Quinta do Vesuvio Port Vintage 2017
€ 96.85
| Producer | Quinta do Vesuvio |
| Region | Douro |
| Grapes | Touriga Franca (35%), Touriga Nacional (33%), Sousão (15%), Alicante Bouschet (12%) |
| Ageing | About 2 years in wood, bottled unfiltered |
| Alcohol | 19.5%vol |
| Serving | 16-18°C, decant 6 to 24 hours ahead Drink within 2 days of opening |
| Scores | 97-99/100 Wine Advocate 95/100 James Suckling |
Vintage 2017: berries and roses, from the earliest harvest ever at Vesuvio.
Tasting note
Bright and open, with berry fruit, roses and a hint of spice. Darker, concentrated fruit on the palate, with fine tannins and body.
The story
Harvest began on 28 August, the earliest on record, after a growing season of drought and heat. The Symingtons see Touriga Franca as the foundation of this wine, as it brings much-needed freshness. Total production was 1,200 cases.
The grapes come mostly from the west-facing Vale da Teja vineyard, with vines averaging thirty years old.
Like all Vesuvio Port, the grapes were foot-trodden in the quinta’s granite lagares. The wine ages for about two years in wood and is bottled unfiltered, so it needs decanting.
Food pairing
Delicious with foie gras and blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Roquefort, or simply after the meal as a dessert wine.
The producer
Quinta do Vesuvio lies in a remote corner of the Douro Superior, on the south bank of the river. António Bernardo Ferreira bought the estate in 1823 and built hundreds of terraces and an impressive adega in just thirteen years. His daughter-in-law, the legendary Dona Antónia Ferreira, made it one of the most famous quintas in the Douro. The estate stayed with the Ferreira family until the Symington family bought it in 1989.
The Symingtons chose to keep Vesuvio as a stand-alone estate, making only single quinta Vintage Ports. All the Port is still foot-trodden in the quinta’s eight granite lagares. Since the 2007 harvest Vesuvio has also made red Douro wines.
Critics & Awards
97-99/100 Mark Squires (Wine Advocate) | Tasted: Jul 2019
95/100 James Suckling | Tasted: May 2019
Crushed berries, graphite and stone. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a tangy, almost sweet-and-sour touch, dried orange and dark berries. Very ripe yet fresh: try from 2025.
Crushed berries, graphite and stone. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a tangy, almost sweet-and-sour touch, dried orange and dark berries. Very ripe yet fresh: try from 2025.
92/100 Neal Martin (Vinous) | Tasted: Jun 2019
A fragrant, floral nose with cassis, dates and raspberry. Smooth on the palate, with lace-like tannins, well-judged acidity and a powerful plum and cassis finish with hints of espresso and mint.
A fragrant, floral nose with cassis, dates and raspberry. Smooth on the palate, with lace-like tannins, well-judged acidity and a powerful plum and cassis finish with hints of espresso and mint.
17,5+/20 Richard Mayson | Tasted: May 2019
17,5+/20 Farr Vintners | Tasted: Jun 2019
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