There has been a station on the main line Douro railroad at Quinta do Vesúvio since 1887 and the trains that daily call there are very much part of the property’s day to day life. This railway forms part of Vesúvio’s rich heritage and when the Symington family decided to launch this third dry red wine from the legendary estate, it felt only natural to evoke the propitious coexistence between railway and vineyard. The ‘Comboio do Vesúvio’ (Vesúvio Train) is unoaked to underscore the wine’s youthful, fruit forward profile.

We had a very dry and mild winter and spring, and by late summer the vines were in need of water to keep maturations on track. Fortunately, the virtual absence of rain from May to late August was counterbalanced by cooler summer conditions, which attenuated the lack of water. Before the vintage, we experienced fine conditions including some useful rain in late August, which rehydrated the vines. We were blessed with ideal harvest conditions throughout September with clear sunny days bringing moderate temperatures that contributed to balanced ripening. Yields were closer to average following the exceptionally small years of 2017 and 2018. Expressive aromas, freshness and liveliness, in contrast to the concentration of recent years, are the hallmarks of the 2019 wines.