Wine Reviews
The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in French oak. It comes in with 97 grams of residual sugar. This was only seen before bottling previously. Now, with some bottle aging, it looks super, superior to the 2016, also reviewed, and a fine 2017. It is, of course, extremely young. It’s tight but not astringent (at least with decanting); the fruit is as if just crushed, and it is beautifully balanced. This is not even close to showing all it has. Throw it in the cellar. You can drink it now, but you’ll just be wasting it. Right now, this and the 2016 are close, but I predict this will pull ahead with every passing year.
The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend with 104 grams of residual sugar. When last seen this was in good form. Let’s check in. Darker in its flavor profile than the 2017, this is more rhubarb, plums and blackberries. The tannins have moderated a bit, but obviously this is not exactly tamed. It is coming along fast enough so you can dive in now (or soon) with some decanting, but it certainly will show better at the end of the decade (or later).
The 2024 Vintage Port from Croft comes from their Quinta da Roêda estate, six varieties all foot-trodden in granite lagares. It is flattering on the nose, with a mixture of red and black plum, violet, a little peppermint and fresh prune. Quite forward and expressive, though not as complex as, say, Taylor’s or Fonseca. The palate is medium-bodied, with touches of curry leaf, marjoram and cinnamon infusing the black fruit. Very smooth on the finish and replete with the vintage’s pepperiness, give this five or six years in bottle.
Ripe blackberries with a touch of figs, dried flowers, violets as well as schist and licorice. The palate is incisive with a silky, exotic, lush texture and an intense vibrancy that is cohesive with the texture, creating a nervous port with a sense of austerity. The vibrancy is enjoyable, but it will evolve into a great vintage port. Drink or hold.
Chocolate, walnut and ripe berry aromas, with some figs and plums showing the heat of the vintage. Full-bodied and very sweet with dried fruits and a softness and lusciousness. Shows the unique character of base of the blend, Quinta do Roeda.
