Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage 2019 Port

€ 91.00

Typical blackcurrant and lavender aromas with traces of fennel, whose fragrance is often carried by the breeze in the vineyards at Vesúvio. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-filling ripe black fruit flavours; opulent and velvety, although with substantial volume and weighty structure. Very polished tannins provide a satisfyingly long, silky finish.

Charles Symington, fourth generation winemaker, 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.”

Food-Pairing

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

Grapes: Touriga Nacional 35%, Touriga Franca 33%, Alicante Bouschet 18%, Vinhas Velhas 8% & Tinta Amarela 6% Grapes are mostly from the west-facing vineyard Vale da Teja (30 years is the average age of these plantings)

After an unusually dry winter and spring and come summertime the vines were in need of water to sustain maturations. However, the virtual absence of rain between May and late August was counter-balanced by cooler than usual summer conditions. June temperatures, for instance, were 4°C below average at Quinta do Vesuvio. This favored steady phenolic ripening, but it was clear that more rain was needed to achieve complete ripeness. Perfectly timed heaven-sent showers on August 25th immediately began to recover lagging maturations. The harvest started at Vesúvio on September 9th with the earlier ripening varieties. On the 21st, bang on the equinox, we had some further welcome rain, and this water top-up was perfect for the balanced development of the Touriga Franca, as well as for fine tuning the Touriga Nacional. Picking was briefly paused to allow the vines to rehydrate and was resumed on the 23rd with the Touriga Nacional, which was in an ideal state of ripeness and looking particularly promising with small berries indicating nice concentration. The later ripening Touriga Franca was picked from the end of September and into early October.

Alcohol content

20 %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

Drink 2029-2066

Critics & Awards

4,6/5 - Vivino (29 ratings)

94/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: Dec 2021

One of the Douro's grandest quintas has produced a powerful, structured wine that shows concentration and density. The aromas and dark fruits speak to the Touriga Nacional in the blend, giving a Port that is destined for long-term aging. Drink from 2030. Roger Voss

96/100 - Wine Spectator Tasted: Dec 2021

This is really vivid, with a beautiful range of cassis, cherry purée, boysenberry coulis and plum reduction notes unfurling across the palate while succulent licorice, warm fruitcake and enticing red and black tea notes sing back up. The long, refined finish has plenty in reserve for the long haul. One of the stars of the vintage. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Alicante Bouschet and Tinta Amarela. Best from 2040 through 2060. —J.M.

Port Vintage Years

The 2019 Quinta Vintage Ports are the result of an erratic growing season, with 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 more balanced maturations. 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. This was in contrast to the concentration of the exceptionally small years in 2017 and 2018.

The 2018 Vintage is aptly described by wine makers as a "rollercoaster of a vintage". A drought throughout winter gave way to exceptionally high rainfall and hale in spring. This was followed by sporadic heatwaves throughout summer. Fortunately the spring rains had replenished the water table and the grapes were healthy when it came to selection. In an unusual year such as 2018, the winemakers skills and experience are critical in producing a good wine. Those winemakers who carefully selected grapes prospered. As a result, there is no defining characteristic of the vintage as a whole, such as would be found in a long hot summer. Instead there are some very interesting ports that are more representative of the terroir.

After a run of declared vintages 2016/17 it was highly unlikely that 2018 would be universally declared. Sandeman who did not declare their outstanding 2017 were the fist to declare a classic vintage. This was followed by Sogevinous (Calem, Kopke, Burmester, Barros), Quevedo and regular declarations from Vesuvio and Noval. Surprisingly Taylors declared their 2018 (following 16/17) but will not sell it until 2021. QUANTITIES ARE TINY. Whether it's due to careful selection, Corona virus or just a desire not to overload the market, producers have only produced a fraction of normal volumes (roughly 1/3 of normal production).

The harvest 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: Quinta do Vesuvio - 2019