Any Port in a Storm

Hold on to your hat. This is the best Fonseca since 1977, and it's probably even better than that classic vintage--more like the breathtaking 1948. Mind-blowing, with masses of color, aroma and fruit flavor. Smells like fermenting berries, boasting loads of crushed grape, violet and berry character. Big, full-bodied and very sweet, with tons of tannins and a sweet finish. Tannic and huge, it's a long-term, great Port. Best after 2012. Wine Spectator Top 100: 1997, Rank: 1

One of the most spectacular 1994s, this opaque purple-colored wine is an exotic, flamboyant, ostentatious port. Extremely fragrant and pungent, with a flashy display of jammy cassis, pepper, licorice, and truffles, this port is an attention-grabber. Awesomely rich, and full-bodied, with superb length, richness, and overall balance, it possesses a huge mid-palate, layers of flavor, an unctuous texture, and a blockbuster finish. Everything is in place, with the brandy and tannin well-integrated, even concealed by the masses of fruit and glycerin. This wine will drink fabulously well at age ten, but keep for up to thirty years.

The inaugural The Stone Terraces comes from two 18th century schist stone terraces in Quinta dos Malvedos, one 1.6 hectares and the other 0.6 hectares, whose exposure and soil have made them stand out over the years. Finally, in 2011 they were picked together and fermented in one lagar that yielded just four pipes. It has startling clarity and minerality on the nose, one of those young Ports where the spirit is so pure that it is difficult to distinguish from an unfortified wine! The palate is silky smooth and slightly honeyed on the entry, leading to a very harmonious, svelte, sensual Vintage Port with copious pure blackberry, cassis and mineral notes that build wonderfully towards the finish. This is captivating, though you will have to fight for one of the 250 cases (individually numbered bottles.)

Fantastic aromas of crushed berries and flowers with hints of minerals. Full body, lightly sweet with a powerful tannin and bright acid backbone. Goes on for minutes. Only 250 cases produced of this mechanically trodden wine from two small stone-terraced vineyards at Quinta dos Malvedos. Try after 2020.

Deep, saturated ruby. Singular nose offers blackberry, huckleberry, licorice, black olive and exotic flowers accented by a piquant note of blood orange. Hugely rich and superripe but with lovely lift and definition to its black fruit, mineral and licorice flavors. Seems thicker and even riper than the "regular" Graham but perhaps a bit less sweet in the early going. Finishes tactile and extremely long, with noteworthy elegance and a surprising light touch. Rich in personality right now, but will it be as complete as the classic Graham in 20 years?

The 2017 Serikos Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port is a field blend of typical grapes, like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, among others. It was aged for approximately 20 months in used French oak and comes in with 96 grams of residual sugar. This has only been seen as tank sample in the past. The fruit for this is sourced from vineyards planted in the late 19th century to the 1930s. Much tighter than the regular Croft, even after decanting, this is precise and focused with superb finesse. The expressive fruit, though, is even better than the fine structure. This is a winner on all fronts, but be a bit patient. It has plenty of upside potential in the cellar.

The maiden 2017 Serikos from Croft comes from the oldest vines located in Quinta da Roêda. The name refers to the quinta's involvement in silk production and the texture of the wine. It was picked from August 31 and was notable for the density of its musts from the thick-skinned grapes. Almost opaque in colour, it has a spellbinding bouquet of intense blackcurrant, crushed violet petals and later, star anis and camphor. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannin, a silver bead of acidity that slices through the multi-layered, intense black fruit laced with white pepper and sage. This is endowed with unerring symmetry, predictably a silky texture and outstanding crispiness towards the never-ending finish. Regal.

Intense, featuring a rather dark persona, with baker’s chocolate, Turkish coffee and steeped black currant notes taking the lead, backed by bitter plum and fig reduction flavors. A long tarry streak and a singed juniper accent show on the finish, ending with a pleasantly woodsy tug. A backward, grippy Port.

Dark purple with narrow purple rim. Still packed with fruit but not quite as exuberant as the Croft at this stage. Darker fruited and a touch smoky, rocky. Pure and precise. Gorgeous impression of dryness here, even though of course it is so sweet, the tannins have implausible silky finesse and the whole is in perfect balance. Long and seems so subtle even though of course it is massively concentrated. Supple beauty and more streamlined than many 2017s.

Extremely floral with blackberries and blueberries on the nose that follow through to a full body, very sweet yet tannic palate that shows structure and power. Chewy and grippy at the finish. Give it at least four to five years to soften. Try after 2024.

The Warre’s Vintage was picked beginning on September 18 at Quinta da Cavindha, with fruit also sourced from Quinta do Retiro and Quinta da Telhada. It is a blend of 37% Touriga Nacional, 23% Tinta Franca and 40% mixture of old vines. There is a lovely sea spray note on the 2011 Warre’s that emerges after ten minutes in the glass. It is nicely defined with a tangible mineral component. The palate is very well-balanced with fine tannins, very well-judged acidity and a languorous feel, as if everything is in place and it does not want to show off. This is a lovely, refined 2011 – one of the most elegant 2011s. This is a classic Warre’s.

Extremely floral and fruity with hints of lilacs and crushed fruit. Full body with refined tannins integrated with a solid core of fruit, and a rich, round texture. This is lightly sweet and follows through to a long, long finish. 3,000 cases produced of this mechanically trodden wine. Try in 2022.

Offers seamless flavors of kirsch, chocolate, dark plum and allspice, fresh and elegant, with a towering structure and intense red berry accents. Unctuous and long on the finish, showing loads of grip. Best from 2030 through 2060.

