Quinta do Portal – Quinta dos Muros Vintage Porto 2017 75 cl. 20%

This version should not be confused with a “single quinta vintage port” in the traditional sense – this is the crème de la crème, but all the grapes for the wine come from the best plots on Quinta do Portal’s flagship estate, Quinta dos Muros, located on the eastern slopes of the Pinhão Valley at an altitude of 400-500 meters.

The top vintage of 2017 manages to combine richness, sweetness, and a wall of dramatic, dark berry fruit with freshness and balance.
The blend consists of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz, hand-harvested in mid-September. The growing season was unusually dry and warm, but a little rain at the right times ensured that the ripening for vintage port proceeded perfectly.

Though painfully young now, the wine presents itself as a viscous fist, delivering a remarkable drinking experience even at this stage. Its acidity and massive but fine-grained tannins hold the wine together, giving it a fully harmonious expression.

It can be enjoyed now or kept for a lifetime with proper storage.
We recommend spacious white wine glasses and a serving temperature around 16°C.
Since vintage port is by definition bottled unfiltered, the wine must be carefully decanted before serving.

94-96 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“This might be the finest Vintage Port I’ve seen from Portal. It has plenty of time and room to grow in the cellar. While I think this is better than the regular 2017 Vintage Port, style is also an issue. This is just brighter and more flavorful.”
— TWA Mark Squires, July 2019