The Fladgate Partnership and US importer Kobrand Wine & Spirits have released Croft Quinta da Roêda 2012 and Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas 2012 Ports, each available nationwide.
Single Quinta Vintage Ports Defined
Single quinta vintage Ports are produced from grapes grown in each Port house's finest single vineyard and are produced only in exceptional years in which a general vintage is not declared. The grapes are trodden by foot in granite lagares to minimize the release of harsh, bitter compounds from grape skins and seeds, and fermentation is halted by the addition of brandy before all the residual sugar has been fermented, creating a sweet, fortified wine.
Croft Quinta da Roêda Vintage Port 2012
20% ABV, 750ml, $47.99 SRP
Quinta da Roêda, owned by the Croft family since 1875, has long been considered one of the great Port vineyards, producing characteristically plump, full, fruit-forward wines. Croft Ports spend two years in wood, after which the wines are bottled unfiltered and will continue maturing for decades.
TASTING NOTES: The nose is true to the Roêda style, a luscious fruitiness combined with the resiny, musky redolence of wild herbs and gum cistus. However the year, with its typical purity and finesse, has placed this finely constituted wine at the elegant and subtle end of the Roêda spectrum. Blended with the typically jammy fruit are fresher notes of raspberry and apricot and the palate is lifted by a crisp acidity and supported by dense firm, sinewy tannins. Slightly more restrained and clearly delineated than some recent Roêda vintages, the wine displays the seductive ripe fruitiness that is the hallmark of this great historic estate.
FOOD PAIRING: Pair with aged cheeses such as Gouda, dark chocolate torte or flourless chocolate cake and desserts made with berries.
Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 2012
20% ABV, 750ml, $52.99 SRP
Quinta de Vargellas, celebrated as one of the top 100 vineyards in the world, has been part of the Taylor Fladgate estate for more than a century. It has the highest percentage of old vines of any quinta in the Douro, with 60% more than 75 years old. This wine has spent two years aging in vat before bottling.
TASTING NOTES: Pure woodland fruit aromas combine with notes of wild herbs, gum cistus and discreet hints of vanilla. The floral scents, hallmark of Vargellas, include characteristic violet along with delicate blossom notes. Clean, vibrant berry fruit flavors. Wiry tannins on the mid-palate which provide plenty of grip and an attractive touch of austerity. Wonderfully fine and harmonious.
