Ferreira, 2018 Vintage Port
Vintage Port, DOC Douro
***100 Points - Wine Enthusiast****
Bottle size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Price:
$129.88 USD
Description
Ferreira’s historic Quinta do Porto estate is located in the heart of the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro, just downstream from the village of Pinhão. The 27 hectares are on steep hillsides on the north bank of the river with southerly exposure, resulting in Ports with exceptional concentration, weight and structure. The soil in the Douro Valley is made up of schist - a slate-like metamorphic rock that fractures vertically, allowing the vine roots to dig deep to access water and nutrients to sustain them through the hot Douro summers. 22% of the fruit for the 2019 vintage was sourced from a small field blend parcel of over 100-year-old vines. These vines produce very low yields of incredibly concentrated fruit and bring great power and intensity to the blend.
VINIFICATION
Upon arrival at the Quinta do Seixo winery, the hand-harvested grapes were rigorously sorted, destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place in granite lagares with vigorous foot treading to extract the optimum levels of colour, tannin and flavour from the skins before fortification with grape spirit, leaving some of the grapes’ natural sugars. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring following the harvest when they were transported downstream to the historic Ferreira cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. The wines were aged for two years in old oak casks and, after numerous tastings and analysis, the final blend was assembled and bottled in 2021.
Condition
Excellent
Reviews
100 pts Wine Enthusiast - Deep color, almost opaque, with intense and complex aromas with floral and balsamic notes, combined with resin, cedar, tobacco box, black fruits, spices, pepper, and a slightly stony touch. On the palate it has excellent body, very well integrated acidity, powerful tannins and notes of spices with a long, lively finish of great harmony.
Sarah Ahmed Writes.
Raw, spiritous, spicy and dense, with graphite tannins and firm acidity, this (sample) came across as quite old school, gruff and bluff, quite blocky, the fruit yet to come out to play, although there are flashes of sweet raspberry, blackcurrant and damson, with lashings of liquorice, black pepper and bitter chocolate. Primordial from day 1 through day 4. Luis Sottomayor has described it as very true to the house style – “defined by elegance and harmony” – so perhaps my sample was going through a dumbed down patch. One to review, but no shortage of structure here! 20% residual sugar 103g/l. TA 4.6g/l, pH 3.7.