - Red Douro DOC
"Aroma com muitas notas de rebuçado, correcto mas sem grande expressão. De médio porte na boca, sem arestas, muito trabalhado, suave, um vinho para o quotidiano"
Redacção da Revista de Vinhos, Revista de Vinhos, 01/06/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
100 Top Values Of The Year
Spiced plum and black cherry scents lead into this gentle, silky red...
Wine & Spirits, 01/06/2008

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Odd men out
For the second year in a row, Altano, a portuguese wine made from two classic Port grapes, tinta roriz and touriga franca, was a knockout. A wine you smell and can't wait to drink.Two years,same 89 point rating and, at a cost of $8 or less, a wonderful wine.
Arturo Ciompi, Independent Weekly, 21/03/2007

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Kim Marcus´Recommended Wines From Portugal
"A big structure and frim acidity provide plenty of muscle, with focused flavors of red plum, berry, cherry and spice."
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 15/12/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
"The entry-level Altano lacks the rich texture and density of the Reserva, but 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."
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast, 01/11/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Wine Spectator Best Value
"Big structure and firm acidity give this red plenty of muscle, backed up by fresh, focused flavors of red plum, berry, cherry and spice. Crisp, clean finish. Drink now through 2010."
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 01/10/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Unique sippers from Spain and Portugal
"...For another taste sensation, hop across Spain to Portugal, where dry table wine is gaining a place in the sun next to the country's signature sweet Porto. Most of these unfortified, dry wines are made with the same grape varieties that go into Porto. One standout dry red from the Symington family (famed for Dow, Graham's and Warre's Porto) is the 2003 Altano Douro ($8) made with grapes grown in the country's Upper Douro river valley. The super-value Altano is a blend of traditional varieties Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Hints of dried herbs mix it up with blackberry fruit in a fruity yet earthy red. Buy this by the case..."
Leslie Sbrocco, San Francisco Chronicle, 22/09/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Wine of the week
Altano 2003 "Douro" ($8; imported by Vineyard Brands; Country Vintner; Bacchus): Like Dow Vale do Bomfim (see Wine of the Week), this light, quaffable wine is made by Symington from port grapes (60 percent tinta roriz and 40 percent touriga franca) from top vineyards. The lifted floral aromas and ripe berry fruit provide much style for the price.
Ben Giliberti, The Washington Post, 26/07/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Beyond Port: Portugal Rediscovers Its Red Wines
"...this light, quaffable wine is made by Symington from port grapes (60 percent tinta roriz and 40 percent touriga franca) from top vineyards. The lifted floral aromas and ripe berry fruit provide much style for the price."
Ben Giliberti, The Washington Post, 26/07/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Wines of the Week
“A marvellously juicy and appealing red from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Made by the fabled Symington Family Estates from Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, it is soft and supple and great with Sunday roasts”.
Jonathan Ray, The Daily Telegraph, 22/04/2006

Altano 2003 - Red Douro DOC
Wine buyer Nick Room’s choice of the best Portuguese wines
“In the flinty terrain of the Douro Valley, famous for Port, we find modern-style table wines with a rich, ripe intensity such as Altano Douro”.
Nick Room Waitrose wine buyer, 01/08/2005

Altano 2001 - Red Douro DOC
Best Value Reds from around the globe for 15 $ or less
“From the Douro Valley of Portugal comes this blend made by the Symington family of Port fame. The Douro table wine category is growing in stature thanks to rich and robust bottlings such as this one. Medium-bodied, with cherry and raspberry flavours, offering notes of red plum on the finish.”
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 01/05/2005

Altano 2001 - Red Douro DOC
‘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 flavours and light acidity. Best buy’.
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, 01/11/2004

Altano 2001 - Red Douro DOC
“With its sweet, plummy fruit, fresh and easy, Altano is like a dry version of Port at one-tenth the price. Buy it by the case for quaffing anytime”.
Joshua Greene, Wine & Spirits , 01/06/2004

Altano - Red Douro DOC
“One of the great bargains of the tasting is the Altano Douro, a DOC wine for just $8. This is a wine made from Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca grapes that just jumps out of the glass with cherry aromas followed by a nice fruitiness, marked acidity and soft tannins…what you get is amazing luxury for the price"
Christopher J. Davies, Wine Country International, Summer Issue, 01/01/2004

Altano 2006 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
This table wine from the Symington family is a supple, accessible Douro red. It has succulent raspberry flavor softened up by the sweetness of oak. It's pretty and clean, yet it still has distinctly schisty tannin to support any grilled meat on the menu.
Wine & Spirits, 02/09/2008

Altano 2006 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
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.
Wine Enthusiast, 01/09/2008

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Alluring spice and cherry flavors are supported by firm acidity. The powerful finish of dark chocolate and mineral features plenty of tannins. Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. Drink now through 2013.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 30/06/2008

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
A combination of lush blue fruit and crispy lined tannins make this a wine suited to roast suckling pig. There's a gamey aspect to balance the flavors of plum preserves.
Wine & Spirits, 01/04/2008

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Novidades
...vinho de aroma bem duriense, combinando fruto de muito boa qualidade, com algumas notas mais florais, num conjunto aromático rico e harmonioso. Sedoso e envolvente na boca, graças a taninos finos e maduros e a uma boa estrutura, com final longo e pleno de especiarias...
Luis Lopes, Revista de Vinhos, 01/01/2008

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
The New Douro 2005 - Tate Modern Tasting 2007
Deep crimson; prominent coconut aromas of American oak, combined with smoky aromas of roasted coffee beans and chocolate. Grippy, coarse tannins initially mask the wild berry and raspberry fruit, but the finish reveals a full body, balance, and moderate lenght.
Ben Campbell-Johnston, Fine Wine, 01/11/2007

