terça-feira, 8 de março de 2022

The 2019 Vintage Port

 EN/PT

The 2019 Vintage Port wine comprehensive list, the brands, producers and their notes

The Vintage Port wine cellar at Cockburn's lodge, Vila Nova de Gaia

    The year 2019 was, generally, a year with favorable characteristics for the vine cycle in the Douro, it was a viticultural year that went by without any noteworthy upheavals (more information on this topic here: Douro, the 2019 harvest report) and without major weather extremes or unforseen climatic phenomena, weather conditions were generally beneficial. Winter and Spring passed with dry weather and low (insufficient) precipitation, low humidity levels and mild temperatures. In the vineyards, flowering took its course without problems to be noted. Dry weather continued in summer, which passed without the heat peaks we've seen in previous years, the month of August also turned out to be cooler with a situation of generalized drought in which the rain that appeared at the end of the month was benefitial in that stage of grape ripening. During the long harvest, that lasted for several weeks, the weather conditions were good. The grape maturation was regular, the musts were balanced and alcohol levels were controlled.

    However, despite conditions described, it was not a classic vintage Port year, a traditional generalized vintage declaration with the main brands of each Port wine house did not happen, it was rather a year in which the "Quinta" vintages or Single Quinta Vintage Ports (SQVP) and the vintage Port second brands of the Port wine firms prevailed, it was a so-called Off-Vintage year, with a lower total number of vintage Port declared than that of the immediately previous years. In any case, there were exceptions, there were firms that declared vintage Port with the mains brand of the house, suchs as Niepoort. 

    A year mainly of Single Quinta Vintage Ports also means vintages from a single location, from a single terroir, with a very defined character and geographical identity, that are produced with grapes from the vineyards of a single property that is identified on the bottle label. These vintages must always be excellent quality wines, as indeed the IVDP (Douro and Port Wine Institute), which is the entity that approves and certifies Port wine, in its final approval decision recognizes the superior characteristics of a Vintage Port and does not distinguish between classic Vintage Port and Single Quinta Vintage Port. After the final approval, this decision is the exclusive responsability of each Port wine house since their prestige is aldo at stake.

    The 2019 vintage Ports arrived later on the market and with some proposals announced that are kept in the producer's wine cellars for later commercial releases. Niepoort was the first to annouce its vintage on the 11st March 2021, which, as we mention before, the house considered a classic vintage. Then, the Sogevinus group, with two classic vintages, Calém and Barros, and two Single Quinta Vintage Ports, Burmester Quinta do Arnozelo and Kopke Quinta de S. Luíz. Fladgate Partnership declared 3 SQVP's, Croft Quinta da Roêda, Taylor's Quinta da Terra Feita and Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas, and a vintage Port with Fonseca's second vintage Port wine brand, Fonseca Guimaraens. In its turn, Symington Family Estates announced 6 SQVP's: Cockburn's Quinta dos Canais, Dow's Quinta do Bomfim, Dow's Quinta Senhora da Ribeira, Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Vesúvio and Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha, of which were individually bottled small quantities that are usually the components of the house great classic vintages. In Quinta do Noval, in addition to Quinta do Noval Vintage Port, it was declared the "Noval Nacional".

     Also worth noting Churchill's Quinta da Gricha vintage, a special edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this property at Churchill's. There was a debut to highlight, the Nicolau de Almeida Porto Vintage, the first edition of a vintage of this new phase of an old Port wine firm. 

    As will be seen from the list below, there were many producers that did not declare a 2019 vintage Port, including some important houses such as Ramos Pinto.

    In any case, it was a year that produced good quality wines, whose main characteristics are aromatic intensity, a good balance, freshness and good acidity (to the detriment of body and structure) and from which there was an increase in quanities produced compared to previous years which were years of low vintage Port wine production.

     We registered 58 Vintage Ports from 39 producers, organized alphabetically as follows:


O Porto Vintage 2019

A lista completa dos Portos vintage 2019, as marcas, os produtores e as informações técnicas

    O ano de 2019 foi genericamente um ano com características favoráveis ao ciclo da vinha, foi um ano vitícola que decorreu sem sobressaltos (mais informações sobre o ano vitícola: Douro, o relatorio da vindima 2019) e sem grandes extremos nem fenómenos climatéricos imprevistos em que as condições climatéricas foram benéficas. Um Inverno e Primavera com tempo seco, com baixa (e insuficiente) precipitação, baixos índices de humidade e temperaturas amenas. Nas vinhas, a floração decorreu sem problemas. O tempo seco manteve-se no verão, que decorreu sem picos de calor e o mês de Agosto acabou também por ser mais fresco, com seca generalizada, em que a chuva que apareceu no final de Agosto acabou por ser benéfica naquela fase do amadurecimento das uvas. Durante a longa vindima que se prolongou durante várias semanas, as condições climatéricas foram boas. Foi um ano em que as maturações foram regulares, os mostos equilibrados e os teores alcoólicos controlados.

