Croft Vintage 2015 Port Quinta da Roeda

€ 42.87

A deep ruby colour, bright red berry fruit and cherry blossom leaps from the glass in a high-toned, perfume-scented nose. The palate is silky smooth, fresh and polished with juicy fresh fruits to the fore. This is a bright and fresh style with oodles of cherry blossom and a sweet brambly fruit edge. Long and lightly spicy on the finish, this is a wonderfully approachable wine even at this very young stage, and won’t need the decades of cellaring that is often required of wines in this style. Farr Vintners Tasted May 2017

Intense purple-black centre surrounded by a vivid magenta rim. A typical Quinta da Roêda Vintage Port nose made up of a rich plump dark berry compote infused with exotic notes of ripe tropical fruit and the subtle pungency of wild herbs. Warm notes of liquorice, dark chocolate and spice contribute to the wine’s opulent character. The palate is smooth, round and full of rich, jammy flavour. The wine’s silky texture conceals the firm, well-knit tannins which emerge on the finish to provide an attractive firmness and grip. Characteristically of the 2015 Vintage Ports, the wine is immediately appealing but will continue to gain in elegance and refinement over the next three decades.

Food-Pairing

This port is delicious with foie gras, certain cheeses (Gorgonzola, Roquefort), as an aperitif or as dessert wine

Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela, Alicante Bouschet, Sousão

The Croft wine makers will remember the 2015 harvest for the perfect condition of the grapes picked at Quinta da Roêda, from the extensive area of old vineyard to the more recent plantations. The viticultural cycle was preceded by very low rainfall during the winter months with the weather station at Quinta da Roêda recording precipitation of only 66% of the ten-year average, although rainfall in early winter was sufficient to provide some ground water and avoid drought conditions. Early Spring was also relatively dry and this was an important factor in ensuring that the crop was perfectly healthy. Dry conditions and some very hot spells in late spring and early summer brought forward the start to the ripening season, setting the scene for an early harvest.

However, from mid-July right up to the harvest in September, ripening conditions were balanced and even, with no spells of extreme heat. As noted above, the bunches at harvest time were perfectly formed and healthy although, not surprisingly in view of the dry year, yields were somewhat below average. As expected, the vintage at Roêda got off to a relatively early start on 7th September and Croft wine makers at Roêda recorded excellent extraction. Apart from two days of rain, on 15th and 16th September, picking took place in excellent conditions, with warm sunny days and cool nights throughout the harvest.

Alcohol content

19,5 %vol

Store & Serve

Serve at 16 °C. Must be opened 6 to 24h in advance

Vintage port wine can not remain open for a long time, because it oxidizes faster. After opening, maximum 2 days shelf life

Critics & Awards

92/100 - Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, May 2017

92/100 - Wine Spectator Tasted: Dec 2017

95/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: Jan 2017

16,5/20 - Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, May 2017

Port Vintage Years

The earliest harvest on record in 2017 followed a growing season of drought and high temperatures, the resultant wines being very concentrated with good structure. 2016 has been a tricky vintage for the growers but ultimately they have been rewarded with super wines with elegance and freshness, good enough to make some growers think twice about a general declaration in 2015 whose wines look very good in their own right. In 2013 the single quintas are fresh with lively fruit character. 2012 is a great single quinta vintage which produced elegant wines with balance and poise. 2011 has produced fabulous wines with freshness and a fruit style which will make them great drinking throughout their evolution. 2009, by contrast, is about power, density and longevity. The 2007 vintage was more elegant with great concentration, length and purity. The very hot summer of 2003 delivered super ripe, intense wines. The Millennium vintage of 2000 was wonderfully rich and ripe, approachable in style but worth keeping. 1997 was widely declared and rightly praised but still a little backward. Wines from the 1994 vintage remain backward due to their intensity. 1992 is also for the long-term, currently quite closed. The concentrated wines of 1991 are still for keeping, though Ports from the lighter houses are just beginning to emerge. The wines of the bountiful 1985 vintage have a great balance of power with sweetness and are drinking now. The appealing style of the 1983s makes them perfect for current drinking. The wines of the 1980 vintage too are much under-rated and very pure. The 1977s, undoubtedly one of the great vintages, have matured well and are firmly in their drinking window, whilst the initially structured wines of 1970 have proved themselves worth the wait and are now at their peak. Lucky indeed are those still fortunate enough to have some 1966s, 1963s, 1960s and 1955s!

Tags: Croft - Vintage port 2015