Quinta da Roêda Vintage Porto 2018
Trade Tools
Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
Quinta da Roêda, owned by the Croft family since 1875, has long been considered one of the great Porto vineyards, producing characteristically plump, full, fruit-forward wines. This single-quinta (single-vineyard) vintage Porto is produced only in years of exceptional quality when a general Porto vintage is not declared. The grapes are trod by foot in granite lagares to minimize the release of harsh, bitter compounds from skins and seeds, and the wine spends two years aging in vat before bottling.
92 Points
jamessuckling.com
2018 vintage
Harvest Note
The 2018 viticultural cycle had a challenging start but, as the harvest drew nearer, the conditions for making outstanding Vintage Port all fell into place. This was particularly true of the Douro Superior, which enjoyed the combination of intense summer heat and abundant ground water which often produces great Vintage Port. It gave us the excellent phenolic maturity typical of a hot ripening season but the elegance and fresh acidity we normally associate with cooler years. What stands out in the Taylor Fladgate 2018 are its impressive, linear tannins, its depth of aroma and its wonderfully complex multi-layered fruit.
Tasting Note
The nose is seductive, with the opulent red fruit character which is a typical of Roêda vintage ports. Intense, woodland berry aromas add focus and finesse. The fruit is wrapped in an envelope of exotic balsamic, minty, eucalyptus scents. The palate is round with a rich, velvety texture but there is excellent acidity and well-integrated tannins which emerge on the finish. The 2018 Roêda Vintage is ripe and seductive, the wines from Roêda’s oldest vineyard plots have placed this superb single-quinta Vintage Port at the elegant end of the spectrum.
Technical Data
GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
APPELLATION: Douro Valley Porto
PH: 3.81
ACIDITY: 4.9 g/l
ABV: 20%
AGING: Aged for 2 years in large, conditioned French oak vats before bottling. Will continue to age in bottle for decades.
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 91 g/l
Unique Selling Points
- Produced exclusively from fruit from the famed Quinta da Roêda
- A collectible, vintage wine that doesn’t need to age as long as a traditional vintage wine
- One of few wines that pairs perfectly with chocolate desserts
“Croft is defined by an abundance of rich, plump fruit with a delicious exotic quality and a distinctive herbaceous, spicy character.”
Natasha Robertson Bridge, Co-Owner
About the Grape
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional produces wine with finesse, body and warmth that is dark, concentrated, massively tannic and aromatic. It ages to show the complex aromas typically found in mature vintage port.