    Apesar das condições descritas, 2019 não foi um ano de Porto vintage clássico, de declaração tradicional generalizada com as principais marcas de cada casa, foi antes um ano em que surgiram os Vintages de Quinta ou Single Quinta Vintage Port (SQVP) e as segundas marcas das firmas de vinho do Porto, um ano Off-Vintage, com um número total de vintages declarados menor do que em anos imediatamente anteriores, no entanto, houve excepções, produtores que declararam vintage clássico com a marca principal da casa, como a Niepoort. 

    É um ano, sobretudo de vintages de quinta, de um só local, de um só terroir, com o caractér e a identidade geográfica muito definida, produzidos com uvas das vinhas de uma só propriedade que é identificada no rótulo. Estes vintages não deixam de ser vinhos de excelente qualidade, como não podia deixar de ser, aliás, o IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto), que é a entidade responsável pela aprovação e certificação dos vinhos do Porto, com a decisão de aprovação, reconhece as superiores características de um Porto vintage e não faz a distinção entre Vintage clássico e Single Quinta Vintage Port. Após a aprovação, essa decisão é da exclusiva responsabilidade das casas produtoras de vinho do Porto, estando aqui também em causa o seu prestígio.

    Os vintages de 2019 chegaram mais tarde ao mercado e com algumas propostas anunciadas que são mantidas nas caves dos produtores para lançamentos posteriores. A Niepoort foi a primeira cada a anunciar o seu vintage no dia 11 de Março 2021, que a casa considerou clássico. De seguida, a Sogevinus, com dois vintages clássicos, Calém e Barros e dois Single Quinta Vintage Port, Burmester Quinta do Arnozelo e Kopke Quinta de S. Luíz. A Fladgate Parnership declarou três SQVP, Croft Quinta da Roêda, Taylor's Quinta da Terra Feita e Taylor's Quinta da Vargellas e um vintage com a segunda marca da Fonseca, o Fonseca Guimaraens. Por sua vez a Symington Family Estates anunciou 6 SQVP; Cockburn's Quinta dos Canais, Dow's Quinta do Bomfim, Dow's Quinta Senhora da Ribeira, Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Vesúvio e Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha, dos quais engarrafou individualmente pequenas quantidades, destes vinhos que costumam ser os componentes dos grandes vintages clássicos da casa. Na Quinta do Noval, para além do vintage da casa, foi um ano especial de "Noval Nacional".

    De notar a edição especial do vintage Churchill's Quinta da Gricha para comemorar os vinte anos desta propriedade na Churchill's. Houve também uma estreia a destacar, o Nicolau de Almeida Porto Vintage, uma primeira edição deste vintage da nova fase de uma marca antiga de vinho do Porto.

    Como se verificará da lista aqui publicada, houve bastantes produtores que não declararam Porto vintage em 2019, entre os quais importantes firmas como a Ramos Pinto.

    Em todo o caso, foi um ano que originou vinhos de boa qualidade, com intensidade aromática, equilibrados, com frescura e boa acidez (em prejuízo do corpo e estrutura) e em que houve um aumento das quantidades produzidas relativamente a anos anteriores, que foram anos de produções baixas.

    Registamos 58 vintages de 39 produtores.

 (Rev.Nov2024)

© Hugo Sousa Machado 

     more information on previous vintage Port declarations (links):

     mais informações sobre anteriores declarações Porto vintage (links):

 the 2022 Vintage Port - o Porto Vintage 2022

the 2021 Vintage Porto - o Porto Vintage 2021 

the 2020 Vintage Port - o Porto Vintage 2020 

The 2018 Vintage Port - O Porto vintage 2018


The 2017 classic Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage clássico 2017 

The 2016 classic Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage clássico 2016

The 2015 Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage 2015

The 2014 Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage 2014 

The 2013 Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage 2013 

The 2012 Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage 2012vintage

The 2011 classic Vintage Port - O Porto Vintage clássico 2011

The Vintage Port wine general chronology chart

 

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sábado, 5 de fevereiro de 2022

Crusted Port and Quevedo Porto Crusted

 EN/PT

     Considering the less obvious Port wines, very unfairly unknown, little or not at all considered by consumers and even by expert wine critics, and often difficult to find, and certainly the most unusual Port wine special category, but at the same time high quality special wines, which offer a lot for very reasonable prices.

   Crusted Port or "crusting Port" is a Port wine special category, truly a wine for a Port connoisseur, in the words of John Graham. These are Port wines full of character, very interesting and of great quality, and with some curiosities...

