Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 2017
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The wines of Quinta da Romaneira always have an aromatic intensity that is particular to this great vineyard terroir. This 2017 vintage port wine is seductive, charming and wonderfully expressive, with serious depth and ageing potential.
- Vintage Conditions: 2017 was the earliest harvest on record. The growing season was unusually dry and hot, both during spring and summer, with prolonged hot spells during the summer, particularly in June. Rainfall was alarmingly low throughout the year, with a short spell of significant rainfall in early July which certainly did much to help the vines during the hot dry weeks that followed. Volumes were consequently low, and ripeness came early. Our harvest began in August and was finished before the end of September. The weather was hot and dry throughout the harvest.
Varietal Composition: 70% Touriga Nacional, 30%Touriga Francesa
Elaboration: The grapes were trodden by foot in the stainless steel lagares of our new winery, and fermented with temperature control at 83°F, where a disciplined and intense treading is fundamental for a good final result. 20 months in the cellars of the Quinta, in the demarcated region of the Douro Valley before bottling. It should age in bottle for 8 to 15 years before attaining the complexity and bouquet characteristic of a Vintage.
Tasting Notes: Deep dark ruby-purple color with intense spicy aromatic personality. Great elegance, pure fruit flavors, fleshy velvety tannins, great power and length and very long finish.
PRESS
90 Decanter | 93 Wine Spectator | 93 Wine Advocate | 94 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The 1,100 acre spread of Quinta da Romaneira is widely considered one of the Douro Valley’s most breathtaking estates. The winery began producing port in 1872, but was not legally allowed to bottle under its own name until 1986 when DO changes gave single quintas the authority to do so.
Christian Seely purchased Romaneira in 2004 with plans to put the winery shoulder to shoulder with the Douro’s top names in terms of reputation and quality. Seely and winemaker Antonio Agrellos understand what such ambition means – They are the dynamic duo behind the much celebrated rebirth of another great property, Quinta do Noval (which sits literally next door), which they’ve operated for the past twenty years.
The entire Romaneira vineyard estate is classified “A” (the highest mark that can be obtained in the Douro) and the house focuses almost completely on unfortified dry wines and vintage style port.