So awhile back, a friend of mine and I decided to have a go at online tastings. He suggested this particular wine, listed below, for whom Robert Parker gave an 88 back in 2001. Here’s a bit about the winery taken from their website:

Lavradores de Feitoria

Lavradores de Feitoria was founded in 1999 by a group of owners of some of the best vineyards and quintas in the Douro Valley, with a clear and strong commitment to excellence.

With a technical team that is second best to none, the management model of the Company is innovative in many ways, with sustainability as an implicit platform for performance and growth. All shareholders are strongly motivated and committed in building strong brands, long-lasting partnerships and sustained search for new markets. The strategy is confirmed today by excellent reviews and awards, worldwide.

• 2001 Lavradores de Feitoria Douro Tres Bagos - Portugal, Douro (6/15/2005)
  Deep red in color with a muted clarity. Schistist soil strong and upfront while in the background with deep red fruit, strong earthiness(barnyard), light anise, light milk chocolate, and it seems to be changing as I write. I’ll make sure to come back to this later on. Medium to big body with a strong acidity that prickles the mouth and hides the tannis that seem to be lurking very near the surface of this wine. Light spice (anise and black pepper), ripe fruit, cherry (tart), strawberry and a minerality that lingers after the fruit is gone make this palate seem a bit strange to me. The finish at this point is not very long and the wine is wound up tight not showing a lot of character. I will re-taste in a couple of hours.
  2 hours later
  Right off the nose is showing much fleshy fruit while the mineral, anise have come forward followed by a touch of sour? Smoke? Alcohol is forefront and the heat is a bit intimidating. Though there is a more expanded spice array. Rich and I think we’re on a roller coaster. Interested to see what happens in an hour, hope there is some left.Day 2
  Ok my first impression is that the fruit has melded better with the spice and mineral component, though there is still a barnyard like backbone to it all. The palate is softer and more enjoyable though the acidity is still big. Not sure if this will ever change though, in the end the fruit is nice and ripe. I would think this will age and maybe calm down a bit in 2-3 years. Lots of cherry and schist with a fair amount of spice, I guess in the end it’s the alcohol on the finish that seems a bit distracting and out of balance!
  Not bad, though I would wait before I had another. C5a12t15o6=88 alt-3

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