     "Crusted" is a rare Port wine category, residual, when quantities produced are considered, that like other wines of the ruby Port family, such as Vintage Port and Late Bottled Vintage, age in bottle. They represent a style of wines with a great character of their own and, unlike Vintage and LBV Ports, do not come from a single harvest or vintage. Traditionally, they are made from a blend of young superior quality wines from 2 or 3 single harvests, as a rule successive years, combining its best characteristics. Always bottled without any filtration, and part of its ageing takes place in bottle, which will contribute to its identity, since over the years it will form a natural deposit or sediment that accumulates on the inner walls of the bottle, i.e., it will form a "crust", hence the name "crusted". It´s an English style Port wine, with lots of color, lots of young fruit, tannins and full-bodied.

     Another peculiarity are the two phases for its control and approval by the IVDP (the Douro and Port Wine Institute, the entity that controls the quantity and quality of the Port wine produced, aswell as guaranteeing its origin), at first, before bottling, when the quality similar to a Vintage Port is evaluated and, later, after at least three years in bottle, for final approval before being marketed and when the existence of " a deposit adhering to the walls of the bottle" is verified.

     The date on the bottle label refers to the bottling date. It can also appear with the complementary mentions "bottle matured", "bottle aged" or "aged in bottle".

     Currently, in the Port wine producing houses universe, very few are dedicated to this style of Port (Buttler Nephew & Co., Churchill's, Dow's, Fonseca Guimaraens, Graham's and more recently Quevedo), despite having been much more common and popular in the past, especially in the british market, its market par excellence, where it is a speciality, and which determined its historical origin at a time when vintage port was exported in casks and bottled at its destination by importing firms. Over the years, it has given way to the successive generalization and diversity of the LBV Port wines that, although being part of the same family, represent different styles.

    The Quevedo Porto Crusted. Apparently, Quevedo is the first portuguese Port wine house to produce a Crusted Port. This is the second edition and was bottled in 2016, after the first Crusted bottled in 2012. It was made from a blend that combines two young wines of vintage quality, from 2013 (50%) and 2014 (50%) harvest years. These components spent two years in stainless steel vats and after being blended and before bottling, the wine underwent a period of 18 months in a large wood vat, for oxygenation and a little evolution that also promotes sediment formation and will allow it to be appreciated earlier than a vintage Port. It was bottled unfiltered like all wines of this style, in 2016 (6.120 bottles were filled) and kept for three years in bottle in the house's winecellars, before being commercially released. These wines always represent very small productions.

    Tasting

    Before serving and tasting it, the bottle must be kept upright for a few hours, to allow gravity to act and the sediment to settle and acummulate at the bottom of the bottle. Ideally, the wine should be decanted before serving or, if lazyness wins (here was not the case, to show an image of the sediment described earlier), it doesn't have to be much more complicated than serving it with slow movements so as not to agitate the sediment.

    The wine has a very dark an intense ruby color. It has a pronounced aroma, full of immediate perceptible aromatic suggestions of black and red fruits, blackberries, raspberries and cherries, some floral notes and more discreet spicy nuances. Without sweetness excesses, medium-dry, full-bodied and balanced, with a good acidity, the tannins are felt but are softened by the ageing period that has already elapsed, tasty with some creaminess in the mouth, and maintaining the predominant black fruit profile, ripe blackberries and plums, some peppery. With prolonged aftertaste. It is great to drink it now but is has the potential to evolve in bottle over the years and gain complexity.

    With intensity and quality, with the good character of this style of Port wine. In short, a safe value that is essential to get to know...

   The ideal serving and tasting temperature will be aroud 15ºC (slightly below cellar temperature), so it should be cooled for a while before serving, however if it gets to cool, it shouldn't be a concern, it will quickly reach the ideal temperature in the glass.

    Once opened, ideally, it should be drunk within 5 days, which will not be difficult, by the way. Of course, after this period, the wine will not spoil overnight, however this way you will get the most of the wine and  not run the risk of loosing the aroma and flavor freshness.

    Finally, it's a wine that can be perfectly kept in cellar for 10 and more years, stored horizontally.


This wine was kindly provided by Portugal Vineyards (website)

© Hugo Sousa Machado

 

Porto Crusted e Quevedo Porto Crusted

    No capítulo dos vinhos do Porto menos óbvios, muito injustamente desconhecidos e pouco ou simplesmente nada considerados pelos consumidores e mesmo pelos críticos da especialidade, muitas vezes difíceis de encontrar, certamente a categoria mais invulgar de vinho do Porto, mas também dos vinhos especiais de grande qualidade, que oferecem muito por preços muito razoáveis.

    O Porto Crusted ou "crusting Port" é uma categoria especial de vinho do Porto, verdadeiramente um vinho para um connoisseur de Porto, nas palavras de John Graham. São vinhos cheios de caractér, muito interessantes, de qualidade superior e com algumas curiosidades...

