The winter was cold and dry, and the spring cold and extremely rainy. Temperatures began to rise significantly towards the end of June and became very intense in early August. This accelerated the delayed ripening process, which was fortunately balanced by the abundant water reserves.
The grapes come from 40-year-old vines on two of Quinta's parcels of land, which face north-east and lie 150 meters above sea level. After manual harvest in boxes of 25 kg. the grapes were kept in the fridge for 12 hours. Vinification was carried out by 5 days of foot stomping in the vineyard. During the vinification and aging process, the wine was gently stirred by gravity and without the use of pumps.
Classic ruby red color. In the nose there are aromas of currants, strawberries and cassis. On the palate it is dry, with a certain structure and balsamic notes.
The 2018 Vintage Port is a 60/40 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional coming in with 19% alcohol and just 73 grams of residual sugar, an unusually dry Port. That's not the first thing you'll notice here, though. This is intensely aromatic with a heavy overlay of cistus/eucalyptus nuances. Then, it shows exceptional depth and power, seeming tightly wound, very intense in structure and simply gripping on the finish. It finishes stern and dry, with a very slight hint of brandy in the background. A couple of days later, it was still very muscular, a tightly closed fist. This is not exactly in a hedonistic style, but this looks exceptional. It is going to need a little time and patience, though, and it has something to prove in the cellar. Be prepared to cellar it. It will be interesting to see whether it can improve and become more enjoyable to drink, not merely admire. It probably is not the best of the 2018 Ports reviewed this issue, but in many ways, it is the most intriguing, and the price is reasonable. I suspect it will be a Port that will always do best with a food pairing, like certain cheeses. It won't be an easy-sipping wine. It will be released at the end of this year.
