2019, Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage PORT wine

A blend of 35% Touriga Nacional, 33% Touriga Franca, 18% Alicante Bouschet, 8% vinha velha (field blend) and 6% Tinta Amarela.

The 2019 growing season had a little over 50% of the average winter rainfall in the Douro and almost none in the summer. Fortunately, showers at the end of August helped the grapes achieve balance. Head Winemaker, Charles Symington, exercised patience and precisely timed the picking over six weeks – making it one of the longest harvests in recent years. The reward was a collection of perfectly ripe grape varieties in good quantities (averaging 1.27 kg/vine) delivering lively and exuberant wines.

Symington commented, “when reviewing the top wines from 2019, we felt that the best expression of our grape varieties came from our six principal quintas. These estate wines are always the starting point from which we judge the year’s Vintage Port potential and, from there, decide what to bottle. In 2019, the various plots of vineyards within each of these estates delivered small volumes of wine with fantastic depth and complexity. We believe these wines could not have been enhanced by blending across each of our port houses’ top quintas to produce a ‘classic’ Vintage Port. Instead, we decided to blend the best performing components within each of our estates and bottle six Quinta Vintage Ports. These exciting and lively young wines represent the absolute pinnacle of the 2019 harvest. They are stunning today and I believe they will age beautifully over many decades.”

Very deep inky black colour; closed and dense on the nose, underlying restrained plummy opulence and ripeness which opened up after a week or so on ullage; rich, suave and velvety initially on the palate with full, ripe tannins building steadily in the mouth leading to a big, ripe, supple finish. Complete. Drinking Window 2034 - 2060. 95, Richard Mayson, Decanter.

The 2019 Quinta do Vesuvio comes from a vineyard with a north-facing exposure and foot-trodden. The wine is quite high-toned on the nose with black cherries, blueberry, crushed violet, quince jelly and truffle aromas, a hint of smoke in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, a little angular upon first pouring, though coalescing in the glass. Black pepper and touches of sage furnish the finish that gently fans out, although one gets the impression that it is holding something back. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050. 92, Neil Martin, Vinous.