    O vinho do Porto Crusted é uma categoria rara, residual se considerarmos as quantidades produzidas. Tal como os outros vinhos do Porto da família ruby, como o Late Bottled Vintage e o Porto Vintage, envelhecem em garrafa, mas que ao contrário destes, não têm origem numa única colheita ou vindima. Tradicionalmente são elaborados a partir de uma lotação de vinhos jovens de qualidade superior de 2 ou 3 colheitas que, por norma, são sucessivas, combinando as melhores características desses anos. São engarrafados sem qualquer filtragem e parte do seu estágio decorre em garrafa, o que constituí parte da sua identidade, uma vez que, com o passar dos anos vai formar um depósito natural ou sedimento que se acumula nas paredes da garrafa, i.e., forma-se uma "crosta", daí ter adoptado a designação "crusted". É um vinho do Porto à inglesa, com muita côr e muita fruta jovem, taninos e encorpado.

    Outra peculiaridade são os dois momentos de controlo e aprovação pelo IVDP (a entidade que controla a quantidade e qualidade do vinho do Porto produzido, para além de garantir a sua origem), num primeiro momento, antes do engarrafamento, onde é avaliada a qualidade próxima de um vintage e, posteriormente, passado um período mínimo de três anos de estágio em garrafa, para a avaliação final antes de chegar ao mercado, onde é confirmada a existência de "um depósito aderente às paredes da garrafa". 

    A data que surge no rótulo é a data do engarrafamento. Pode também surgir com a menção complementar "bottle aged", "bottle matured" ou "envelhecido em garrafa".

    Actualmente, no universo das casas produtoras de vinho do Porto, são muito poucas as que se dedicam a este estilo (Buttler Nephew & Co., Churchill's, Dow's, Fonseca Guimaraens, Graham's, Niepoort e mais recentemente a Quevedo), apesar de já ter sido bastante mais comum e popular no passado, sobretudo no mercado britânico, o seu mercado por excelência, onde é uma especialidade, e que esteve na sua origem histórica numa época em que o vinho do Porto era exportado em pipa e engarrafado no destino pela firma importadora. Com o passar dos anos tornou-se menos comum e foi cedendo à generalização e diversidade, principalmente, do vinho do Porto LBV, embora representem estilos diferentes.

    O Quevedo Porto Crusted. Ao que parece a Quevedo é a primeira casa portuguesa a produzir um vinho do Porto Crusted. Este é a segunda edição e foi engarrafado em 2016 depois do primeiro Crusted engarrafado em 2012. Foi elaborado a partir de um lote que combina as características de dois vinhos jovens diferentes de anos sucessivos e de qualidade vintage, das colheitas de 2013 (50%) e 2014 (50%). Estes componentes passaram dois anos em cubas de inox e, depois de lotados e antes do engarrafamento, o vinho passou 18 meses em tonel de madeira, para alguma oxigenação e um pouco de evolução, que vai também promover a criação de sedimento e permitir ser apreciado mais cedo do que um Porto Vintage. Foi engarrafado sem filtragem (6.120 garrafas) e mantido em garrafa nas caves da casa, durante três anos, antes de saír para o mercado. São sempre produções muito pequenas.

    A prova 

    Antes de servir, a garrafa deve ser mantida na vertical por umas horas, para deixar a gravidade actuar e o sedimento acumular-se no fundo da garrafa. Idealmente deve ser decantado antes de servir ou, se a preguiça vencer, (aqui não foi o caso para mostrar uma imagem do sedimento que referimos atrás) não deverá ser muito mais complicado do que servir com movimentos lentos para não agitar o depósito.

    Com uma côr rubi muito escura e intensa. Tem um aroma pronunciado, cheio de sugestões aromáticas imediatas de fruta negra e vermelha, amoras, framboesas e cerejas, notas florais e nuances especiadas mais discretas. Um vinho sem excessos de doçúra, meio-seco, encorpado, com boa acidez e fresco, sentem-se os taninos suavizados pelo tempo de estágio, saboroso, com alguma cremosidade na boca, mantendo o perfil predominante de notas de fruta preta madura, amoras e ameixa preta, algum apimentado. Com um final que se prolonga na boca. Bebe-se muito bem desde já mas com capacidade para evoluír em garrafa e ganhar complexidade com o tempo.

    Um vinho com boa intensidade e qualidade, com o caractér próprio deste estilo de vinho do Porto, um valor seguro que é obrigatório conhecer...

    Deve ser servido a uma temperatura ideal de aproximadamente 15ºC, por isso, deve ser refrescado no frigorifico antes de servir, no entanto, se a temperatura do vinho estiver demasiado baixa, rapidamente no copo atingirá a temperatura ideal. 

