Single Quinta Vintage Ports from the Noughties (Part II)
Fonseca, Quinta do Panascal 2005 ****
Deep, youthful colour; big, mint and cherry fruit on the nose, ripe and heady, very expressive in a ripe sort of way; hugely sweet, ripe cherry-berry fruit, powerful tannins, a bit disjointed, still needs time to come together. Sweet cherry fruit finish. 17
Croft, Quinta da Roeda 2005 ****
Very deep but not quite as youthful in colour as above; surprisingly closed, underlying floral perfume; lovely purity of fruit, still very young and a touch raw, powerful tannins, needs time to meld but will be very impressive, fruit comes back on the finish. Very impressive. 18
Silval 2005 *** / ****
Very dark, verging on black, opaque; closed, dense and a bit lumpy a this stage, more to give; rich, dense and very powerful, bitter chocolate intensity with the fruit coming out on the finish. Still slightly raw and coarse. 16.5
Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2005 *** / **** +?
Deep and youthful; either a touch or cork on the nose or just at a funny stage in its development, not giving much away; big and powerful, massive tannic structure needing time to soften, a bit angular and needing time to come together. Reserve judgement. 16.5 +?
Fonseca Guimaraens 2005 ****
Deep colour; totally closed on the nose; big, foursquare, solid tannins, very ripe and powerful but not showing much fruit at the moment. Needs time to come together but should develop well over the medium-to-long term. 18
Taylor’s Quinta de Terra Feita 2005 ****
Deep colour; again closed, a bit spirit and disjointed; big, rich and powerful, once again in a solid foursquare style, powerful gripping tannins leading to a ripe, foursquare finish. 17.5
Warre, Quinta da Cavadinha 2006 *** / ****
Very deep, dark, youthful colour; still raw on the nose yet showing refinement, quit a big, powerful wine, dusty tannins, solid and dense, especially for Cavadinha. 16.5
Quinta do Vesúvio 2006 ****
Even deeper and darker; ripe, suave, dense with a touch of tar on the nose but integrating well; rich, dense and powerful, tight-knit wine, tar and dark chocolate at the core. Very powerful and impressive if still a bit raw around the edges. 18
Cockburn, Quinta dos Canais 2006
The first Cockburn vintage under Symington tutelage: deep, dark and totally closed, still a bit lumpen and disjointed on the nose; big, powerful and dense, lovely ripe berry fruit with some peppery tannins and attractive underlying berry fruit going right the way through to the finish.
Dow, Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2006 ****
Again, deep and youthful; raw on the nose, tar and spice, big and powerful with massive, broad spicy tannins, finishes with a flourish. Heat of the vintage evident. Needs time to knit together. 17.5
Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos 2006 ****
Deep and dark; strange nose, a touch musky, going through an odd phase but tastes very good, ripe broad, minty frui, big spikey tannins with a raw tannic finish. 17
Cockburn, Quinta dos Canais 2007 ****
Very good colour; closed but dense and suave with lovely pure underlying fruit; firm, tight knit tannins, lovely balance and poise, quite big for a 2007 but with the streak of acidity and purity that characterisies the vintage. 72% Touriga Nacional. 18
Dow, Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2008 ****
Deep, ripe, integrated and suave, dense fruit, big ripe, quite chewy and raw but coming together, crushed berry fruit, lovely ripe, sweet fruit lingering on the finish. 17
Quinta do Noval 2008 *****
Deep and dense; very expressive on the nose, packed with pure, fresh-picked berry fruit; rich and intense, fine grained tannins and pure berry fruit, there is a real wow factor here, long and fine. Good all round. 19
Graham, Quinta dos Malvedos 2008 ****
Deep, dense and intense with big opulent fruit and powerful tannins, a big wine, very fine and will be very good indeed, some lovely pure berry fruit all the awy on to the finish. 18
Fonseca Guimaraens 2008 ****
Very deep and opaque; sullen and not very attractive on the nose at this stage, a touch green and stalky, minty fruit underlying; foursquare tannins, big and impressive with a tannic peacock’s tail on the finish, covering the fruit. Multi-layed and very good. 18
Taylor, Quinta de Terra Feita 2008 **** / *****
Dark and dense, closed, not giving much away on the nose; very full rich and fine, broad and fleshy with dark chocolate concentration and intensity. Lovely. Complete. 18.5
Quinta do Vesúvio 2008 **** / *****
Deep, dark with a lovely young vintage Port nose, still a bit raw but with plenty of ripe, berry fruit underlying, dark chocolate intensity, lovely ripeness, broad tannins with pure fruit underlying, very, very impressive. Finishes with a flourish. 18.5
Cockburn, Quinta dos Canais 2008 ****
Dense, impressive, quite suave, full and fleshy, dense tannins, bitter-sweet fruit at its core with a warm, ripe finish. 80% Touriga Nacional although it doesn't really show at this stage. 17.5
Fonseca, Quinta do Panascal 2008 ****
Black, opaque wine; totally closed on the nose; rich and fleshy, another big wine, broad, ripe tannins with a massive finish. Very, very good. 18
Taylor, Quinta de Vargellas 2008 ****
Very deep colour; smells odd, very spirity, not yet joined together, still very raw, massively rich and powerful, a big strapping wine, still needing time to come together. Reserve judgement. 17 +
Croft, Quinta da Roeda 2008 ****
Deep colour; ripe opulent, quite expressive, floral on the nose, rich and plummy, supported by bold, ripe tannins right the way through to the finish. Very impressive. 18.
Warre 2009 **** / *****
Not a single quinta but an outright declaration of just 500 cases: deep and dense, closed but integrated, lovely tight-knit bitter-sweet fruit, big and powerful with berry fruit showing through. This wine has come together very well without showing the heat of the vintage. 18.5
Taylor’s Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009 **** +?
Not quite so deep in colour; closed, spirit still showing, lovely texture, fine, dense, fine grained tannins, quite broad and rich in style for Vargellas VV with lovely pure fruit on the finsh. 18 +?
Cockburn Quinta dos Canais 2009 ****
Deep, ripe if raw fruit, very perfumed (Touriga Nacional), full and fleshy, still raw and spirity but with lovely ripe fruit underlying. Big and bold. Top notch single quinta. 18
