The Symington Family offer Quinta do Vesúvio 2008 Vintage Port

It is rare in the Douro to have two excellent years that follow each other. This happened in 2007 and 2008. There was even some talk in late 2008 that some producers might opt for declaring the 08’s rather than the 07’s. It became clear as our tastings progressed that the 2007’s had the clear edge in our view, but this shows how good the 08’s are.

We have therefore decided to bottle 600 cases of Quinta do Vesuvio. This wine will be offered for sale now and will be available for tasting at the LWTF 18th to 20th May.

Although it rained more than in 2007 and 2006, this was another dry year in the Douro, with just 542 mm (average 751 mm). April was unseasonably wet and caused quite severe ‘desavinho’ (coulure). Bur rather like in 2007, we then had a mild summer with August temperatures a full degree centigrade below the average. This resulted in late and gentle ripening. Rain on the 4th and 6th September followed by good weather performed a small miracle in the vineyard.

Late picking was important in 2008, the vines needed time to mature and they really enjoyed the early September rain. We only finished picking at Vesuvio on the 15th. One of our wine makers wrote ‘without a doubt this serene autumn saved the harvest’.

This was a year for Touriga Nacional at Vesuvio, it only yielded 0,86 kgs per vine, but it gave a superb 13.6 Baumé. Three riverside plots of this variety were used (those just behind the orange orchard) and they make up 70% of the wine. We used Touriga Franca (20%) from the higher Teja valley vineyard on the Quinta. Finally Barroca from plot 60, just below the tractor shed, adds structure and body to the wine. All were 100% trodden in the stone lagares at Vesuvio.

The 2008 Vesuvio has a brilliant dark purple colour with profound and lifted aromas of violets, it has tremendous mid-palate weight and luscious complexity, a firm grip and fine acidity with the characteristic velvet like finish of all wines from this great property.

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