    Depois de aberto, idealmente, deverá ser consumido no prazo de 5 dias, o que não será difícil, diga-se. Evidentemente que o vinho não fica estragado de um dia para o outro, no entanto, não se correm riscos de perder a frescura de aromas e sabores. 

    É um vinho que pode ser guardado em garrafeira, por 10 anos ou mais, com a garrafa deitada.

 

Este vinho foi gentilmente enviado pela Portugal Vineyards (website)

© Hugo Sousa Machado

    

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quarta-feira, 29 de dezembro de 2021

Van Zellers & Co. Vintage Port wine chart

 



more information: 
The Vintage Port wine general chronology chart
Andresen Vintage Port wine chart
Churchills Vintage Port wine chart
Confraria do Vinho do Porto Vintage Port wine chart
Croft Vintage Port wine chart 
Grahams Vintage Port wine chart
Niepoort Vintage Port wine chart 
Pintas Vintage Port wine chart
Quevedo Vintage Port wine chart
Quinta de la Rosa Vintage Port wine chart
Quinta do Noval Vintage Port wine chart
Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port wine chart 
Quinta do Vale Meão Vintage Port wine chart
Quinta Vale D. Maria Vintage Port wine chart
Taylor´s Vintage Port wine chart

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quarta-feira, 1 de dezembro de 2021

Douro wine region, the 2021 general harvest report

(versão PT aqui)

The record and analysis of the most significant facts that marked the wine year (includind exclusive comments)

Pinhão river valley (Cima Corgo Douro sub-region). Photo by Luís Machado.

Autumn

    In the Douro, right after last year harvest, Autumn began with dry weather, no rain and average temperatures a little below normal, followed by rain in late October and early November 2020, but in insufficient quantity, that in any case was in acordance with precipitation records for this time of year. In general, in the country, the IPMA (Sea and Atmosphere Portuguese Institute) considered November a hot month.

    When the vines begin a dorment period that will last until the beginning of next Spring and while waiting for the vine leaves to fall to start pruning works, work takes place in the vineyard soils, which are plowed and turned to mix organic matter and oxygenation. December takes place with temperatures within the average records and with some rain in all the Douro sub-regions. Still the record of the "Dora" depression passage (4th - 5th December) that brought rain and a cold air mass, falling temperatures and snowfall at higher elevations above 600/700 meters on the highs of Sabrosa and Ervedosa.

Winter

     In early winter the rain stoped and the weather was dry. At the end of December, temperatures drop suddenly with the passage of a polar air mass, temperatures recorded 2ºC to 5ºC lower than average values. On 12th December minimum temperatures of 0,2ºC in Pinhão, 0,2ºC in Adorigo and -3,2ºC in Vilariça, that was followed by rain in the last days of the month.

    The new year started with a harsh winter, a persistent cold dry weather, temperatures droppen far below average records by 5ºC to 6ºC. In Cambres (Baixo Corgo sub-region) the minimum temperature recorded was -2,8ºC, on Pinhão (Cima Corgo sub-region), -2,7ºC (8th January) and in Vilariça (Upper Douro sub-region), -6,4ºC (7th January), a situation that lasted until the 18th of January.

    "Persistence of low minimum temperature values", according to the IPMA, and average and minimum temperatures well below the records of recent years throughout the Douro region, (approximately 6ºC to 7ºC less, and some areas with an even higher difference, for example Soutelo do Douro (Cima Corgo) and Vilarila valley (Upper Douro), Cambres (Baixo Corgo), Canelas, Adorigo and Pinhão (Cima Corgo)) and maximum temperatures that did note exceed 4ºC to 5ºC in Sabrosa, Alijó, Pinhão and S. João da Pesqueira.

    Ice and frost on the vineyards. Normally low tempetures and dry weather play an important role, during thisn period of dormancy and vegetative rest, acting as an effective agent that helps to reduce the likelihood of vine disease incidence.

    It is under these conditions that the first act of the restarting of the vineyard works cycle begins, the general maintenance work and pruning takes place, a meticulous and demanding work in which experience is very important. Pruning is fundamental for the healthy life of the vine and will begin to define the next harvest, since it is one of the most important operations for the balance and quality of the future production. The vine is prepared so that it will burst again when temperatures start to rise. 

    By this time in the Douro landscape we can see the winter smokes that result from the burning of the vine branches left by the pruning workers.

    Then, at the end of January and beginning of February, temperatures (maximum and minimum) rose well above the region average values, at aroud 4ºC higher, and rain returned to the all Douro region and remained until the end of the month with some intensity variations. At this time of year rain is important to replenish the soil's water reserves to prevent the hottest and dry summer weather.

