Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 2017

€ 48.00

Opaque in colour, the nose shows excellent concentration and aroma expression, with ripe wild fruit, delicate notes of spice and hints of cacao. Powerful beginning on the palate, evolving into a wine with a solid structure, made of massive tannins of great quality and freshness. This is a unique wine that enhances the power of Quinta do Crasto's terroir and finishes in a very engaging way, with an almost endless persistence

The 2017 harvest will be recorded as the earliest ever at Quinta do Crasto. An unusually warm and dry winter meant that the vines’ growth cycle began earlier than normal. Low rainfall continued throughout the cycle leading to moderate water stress and the vines had to naturally adapt to these adverse weather conditions. Harvest began on 8 August, with the grapes that would go into the white wines. This was an important decision since it allowed us the desired levels of freshness and natural acidity. On 18 August, we started picking the red grapes at the Quinta da Cabreira vineyard in the Douro Superior subregion. We are able to irrigate the grapes on this property and this was instrumental in keeping the vines working in a well-balanced fashion and enabled the berries to achieve perfect ripeness. In late August, evening temperatures fell significantly, which helped finish of the ripening of the grapes. A period of warm days combined with cool nights yielded the perfect balance, so that the harvest of the first Quinta do Crasto red grapes could begin. Dry days in September ensured a

smooth harvest. The harvest wrapped up much earlier than normal, namely on 19 September. On balance, we can say that 2017 was a year of lower yields, with fewer bunches of smaller grapes, but that had excellent concentration and an optimal skin to pulp ratio. This was a challenging year for the viticulture and

winemaking teams. We had to perfectly time the harvest to ensure maximum quality. 2017 will certainly b known in history as a year of exceptional wines.

Food pairing

Ideal after meals. Goes very well with strong cheeses like, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, blue cheeses and Portuguese Serra (Portuguese sheep cheese). It can also be served with fruit or chocolate desserts, and fits perfectly with a good cigar.

Grapes

The grapes from old vines are taken to the winery in plastic boxes. On arrival in the winery they are rigorously inspected on a sorting table. The grapes with their stems are then slightly crushed and transferred to a traditional stone tank (´lagar´) where they are foot trodden. Aer this, the grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation and fortify the wine. Aged about two years in 20,000 litre-Portuguese oak vats. Bottled without fining or filtration; a light sediment may form in the bottle over time.

Alcoholcontent

20%

pH: 3,8

Store & Serve

Store horizontally, at a constant temperature away from intense direct light. Because this wine is still ripening on the bottle, sediment can be formed with time, so that the wine must be decanted for consumption.

After decanting, the wine will quickly reach its peak and is best consumed during the course of the day.

Drinking between 16º C - 18º C.

A beautiful and complex wine with a long storage capacity, for at least 20 to 30 years.