Real Companhia Velha Vintage Port, Portugal

皇家波爾圖酒莊年份波特酒

點擊次數(shù)：3627

The 2020 Vintage Port is a field blend bottled in June 2022 after about two years in old Portuguese vats. A blend of three estates (Quinta das Carvalhas, Quinta dos Aciprestes and Quinta do Síbio), it comes in with 107 grams of residual sugar. This is a small step up over its Delaforce sibling in this report (Real Companhia Velha produces both), largely because the fruit here seems a bit more lifted and the wine seems a bit more precise. This is just richer and tastier too. That said, this still isn't likely to become a grand Vintage Port with lots of upside potential. So much of the mystique of Vintage Port is based on aging ability. That has to be taken into account, and this doesn't look like much more of a vin de garde than the Delaforce. Tasted again the next day, this might have been even softer, drinking even better. It should have some chance for development and improvement over the next decade, but don't expect it to turn into anything much more. It will then hold for a reasonable time, but again, don't expect it to be the best ager. It sure tastes great, though.

The 2019 Vintage Port is a field blend bottled in June 2021 after about two years in old Portuguese vats. It comes in with 107 grams of residual sugar. The winery calls the centenary old vines of its Quinta das Carvalhas the "backbone" of this bottling, with the rest Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from the winery's other quintas (Aciprestes and Síbio). This fills the palate nicely enough, but it is a bit soft on opening. That's not to say that there is no energy, and it does tighten on the finish with some aeration. It also seems admirably pure and transparent, with classic flavors. The longer this elegant Porto was open, the more I liked it for its precision and grip on the finish. It does have something to prove in the cellar, but let's lean up on this for the moment. It should be accessible on the younger side, but as with any well-crafted Port, giving it 10 to 15 years of cellaring will only help it.

The 2018 Vintage Port is a field blend. The centenary old vines of Quinta das Carvalhas, with the rest Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from the winery's other quintas (Aciprestes and Síbio), all aged for 24 months in Portuguese vats. It comes in with 103 grams of residual sugar. Soft on opening, but showing more power as it airs, this is a Port that finishes much drier than it seems at first blush. The finish is respectably long. It seems rather serious and steely. It shows more and more grip as it airs out, and finally shows serious power and steel. There's a very respectable backbone, and it is tight the next day. This does have some potential to develop more in the cellar.

The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend from old vines (60%) in Carvalhas, with the rest Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from the winery's other quintas (Aciprestes and Síbio), all aged for 24 months in Portuguese vats. It comes in with 105 grams of residual sugar. A bit leaner than most 2017s, this nonetheless has beautiful fruit and classic flavors. Spicy, delicious and lingering on the finish, this is going to be a pleasure to drink. It will be approachable on the earlier side, but time will still help it. I liked this only slightly better than the winery's Delaforce bottling—that is stern and serious, but this has a somewhat better expression of fruit. I preferred the brighter Carvalhas (also separately listed) as a personal preference, but in most ways, this might be as good. There were 1,083 cases produced.