    Precipitation became strong, intense and persistent, for several days, causing the significant rise of the river Douro water levels at Peso da Régua and flooding the river banks, pier and marina, requiring constant monitoring. On the 6th February a flood warning was issued for several dams in the Douro river basin (Crestuma, Carrapatelo, Bagaúste, Valeira and Pocinho), that recorded water reserves above 90%. On 9th February, a flood warning for the riverside areas of the city of Porto. The water flows of the Douro river and its tributaries run high, with the consequent water levels increase along the entire lenght of the river. Rain and bad weather also caused constraints on the Douro railway line, in Covelinhas, due to the collapse and fall of stones on the line, which forced the interruption of trains circulation between Régua and Pinhão.

    The weather records: November, December and February the recorded temperatures were above the historical records. February was one of the hottest months of the winter period with deviations of +1,3ºC in Baixo Corgo, +2,1ºC in Cima Corgo and +2,5ºC in the Upper Douro sub-region. February was also the month that presented high precipitation values in all the three Douro sub-regions, with deviations between 56% and 108% above the historical records.

     At the beginning of February the temperatures are in line with average records, and from 19th onwards, maximum and minimum tempertatures begin to rise. An early Spring announcement. In the Upper Douro, the winter landscape animation, the almond trees begin to bloom.

     The first days of March, calmer days, without rain and temperatures rising, the vines are about to come out of their dormant period, and the first news of life in the vineyards appear, the signs of the vines awakening after the cold and winter dormancy and a new vegetative cycle is about to start, with the weeping of the vines (10th of March at Quinta do Noval, at the Pinhão river valley), when the sap drips out from the pruning cuts and stops as soon as the wounds are healed. 

    Soon after, the budburst, the first buds are born, a sign of Spring in which the small vine buds erupt from the knots left by the winter pruning (on the 14th March at the Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias, in the Távora river valley, and on the 16th March at Quinta Vale D. Maria, both in the Cima Corgo sub-region) and then a green tip and small leaves emerge. The green will soon return and spread to the Douro landscape once again, a true "bio-blitz"...

    After a winter with a lot of rain, March was a dry month, with practicall no rain in all the Douro region.

    It is also at this time of year that vine grafting takes place, the time to bring new life to the vineyards...

"Renova" vineyard, at Quinta do Noval, Pinhão river valley.

Spring

    At the end of March the vines are in the free leaves phase. Temperatures increased above the average record for this time of year, between 2ºC to 6ºC. Some rain in early April.

    In early April, news of the apperance of the first grape bunches and a good birth (Quinta de la Rosa, in Cima Corgo), promising a production at least higher than the previous year. In mid-April rain returns and temperatures now drop to average values.

    The vine continues its cycle, the leaves develop and grow from day to day, they are a fundamental element of the vine as they start photothyntesis, producing the energy necessary for its growth. With the first grape bunches, the critical period of flowering approaches (on 14th at Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias).

    The rains returned on 21st to 26th April, at regular intervals, and temperatures above average. April was a month in which the recorded precipitation values where higher compared to historical records in all the demarcated region, with deviations of +7,7% in Baixo Corgo, + 22% in Cima Corgo and +50% in the Upper Douro.

     Desbuding and suckering take place in the vineyard, essential to ensure the vine balance and control production by eliminating excess shoots, since excessive sprouting will steal the plant's natural resources, such as water and other nutrients, it will also allow aeration and thus control diseases, such as downy mildew and powdery mildew. The low pressure of diseases in the vineyards is noted, as a result of a dry month of March, especially after recent years in which there was a higher vine disease pressure.

    Nature takes its course and the vine shoots begins to take shape.

    Flowering occurs (4th May at Quinta Vale D. Maria, 17th May at Quinta do Vale Meão and 25th of May at Wine & Soul) and the future of the next harvest begins to be defined. At this time, it is essential that weather conditions remain calm and balanced, without extreme phenomena, so that pollination can take place without incidents, and so far the vegetative cycle was going very well.

   Temperatures in general according to average values, then declining throughout the Douro from the 9th of May, and rain appeared until the 13th of May and after dry weather returned. In any case, May was a month with precipitation values below the climatological normal.

    After a good birth, the periods of rain, humidity and heat, that usually appear at this time of year, potentiate the inevitable appearence of vine fungal diseases, downy mildew and powdery mildew, advising the ideal preventive treatments anticipating their appearence. 

    Until the end of May, the maximum and minimum tempretatures increase above the average (approximatly + 3ºC). Between the 31st May and the 1st of June, news of some hailstorms, thunderstorms, intense hail and rain, very localized but causing serious damage to the vineyards, in the territory of Vila Real (covering the parishes of Guiães, Abaças, Andrães and Constantim) and in vineyards within the Douro demarcated wine region. 