Offers powerfully spicy aromas and flavors, with notes of dark chocolate, plum pudding and dark cherry, accented by a firm minerality. The endless finish of bittersweet chocolate and mincemeat shows loads of grip. Best from 2035 through 2055.

Bright medium ruby. Knockout aromas of black fruits, pungent minerality, licorice, violet, black pepper and sexy nutty oak quickly shut down in the glass. Wonderfully sweet, layered and perfumed, with an alluring element of exotic flowers but also a spine of steel underneath. The authoritative, palate-staining finish displays outstanding energy, with the tannins really clamping down on the wine's intense fruit today. This great wine will need at least 15 years of cellaring before it approaches peak drinkability and should go on for at least a few decades beyond that. (97+ Points)

This is an amazing young Port: deep and powerful, subtle and refined. Full body, lightly sweet with big chewy tannins that are polished and sexy. Amazingly well-crafted. Lasts for minutes on the finish. Fantastic. The legend lives. Could be better than the perfect 1994 and equal to the 1963. 220 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine from ungrafted vines. Try in 2024.

The 2011 Quinta do Noval Nacional has an entrancing bouquet that unfolds with time. It is extraordinarily concentrated with black currant pastilles, baked earth, a touch of terracotta and bay leaf that gains more dimension with time. Yet there is undeniable purity and elegance here, a seductive chorus of aromas perfectly in tune. The palate has a wondrous symmetry and focus, perfect acidity and immense purity. Everything here is so precise and at the same time, unassuming, as if this Nacional is aware of its breeding without the impulse to brag about it. It has closed down just a little since last year, but I take this as a positive sign that this legendary Nacional will delight for decades rather than years. This is the kind of elixir that leaves you speechless - surely the finest Nacional since the ethereal 1963. Drink 2020-2060. Tasted January 2014.

Finished aromas of crushed berry, graphite and stone. Full body, very sweet with a tangy almost sweet and sour character. Distinct flavors of dried oranges and dark berries. Medium tannin structure. Very ripe yet fresh. Try in 2025.

1,200 cases, just 3% of the vineyard production. 30th anniversary of the Symington acquisition of this property. Foot trodden in lagares. Earliest ever harvest at Vesuvio, starting on 28 August. Yields 15% below the Quinta’s 10-year average. Fruit from mature plantings of Touriga Franca from the Vale da Teja sections of Vesuvio (35%), the Touriga Nacional from the high-lying Vinha das Minas and Raposa parcels (33%), the Sousão from the Minas and Quinta Nova vineyards (15%) and the Alicante Bouschet from Castelos (12%), plus 5% Tinta Amarela. The Sousão component was larger because of its important contribution to acidity. Baumé 3.9, TA 4.37 g/l. Dark purple with purple rim. The fruit character is less wild here than in the Graham’s and Stone Terraces, more domesticated black fruit and yet just as pure and still with fine bergamot from the Touriga. Sweet baking spice on the palate leading in to highly textured tannins, as if the texture itself was spicy, but fine like layers of paper. Dense, packed with potential and less approachable than the Dow’s and Warre’s, less obviously sweet on the mid palate. But the long finish is sweet and utterly pure fruit. Wonderful persistence.

Intense, with a terrific beam of blueberry, açaí and blackberry puree flavors coursing along, flanked by graphite and baker’s chocolate notes and scored by streaks of licorice snap on the finish. A subtle violet accent weaves in the background, giving this lift and contrast. Offers a sappy, concentrated finish. Best from 2035 through 2055.

This offers of a lovely mix of raspberry, black currant, plum and fig pâte de fruit notes, which stretch out slowly over a ramrod straight graphite spine. Bramble, anise and apple wood details are tucked in neatly on the finish, giving this a compact feel for now, but everything is in place for a long, steady maturation in the cellar. Shows a pleasant, dry edge to the finish. Best from 2035 through 2055.

Very fresh, it also has luscious fruit, vivid fruit flavor and big power underneath. It coats the palate and is one of the fleshiest of the wines in the Symington stable this issue, but its best feature is the delightfully juicy finish. It's delicious, long and kind of spectacular. Tight, it also demonstrated the ability to expand in the glass. Then, it showed off the pure power. The combination of lots of fruit, lots of power and endless flavor to go with the endless finish mean that this is a rather stunning follow-up to recent vintages. It is going to need some time. I did (again) like the Capela, its sibling this issue, better—I tend to lean toward structure more than fruitiness—but at half the price, I and other bargain hunters might be content here. Stylistically, this certainly has plenty of virtues of its own, and it will likely be accessible a bit earlier.

The 2017 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port was picked from August 28, the earliest on record and the Symingtons single out the Touriga Franca as the foundation of its quality for imparting all-important freshness. It has a fragrant and more floral bouquet compared to its peers, not as intense as either Warre’s and Cockburn’s with scents of blackcurrant, Medjool dates, raspberry preserve and raisin, well defined, although you are convinced that this Vesuvio is holding something back. The palate is smooth with lace-like tannin, very well judged acidity, quite powerful and dense with a voluminous black plum and blackcurrant finish with hints of espresso and mint. This is a fine Vesuvio although, it lacks the profundity of its peers in this vintage. Total production 1,200 cases.

This is a ripe and generous wine, with tannins that are well integrated into the powerful black-fruit core. It is rich in a black plum flavor that's cut by fine acidity. Complex, balanced and full of long-term potential, drink this impressive wine from 2029.