Quinta do Vesuvio Capela, 2017 Vintage Port
Capela Vintage Port
Single Bottle 75cl
99/100 James Suckling
Bottle size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Price:
$238.69 USD
Description
Review Scores
*** 99/100 James Suckling***
*** 18.5/20 Richard Mayson ***
*** 18.5/100 - Jancis Robinson ***
Vesuvio Capela 2017 Vintage Port Technical Sheets
Tasting Note
Mesmerising aromas; lavender, eucalyptus, green tea and liquorice. On the palate, the concentration and intensity are striking with layers of complexity. There is a wonderful interplay of invigorating black and red fruits underpinned by schist tannins that give balance to the impressive structure. The Sousa?o comes through in a spicy seasoning that underscores the wine’s remarkable freshness. The seductive finish is endless and inspirational.
Provenance and grape varieties
· Vinha da Capela: field blend
(very old, near 100-year-old vines)
· Vinha da Escola: Alicante Bouschet, Sousa?o, Touriga Nacional
· Vale da Teja: Touriga Franca.
Wine Specification
· Alcohol by volume – 20% v/v (20°C)
· Total acidity – 4.06 (g/l)
· Baume? – 3.30
· Bottled during May 2019 with no filtration
· Winemakers: Charles Symington, Bernardo Na?poles
Condition
Terms and Conditions • Wine offered in bond (no duty or VAT) • We bond at LCB. Internal transfers are free, deliveries to other bonded warehouses will be subject to a delivery charge. • Should the wine be required with duty and VAT and collection from the shop then the prevailing rates will be added as well as a small delivery charge.
Reviews
*** 99/100 James Suckling***
This is an old-vine Port with two-thirds coming from ancient ones. Bark, black tea, crushed grapes and mahogany. Big and grippy. Old, traditional styled Port with incredible depth and power. Big yet polished tannins. This is foot-trodden. Co-fermented. Real deal. 470 cases. Try after 2030. Jamessuckling.com
*** 18.5/20 Richard Mayson ***
A field blend from centenarian vines together with Touriga Franca, Alicante Bouschet, Sousão and Touriga Nacional: lovely lifted floral aromas, wild berry and green tea on the nose; similarly exotic on the palate, showing great purity of fruit once again, liquorice concentration wrapped around firm, spicy tannins with fresh acidity from the Sousão grape. 18.5
Richardmayson.com
*** 18.5/100 - Jancis Robinson ***
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. (JH)