    The affected vines already had the bunches formed and only the sticks were left. There was talk of a "catastrophe" and there were areas in which the harvest was done at this time. Hailstorm were also registered in Pinhão and the Cima Corgo region, at Quinta de la Rosa some vineyards were affected and it was expected that some could recover, others less so...

    From the 9th of June onwards, temperatures increase, approximately 3ºC above average records, with maximum values recorded of 37,7ºC in the Cima Corgo. Then, for the second time in twoo weeks, on the 13th of June, there was a sudden and violent storm, bringing intense rain, thunder and hail, which has been a frequent phenomenon in the Douro in recent years. The damage caused in the vines was high, and in some cases it will take around three years to recover. In the area of Vila Real, in the Douro demarcated region, once again there was a talk of a "catastrophe". Calcium treatments were carried out to try to save, conserve and heal the vines. In this area there are locations where the vineyards are the main economic activity and where 80 to 90% of the vines were destroyed. In some areas, hail covered the vines in white.

    There were also some occurrences across the Douro region, in Pinhão, S. João da Pesqueira and Tua, affecting many farmers who supply grapes to the large houses. 

    It was a dramatic end of Spring with the constant threat of very unbstable weather, storms, rain and temperature fluctuations. Until July, the big challenge was the climatic accidents that occured.  Generically, an unstable and dramatic Spring with milder temperatures and a cooler begining of Summer.

    Rain returned later in the 15th to the 18th of June and , in general, June was characterized by great climatic instability with a great heterogeneity in precipitation in the different Douro sub-regions, Baixo Corgo registered +70%, the Upper Douro +224% and in the Cima Corgo it rained less 41% in relation to the climatological normal. The average values of the temperatures recorded were lower than the historical value, between -1,1ºC in the Upper Douro and -0,6ºC in Baixo Corgo, an Cima Corgo remaining without differences.

Red grapes arriving at Quinta do Vallado winery. 

Summer

    From 21st June, dry weather, according to average temperatures and without execesses. On the 30th of June, the veraison appears in the Touriga Francesa grape variety in the Upper Douro, one week later when compared to 2020, as a result of the cooler weather. The veraison explosion, from the 9th of July, at Quinta da Soalheira (S. João da Pesqueira), and on the 12th of July at Quinta do Noval (Pinhão river valley). Mid-July with high temperatures, in Pinhão the maximum temperature recorded was 38,2ºC, in Adorigo, 39,5ºC, and in Soutelo do Douro, still in the Cima Corgo, 39,1ºC. Despite these temperature peaks, July was a dry and cool month. From the end of July to the begining of August, the grape ripening intensifies. An early August with cooler temperatures than usual, in all the three Douro sub-regions, 2ºC to 4ºC less than average, with thermal amplitudes of 9ºC to 10ºC.

    The harvest is approaching with some apprehension with the unknown of the weather and fear of excessive heat, which ends up not happening. The Instituto do Vinho e da Vinha (Wine and Vineyard Institute) publishes a forecast that referred an increase in the Douro production of around 20% this year, in a "year of normal development, with very localized hail phenomena. The downy mildew and powdery mildew did not have a significante impact on production...".

Harvest

    In mid-August, the pre-harvest days, monitoring and control of grape maturation are carried out on the vineyards by the viticulture teams. This constant filed work is essential to evaluate a series of parameters that no other method can replace, such as tasting the grape berries, to assess flavor and grape skin consistency and if the garpe seeds are brown or not and whether the grape berry detaches easily from the bunch.

    In the last days of August, harvest begins all over the Douro region. The trend of the harvest starting earlier is confirmed once again this year. Currently, the harvest generally begins earlier than fourty years ago. The following weeks are decisive. At this moment all options are open, there was no execessive heat in August, tempetatures were less intense and the nights were cooler, which was great for D.O.C. Douro wines and we could also say, even for Por wines.

    The harvest of white grapes began at Quinta Vale D. Maria on the 16th August, at Quinta de la Rosa on the 20th, the same at Quinta do Vallado harvesting the Moscatel Galego white grape variery. At Quinta do Crasto on the 23rd, the following day at Quinta do Noval and at Wine & Soul on the 26th. These days temperatures were very high throughout the Douro, however the nights were cooler, which turned out to be very favorable for white wines. 

The traditional granite lagares at Quinta do Noval Port wine winery.

    Churchill's began red grape harvest on the 26th August as well as Viera de Sousa (Cima Corgo sub-region) and Conceito Wines (Upper Douro). Quinta Seara D'Odens and Quinta do Passadouro on the 27th and Quinta da Côrte, Quinta do Têdo and Wine & Soul on the 31st August, Quinta de Vargellas on the 3rd of September.

