Day 5 – Thursday

It was the fifth day of the 2021 FTLOP Port Harvest Tour, which had already been full of memorable experiences. Today, however, would be a very special day where we would get to spend a day with a legend in the Port trade, visit one of the most iconic Quintas in the Douro Valley, get to taste ancient Tawny Ports at another producer and be treated to one of the most unique performances I’ve experienced in all my visits to the Douro Valley.

After breakfast, we headed over to the blue-tiled Pinhão station to catch our train to the first stop on the day’s agenda: Quinta do Vesuvio.

Quinta do Vesuvio

We are no strangers to Quinta do Vesuvio. I have probably visited this property a half-dozen times since my first visit to Portugal on the Port Harvest Tour in 2006, and it never gets old. The property is steeped in history as it was once owned by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, who I semi-jokingly refer to as “the Godmother of the Douro.”

Quinta do Vesuvio is in the Douro Superior on the east end of the demarcated Douro Valley wine region. Historical records have been uncovered that mention Vesuvio as far back as 1565. António Bernardo Ferreira I purchased the property (then called Quinta das Figueiras) in 1823 from the Viscount de Lapa. Bernardo and his team of workers then spent the next seven years digging out terraces, planting vines, and transforming the Quinta into a production vineyard.

 
In 1827, Bernado built the winery which contained eight large granite lagares where the grapes could be crushed by foot. Each lagar could hold 24 pipes of Port (13,200 liters). The original lagares remain (one was divided into two smaller lagares), and workers still practice the tradition of treading the grapes by foot in those lagares for their Vintage Port, the only style of Port made and bottled under the Vesuvio name. It was in one of these lagars that I first got to foot-tread grapes on that first visit in 2006. It is a special memory that I have never forgotten.

Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira married Bernardo’s son (Bernard Ferreira II) in 1834, and after her husband’s death in 1844 she took over the many properties and Quintas acquired by her father-in-law and husband. Recognizing the uniqueness of Vesuvio, she claimed it as her personal Quinta. She managed the properties and business through the Phylloxera crisis and continued to develop, expand, and diversify her vineyards and business.

After she died in 1896, the property passed to the Brito e Cunha family, who capably managed the property until the Symington Family bought Vesuvio in 1989.

Today, Quinta do Vesuvio has a total area of 326 hectares (806 acres), of which 133 hectares (329 acres) are planted with vines. The property has many old “field blend” vineyards, in which different grape varieties are all mixed in together. It also has some of the early plantings of single varietals (also known as “block planting”) that date from the 1970s.

When we arrived at Vesuvio, we were greeted by Rui Ribeiro, Symington’s Market Manager for the US. He would be our host for the day and lead us through an amazing tasting of Vesuvio Vintage Ports.

2011 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Dark purple with ruby edges. Mostly opaque. Violets, freshly crushed blueberries, herbal notes, and nice minerality on the nose. Entry of blueberry with tannins ramping up immediately after. The tannins begin to recede at the end of the mid-palate into a nice balanced sweetness. The finish is extremely long. This wine probably has 40 to 60 years ahead of it. 96 points. 9/30/2021

2007 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Dark purple in color with garnet around the edges. Blueberry, cassis, and nice herbal notes on the nose. Red currant and boysenberry on the mid-palate, giving way to chocolate notes on the finish. Extremely balanced sweetness, acidity, and tannins. The finish is very long. 93 points. 9/30/2021

2003 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Pale purple in color with some subtle hues of red-brown. Lots of cocoa powder on the nose with blueberry and brambly dark fruits. Very rich mouthfeel with some dusty tannins and notes of chocolate, rich raspberry, and red fruits. Very long finish. 92 points. 9/30/2021

2000 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Chocolate, boysenberry, and some floral notes on the nose. Sweet cherry, red fruit, and tannins on the palate. There is a pleasant sweetness on this wine that lingers in the mid-palate and then rolls through the very long finish. 91 points. 9/30/2021

1997 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Blueberry, raspberry, and some herbal notes on the nose. Some nice red fruit and some chocolate notes on the palate. Nice balanced acidity and some noticeable sweetness on the very long finish. 93 points. 9/30/2021

1996 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Chocolate and herbal notes on the nose. Intense boysenberry and a touch of cranberry on the palate. Very nice acidity and balance. A faint touch of mint on the finish. 92 points. 9/30/2021

