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2017: The year in the making
We are accustomed to challenging conditions in the Douro with low rainfall and high summer temperatures but 2017 was drier and hotter than usual. It is a testament to our well-adapted indigenous grape varieties that such exceptional wines were produced in this year.
We are accustomed to challenging conditions in the Douro with low rainfall and high summer temperatures but 2017 was drier and hotter than usual. It is a testament to our well-adapted indigenous grape varieties that such exceptional wines were produced in this year.
Reasonable winter rainfall from October 2016 through to February 2017 created water reserves in the soil that sustained the vines through a long and dry summer.
Despite the very warm conditions throughout the growing season, August temperatures were closer to the average than the very hot 2016, which hugely benefitted the vines after a spring and summer with no significant rain.
The Douro grape varieties are incredibly adaptable and proved this once again in 2017. The start of the growing season in March saw a pronounced upswing in temperatures and a decline in rainfall. The vines, as though second guessing the dry conditions ahead, reacted from this early stage by reducing their water consumption.
This resulted in less vigour and the development of smaller canopies, as well as smaller berries, which further lessened the demands on the limited soil water reserves.
The warm and dry conditions had the further advantage of eliminating any threat of vine disease, resulting in a remarkably healthy crop with perfectly formed berries.
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For a full 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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2017 Cockburns *
62% Touriga Nacional, 21% Touriga Franca, 9% Sousão, 8% Alicante Bouschet
For the 2017 Vintage Port only 2,500 cases (12/75cl) were bottled, representing just 8% of Cockburn’s total vineyard production.
Tasting Note:
The Cockburn 2017 has resinous, forest floor aromas with bergamot notes mingling with rockrose scents.
Fresh, mineral notes are evocative of eucalyptus and anise. The palate is intense with layers of blueberry and
kirsch flavours underpinned by peppery tannins which provide Cockburn’s signature grip. A very complete wine, complex and finely tuned that suggests impressive longevity.
Pricing
£ 234 per 6 75cl bottles (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 95 pts
"The 2017 Cockburn’s Vintage Port, picked from August 28, comes mainly from Quinta dos Canais (74% of the blend.) It sports an iridescent purple hue. It has an irresistible nose with black plum, raisin, vanilla and blackcurrant, super-concentrated but managing to maintain superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and full of tension. I must admit to being shocked how tense and agile this Cockburn’s is showing. It is a live-wire young Port, brimming over with energy and bridle and with an almost citrus-fresh finish that leaves the mouth tingling. The name might be synonymous with the more commercial end of Port, however, recent vintages testify a fortified wine that should be taken very seriously. Superb."
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2017 Warre's *
46% Vinha Velha (old mixed vines), 37% Touriga Nacional 17% Touriga Franca
2017 will be remembered as a year that produced wines of remarkable structure, balance and elegance, a profile which closely matches Warre’s traditional Vintage Port style, with only 3,600 cases (12/75cl) – 13% of Warre’s total vineyard production
Tasting Note:
Warre’s 2017 has bright floral aromas of roses and violets, typical of the Touriga Nacional and also of rockrose, which is a feature of the Touriga Franca. On the palate the wine is full and plummy with amazing concentration and buoyant freshness delivering flavours of black cherries and blackberries. Layers of complexity are gradually revealed with a remarkable full-bodied structure.
Pricing
£ 264 per 6 75cl bottles (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 94 pts
"The 2017 Warre’s Vintage Port is made from some incredibly low yields, the Retiro vineyard cropped at a paltry 470 grams per vines. It has a very concentrated nose. This is higher-toned than the Cockburn’s with macerated black cherries, boysenberry jam, orange rind and a subtle eau-de-vie like element that becomes more pronounced with aeration. The palate is beautifully balanced and very well structured. This has tons of grip, a more masculine and assertive Warre’s compared to recent vintages. The acidity is extremely well judged with layers of black fruit laced with graphite and white pepper towards the prolonged finish. This will require a decade in the cellar to soften those tannins, but it will surely be worth the wait."
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2017 Dow's *
48% Touriga Franca, 31% Touriga Nacional, 11% Sousão. 6% Very old mixed vines, 4% Alicante Bouschet
It has been a long wait since 2011, a Vintage which garnered worldwide recognition for Dow’s when Wine Spectator named it No1 Wine of The Year and which followed the remarkable 2007 Dow with 100-points in the Wine Spectator.
In 2017, perfect conditions enabled the production of an outstanding wine and one that will enhance the great Dow’s Vintage Port tradition. Production: 5,250 cases
Tasting Note:
It is rare to see such tremendous depth and intensity in colour as this wine displays. The freshness of the floral aromas is very attractive with a dominance of rockrose, a flower that grows wild around the hills of Senhora da Ribeira. On the palate, it is exceptionally full-bodied, rich and powerful with black fruit coming to the fore.
Gorgeous, ripe fruit is balanced by the fine tannin structure. On the finish, it is typically Dow, austere and
somewhat drier than many other ports. The intense fruit flavours linger long on the palate.
Pricing
£ 324 per 6 75cl bottles (IB)
£ 332 per 3 150cl bottles (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 98 pts
"The 2017 Dow’s Vintage Port showed a slight reduction and required more time to really open in the glass. Typical of Dow’s it has a more backward and introspective bouquet compared to its peers, scents of blackberry, clove, wild mint, cassis and vanilla, gradually gaining more intensity with aeration. The palate is simply glorious. It is built around a compelling tannic frame that seems finer than any Dow’s I have encountered apart from the ethereal 2011. There is so much energy coiled up in this Port, a sense of symmetry that is enthralling and yet you just know that it needs to be cellared for 15-20 years for it to reveal its full potential. For serious Port-lovers. One of the vintages most cerebral offerings."