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
The Most Exciting
Pedro Correia and Charles Symington have fashioned what may be their best wine yet. Juicy spice and violet-scented wine, creamy, soft and easy with black fruits and the structure and acidity to ensure some years ageing potential. 75% Touriga Franca and 25% Touriga Naçional with nine months ageing in French and American oak. From 2008 to 2012.
Tanners Wine Merchants Web Site, 01/09/2007

Altano 2005 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Douro 2005 table wines - the tasting notes
75% Touriga Franca, 25% Touriga Nacional - selected from the best, A-graded vineyards. Fermented in stainless steel, aged 10 months in first and second year 400-litre US and French oak casks. Sweet smoky spice, rich black fruit, firm and rounded but lacking a little flesh in the middle - though this may emerge in time. Elegant and fresh to finish. More impressive than the straight Altano but less appealing at the moment. 12.9% (JH) £9.99
Julia Harding, JancisRobinson.com, 01/01/2007

Altano 2004 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Wine Spectator - Buying Guide
"A creamy red, with pretty flavors of boysenberry, milk chocolate, red plum and spice. The finish is supple. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,800 cases made.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 31/08/2007

Altano 2004 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Silver Medal IWSC for Altano Reserva 2004

01/06/2007

Altano 2004 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“Lots of mulberry perfume and fruit…very decent”
Giles Macdonogh, Decanter, 01/12/2006

Altano 2003 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
"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 tannnins, Accents of vanilla and spice add nuance to the nose and midpalate, while some peppery notes add lenght to the finish. Drink now-2010, possibly longer. Editors´Choice
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast, 01/11/2006

Altano 2003 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
"This Reserva is made from the same blend (Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca) as this producer's regular bottling, but is thicker and bigger, tasting more of black, as opposed to red, cherries. It has suaveness and brightness that distinguishes it from many Douro table wines. Fine structure and a remarkable finish make it easy to recommend."
Michael Apstein, WineReviewOnline, 01/10/2006

Altano 2003 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
FIRST LOOK AT OUR EDITORS’ MOST EXCITING NEW WINES
"Intense yet lush and juicy, with deliciously pure flavors of red plum, smoke and cherry. Silky tannins, with a long finish of cream and spice. Drink now through 2012."
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator Online, 09/08/2006

Altano 2001 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“Discreet tannins and a leathery, spicy, herbal nose. There's sweetness which saves it from austerity. Delicate. Of the 7 wines listed, Altano Reserva is by far the best wine for the price, at less than half the cost of any other wine listed!"
Adam Lechmere, Decanter, 01/06/2006

Altano 2001 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Exciting table wines from port country
“Deep crimson. Much richer and more intense on the nose than the 2000 Reserva. Real ripeness (prunes?) on the palate with some tannins…”.
Jancis Robinson, www.jancisrobinson.com, 05/02/2005

Altano 2001 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
The International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005
“Dark inky crimson core colour with small pink rim. A lifted aromatic nose of red and black fruits, sweet spice and a whiff of smoke. Ripe and juicy fruits on the palate, sweet oak tannins and a firm balanced structure lead to a long spicy finish”.
The International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005, 01/01/2005

Altano 2001 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“The 2001 is a big step up from the 2000, in my view. An elegantly oaked blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, with fleshy tannins and blackberry, plum and vanilla flavours”.
Tim Atkin, The Observer Magazine, 01/12/2004

Altano 2000 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC

Steven Spurrier, Decanter, 01/07/2005

Altano 2000 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“Good colour concentration with evident good quality oak, combing notes of mature fruit with a light floral touch. Medium body, it is very soft and enveloping on the palate, with aromatic notes lasting through to the finish. Very well designed, it is good value for money”.
João Paulo Martins, , Portuguese Wines, 01/11/2003

Altano 2000 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
Best Cellars
“Not as big and butch as some Douro reds, this peppery, intense, moderately oaked, almost Rhône-style blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Barroca is a really refreshing bottle of red. I rather like the label, too”.
Tim Atkin, The Observer, 17/08/2003

Altano 2000 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“The 2000 is superb, steeped in plum and black cherry flavours. It is made from the same grapes that are used for port, and it really shows off its brambly fruit characteristics to perfection. The dish’s smoky, intense flavours are matched with the lightly charred nuances in the wine, which come from its brief period spent maturing in aromatic American oak casks”.
Matthew Jukes, The Weekend Mail, 26/10/2002

Altano 2000 - Quinta de Roriz Douro DOC
“The 2000 Altano has a lovely ripe mulberry and spice nose and a rounded, medium-full palate”.
Joanna Simon, The Sunday Times, 14/07/2002

Altano - Generic
Teste
...the best wines from this region (Douro) which I’ve tasted in the past three years are like nothing else on earth (perhaps Priorat, also almost unknown 20 years ago, comes closest). They have the intrinsic concentration, beauty and mineral depth of great wine. I expect them to reveal that other hallmark of great wine, too: the ability not just to age, but to change and modulate with age, becoming more beautiful. NO MODERN CELLAR SHOULD BE WITHOUT THEM...
Andrew Jefford, Decanter, 01/11/2008

Altano - Generic
"Finally, from what I saw and tasted, in Portugal and in the USA, Portugal’s time would definitely seem to be now. Simply put, the train is rolling down the tracks and gathering speed. It’s time to take a ride."
Mark Squires, RobertParker.com, 01/03/2007