    Then, in the middle of the red grape harvest, the problems started with the first of three different periods of rain that occured throughout September, on the 1st and 2nd and then on the 7th and 9th of September all over the Douro demarcated region, which generated apprehension and anxiety between producers and some harvests were interrupted for a few days. The rain returned later on the 13th and 14th of September, in a significant quantity which, must be said, in some cases led to the halt of work for the vineyards to recover and in other cases for condemning some harvests, and the last period of rain on the 23rd to the 25th.

    The nightmare of September rains during the harvest, the cool temperatures below average, resulted in a delay in grape maturations, with more sensitive red grape varieties such as Tinta Amarela and the late ripening red grapes such as Touriga Francesa being also affected, even in warmer areas such as the Upper Douro.

"When nothing predicted, the 2021 harvest presented a huge challenge for the Douro wines oenology, but especially for Port wines. We started harvesting on the 24th of August and for two weeks we had excellent conditions for wine production. From the 10th of September onwards, a period of rainy days began, which only ended at the beginning of October and which forced the harvest to be accelerated to reduce the risk of a drop in the grape sugar levels. It was a year in which the Tinta Francisca and Touriga Francesa grape varieties especially needed a lot of attention due to their compact bunch and thin skins. I believe we are in a position to produce a small quantity of 2021 Vintage from our vineyards at Quinta Vale d'Agodinho and Quinta da Trovisca. For now, we need the next two winters to help clean and clarify the wines."

(Óscar Quevedo, Quevedo Port wine producer)

    Decisions about harvesting red grapes were very difficult, as they did not have the ideal maturation levels and in the third week of September many of the best grapes had not yet entered the wineries. In general, the harvest lasted until the first week of October. At Quinta de Vargellas (Taylor's) and Fonseca Guimaraens, ended on the 24th September, at Graham´s on the 27th when the last Touriga Francesa grapes arrived at the winery. At Wine & Soul (Pinhão river valley, Cima Corgo), Quinta do Vale Meão (Upper Douro), Quinta do Bom Retiro and Quinta da Ervamoira (Ramos Pinto), the harvest ended on the 1st of October. At Real Companhia Velha it lasted until the 15th of October.

At Quinta do Vallado winery.

"Quinta das Carvalhas... the last harvest days (11th October). A long and "wet" harvest, in addition to other mishaps... lack of labor is limiting the opportunity to harvest at the optimum of maturation... and for that reason wine growers, but especially serious winemakers waiting for the vine prunning...there will be more nest year...".

(Álvaro Martinho Lopes, responsible for the viticulture at Quinta das Carvalhas, Real Companhia Velha)

    To sum things up, the 2021 vintage produced excellent quality white wines in the Douro region, the white grape harvest conditions were great. Then followed the case of the red grapes in a long lasting harvest, there were numerous climatic difficulties, several periods of rain in the middle of harvest and lower temperatures than usual, hampered the regular grape maturations which ripened later and in many cases did not reach an optimal point of flavor and sugar levels. In general, it was not a good year, we cannot count on great 2021 red wines. Obviously, in an immensely varied region such as the Douro, there are are always exceptions, cases of producers who managed to harvest before the rain at a good grape maturation point.

    It should be mentioned that, once again, it was a harvest marked by the covid-19 pandemic and the persistent difficulty in recruiting manpower for vineyard works.

   In  2021 production was slightly higher than average production of the last ten years.

    As the main characteristics of this year's Port wines we can highlight the aroma intensity, fresh fruit and a good acidity.

"In my opinion, 2021 harvest proved to be extremely challenging. Not considering the excessive heat that normally plagues the Douro during the summer, I would say that there was a tendency to delay the start of cutting compared to previous years in an attempt to find a better balance between sugar content and acidity, as well as a better phenolic maturation. In my view, the first rains benefited the evolution of the grape's maturation and their qualitative potential. Thus, it was the most intense period of the harvest. With the advance of the harvest season , a new wave of rain came, in my view, to decisively influence the final third of the harvest. Personally, I decided not to harvest some of the Toutiga Nacional vines at the expense of Touriga Franca and older vines, because I felt that the grape skins would be in a better state to withstand the rain impact. Overall, despite the difficulties felt due to both the unstable weather conditions and the shortage of labor available to harvest, I think we are facing wines that will surprise, in a fresh and elegant style but with high intensity and character.".

(Ricardo Pinto Nunes, Churchill's Production Director)


©Hugo Sousa Machado

more info on previous Douro harvest reports, here: 

Douro, the 2021 harvest, a first hand testimony

Douro, the 2020 general harvest report
Douro, the 2020 harvest: a testimony
Douro, the 2019 harvest report
Douro, the 2018 harvest report
Douro, the 2017 harvest report
Douro, the 2016 harvest report
Douro, the 2015 harvest report
Douro, the 2014 harvest repor

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