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2017 Graham's Tappit Hen (225cl) *
The Symington family is pleased to announce a limited release of 352 special 'Tappit Hen' 225cl bottles, not produced since the 1977 Jubilee vintage. These unique bottles are usually produced in tiny quantities and reserved for special occasions and celebrations at the vineyard.
Pricing
£ 244 per 1 (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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2017 Graham's *
The small volumes of this Graham’s 2017 Vintage bottling consist of 5,250 cases, including 600 magnums, and 352 Tappit Hens.
The Symington family derive great confidence from the promise that this beautifully crafted wine holds for the future.
Tasting Note:
The wine is a truly outstanding example of the best that the Douro is capable of producing. Deep purple in colour and with a viscosity that signals a huge concentration, the aromas of blackberry, plum and bergamot leap out of the glass. On the palate there are layers of black fruit with fresh apricot highlights, and an amazingly long and persistent finish.
Pricing
£ 324 per 6 75cl bottles (IB)
£ 332 per 3 150cl bottles (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 95 pts
"The 2017 Graham’s Vintage Port was picked from August 28 at Malvedos, though production is one-third less than the previous year. Here the Touriga Franca was particularly early ripening. It has an expressive nose, a mélange of red and black fruit, fig jam, dates and touches of clove, aromatics that are very seductive if perhaps just missing the intellectual capacity of the Dow’s. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, a gorgeous Graham’s with hints of espresso and cloves that tincture the multi-layered fruit that veers towards black rather than red towards the finish that fans out without a care in the world. This is perhaps one of the more flamboyant Vintage Ports that is likely to drink earlier than the Dow’s, yet that takes nothing away from what is a beautifully crafted Graham’s."
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2017 Capela do Vesuvio *
The Capela do Vesuvio debut was the 2007 vintage and is only made in years when truly exceptional wines are produced
The Symington family is pleased to announce the release of a Vintage Port from its magnificent Quinta do Vesuvio estate in the remote upper reaches of the Douro Valley. This is a limited bottling of just c.1200 cases
Tasting Note:
Mesmerising aromas; lavender, eucalyptus, green tea and liquorice. On the palate, the concentration and intensity are striking with layers of complexity. There is a wonderful interplay of invigorating black and red fruits underpinned by schist tannins that give balance to the impressive structure.
The Sousão comes through in a spicy seasoning that underscores the wine’s remarkable freshness. The seductive finish is endless and inspirational.
Pricing
£ 380 per 1 'Tappit Hen' 225cl bottle (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 95 pts
"The 2017 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port was picked from August 28, the earliest on record and the Symingtons single out the Touriga Franca as the foundation of its quality for imparting all-important freshness. It has a fragrant and more floral bouquet compared to its peers, not as intense as either Warre’s and Cockburn’s with scents of blackcurrant, Medjool dates, raspberry preserve and raisin, well defined, although you are convinced that this Vesuvio is holding something back. The palate is smooth with lace-like tannin, very well judged acidity, quite powerful and dense with a voluminous black plum and blackcurrant finish with hints of espresso and mint. This is a fine Vesuvio although, it lacks the profundity of its peers in this vintage."
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2017 Graham's The Stone Terraces *
100% Touriga Nacional
The Symington family is pleased to announce a limited release of c.600 cases of Vintage Port from its Stone Terraces vineyards, which occupy just 2.9 hectares of its iconic Quinta dos Malvedos, of which the total area under vine is 90 hectares.
Acquired in 1890, this property is acknowledged to be in one of the Upper Douro Valley’s most favourable sites. It has been the source of some of the greatest Vintage Ports ever made and is tribute to the men and women who laboured to build the original stone walls.
Tasting Note:
Extraordinary scents of orange blossom and rockrose, with notes of pine needles and bergamot in the background.
The palate is opulent and seductive, revealing mesmerising concentration and incredible intensity without detracting from the wine’s exceptional structure and balance. Very fine acidity provides remarkable freshness, which reflects the cooler east and northeast facing stone terraced vineyards at Malvedos.
This wine has to be tasted to be believed!
Pricing
£ 336 per 3 75cl bottles (IB)
£ 499 per 1 'Tappit Hen' 225cl bottle (IB)
For the 2017 Vintage Report, please click this <LINK>
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Neal Martin (Vinous.com) - 97 pts
"The 2017 Graham’s The Stone Terraces Vintage Port is certainly a step up from the regular Graham’s. The Stone Terraces takes its name from the terraces at Quinta dos Malvedos where it was picked from August 28 until September 15. This is more complex on the nose with compelling aromas of damson, bilberry, hints of lavender, orange blossom and camphor. The delineation is wonderful. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, brilliantly-judged acidity that counterbalances the intense black cherry, boysenberry and blueberry fruit. There is superb grip here and conveys a sense of symmetry that leaves you yearning for the next sip. This is the more erudite sibling of the regular Graham’s that will deserve a decade in the cellar."
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* There are a very limited number of Double-Magnums and Imperials available on request.
All prices quoted are In Bond, ex-delivery and subject to confirmation.
All orders must be placed before 19th July 2019, to qualify for the special pre-order pricing.
After July 30th, 2019 ALL prices will increase by c.17.5% from the UK agent!
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