1995 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Dried herbs, dusty red fruits, and a faint hint of cornmeal on the nose. Dusty, pronounced tannins with pomegranate and cranberry juice on the mid-palate. Long finish with good tannins and structure. This wine is coming across as a drier style of Port than I am used to seeing in other bottles of this wine. 91 points. 9/30/2021

1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Cool, crushed blueberries, fresh violets, and some light herbal notes on the nose. What a fresh nose this has! Intense boysenberry and blueberry on the full-bodied palate with a very intense, sweet mouthfeel. Well-balanced tannins, rich complexity, and dark fruits on the extremely long finish. 97 points. 9/30/2021

1992 Quinta do Vesuvio Single Quinta Tawny Port – Rich, torrefacted notes of burnt sugar and orange spice on the nose. Full, rich body with bright acidity and espresso, chocolate, and molasses on the palate. Very nice, long finish. 93 points. 9/30/2021

After our wonderful tasting, we adjourned to the outside veranda for lunch. Eating a great meal, enjoying beautiful wines, chatting with friends and great company, and watching the Douro meander by was just about as good as it gets in the Douro.

D.O.C. Restaurant

After we said our goodbyes and left Quinta do Vesuvio, we returned to the hotel to relax and freshen up for a few hours. We then reassembled in the lobby to head back to one of my favorite restaurants for the second time on this trip. Trust me. No one was complaining about eating twice at D.O.C. – the fantastic restaurant operated by Michelin Star Chef Rui Paula.

Since we have been visiting the Douro Valley for over 15 years on For The Love Of Port Tours, some of our close friends in the Port Trade have begun to retire. When this occurs, we occasionally will try to invite them to a dinner to celebrate their retirement and to thank them for their years of friendship. Regular tour participants often bring special wines from their cellars with them to Portugal to share with our guest of honor.

As we had done earlier on this trip with George Sandeman, we were gathering this night to celebrate a second retirement, this time with Dominic Symington from the Symington Family Properties.

Dominic joined the family business in 1990 as a Sales Director. He helped promote and grow the company’s business over the last 30 years and was responsible for managing the family’s portfolio of Vintage Ports, managing Quinta do Vesuvio, and renovating the winery at Quinta da Fonte Souto in Alentejo (the company’s first estate outside the Douro Valley).

Dominic has always been a great friend to our tours, hosting us numerous times over the years, and always providing fantastic hospitality, engaging conversations, and memorable experiences for us.

Dinner Wines

Ports

1966 Taylor Single Harvest Tawny Port – Bottled in 2015. Light brown-orange in color. Toasted coconut, vanilla, and roasted hazelnuts on the nose. Some acidity on the entry, giving way to a rich, sweet mid-palate, that further gives way to more noticeable acidity through to the finish. Very long finish with caramel, orange peel, and balanced tannins. 90 points. 9/30/2021

Blackett 40 Year Old Tawny Port – Bottled in 2021. Dark brown-amber in color. Rich molasses and espresso bean on the nose. Rich, full-bodied mouthfeel with amazing complexity and lively acidity. Extremely long finish. 93 points. 9/30/2021

1966 Barros Colheita Port – Bottled in 1981. Brown-yellow in color. Nose of light caramel and honey. There is some bright acidity on the palate with some dusty tannins that appear mid-palate and linger on into the long finish. There is something about the balance on the palate that makes this Port feel a little disjointed. 89 points. 9/30/2021

 
1961 Krohn Colheita Port – Bottled in 2010. Extremely dark brown in color with yellow on the edge. Intense, incredible nose of mahogany, vinegrenio (little vinegar), molasses, and espresso powder. Very intense, savory notes of dark chocolate, light soy sauce, and rich intensity on the palate. Very long finish with some tannins and just a touch of bitterness. 93 points. 9/30/2021

1937 Dow’s Vintage Port – Brown-orange and color. Cinnamon, red fruits, and some light chocolate notes on the nose. This wine has the flavor profile of a very nice, very old Tawny Port, with good intensity, some caramel, and some nice milk chocolate notes on the palate. Medium-long finish. 92 points. 9/30/2021

1863 Ferreira Quinta do Vezuvio Vintage Port – The Legendary Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira used to own Quinta do “Vezuvio.” Brown in color with yellow on the edges. Toasted marshmallow, orange spice, vanilla, and espresso on the nose. Intense dark chocolate and coffee beans, with tannins and acidity on the palate. Extremely long finish with notes of cocoa, molasses, and mocha. 92 points. 9/30/2021