The 2007 “CHRYSEIA” is a 50/50 blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca aged for 12 months in French oak. This wine has an exotic aromatic nuance that I’ve commented on before and called wild herb or rhubarb-y; Rupert Symington added “garrigue.” It is a nuance that crops up in Douro irregularly but periodically and one that is likely to draw some divergent opinions. I waffle myself at times. I originally attributed this to overripe Touriga Nacional; winemaker Charles Symington, with more nuance, attributed it to ripe, very concentrated and low yield Touriga Nacional. It has, in any event, an exotic note that some will like better than others and that might yet moderate with time. That aside, this certainly seems to have developed brilliantly with some extra time in the bottle and its virtues deserve more recognition. This is probably the best Chryseia the Symingtons have produced and it may yet improve further. It seems to be a complete wine in the making, sensually textured, concentrated and juicy. There is not a hair out of place. It has the structure to age, the texture to make every sip a pleasure, plus complexity and flavor. It is rather brilliant. All that remains to be seen is whether it holds onto its top spot or is displaced by its younger brother, the 2009. There were 35,600 bottles produced. Drink now-2022.
The ‘07-’09 Chryseia listings were part of a fine mini-vertical at the winery in Douro, with the ‘09s retasted in the USA as well. The styles of these three wines are very different, each expressing the vintage well. Qualitatively, there are differences but in some respects they may be roughly comparable, with pros and cons. It would be far more important to let your stylistic preferences make the choice for you.
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