2011 Vintage Review

[Alex Bridgeman]

I had the opportunity at the BFT on Wednesday to take my first quick look at the 2011 vintage ports that were on show. Later in the year - probably in June or July - I will also undertake a blind tasting of a number of the ports from this vintage where each port is tasted over an extended period of 4-5 days to allow them to develop and show their full structure.

Overall I found these ports to fall into two general categories. There were fruit-bombs full of lush sweet fruit which almost overpowered the powerful tannins and marked acidity. At the same time there were ports which had been made in a style that seemed to surpress the overt fruitiness to focus on the tannins first and the fruit second. In a post elsewhere Tom commented that his overall impression of the 2011 vintage was akin to the 1966s. I disagree, I was lucky enough to drink the 1994s early in their lives and the similarities strike me as remarkable. From what I have read, this would draw a parallel with the 1963s rather than the '66s - but I look forward to debating this with Tom in 40 years time! The volume of port made seems to be remarkably small. For example, Fonseca released 25,000 cases of their magnificent 1985 but are releasing only 6,000 cases of 2011. Already some ports appear to have sold out their country allocations so either buy early or be prepared to be patient until they start to appear on the secondary market in 8-15 years.

All the tasting notes below are from a snapshot tasting and must be viewed in that light

Alves de Sousa Very deep colour, an intense purple. Faintly floral nose. Soft texture on entry, with restrained fruit infused with violets, soft tannins and generous acidity. Patience allws pleasant development and air releases more ripe fruit but this is not a sweet fruit-bomb like some other 2011 ports. The aftertaste and finish is fruit driven and has great persistence. An attractive mid-weight port. 87-89.

Barros Deep red; light nose showing fruit and a nice seaside freshness. Lightweight entry with strong and slightly aggressive tannins, acidic fruit comes through on the mid-palate. A firm afteraste and a long finish of cinammon sours. 86-88.

Burmester Deep red with a purple rim. Open on the nose, but still quite tanky with not much more complexity than pure grape juice. Fruity and attractive on the palate at first, but a bitter sappy tone comes through in the mid-palate. The tannins are light and gentle. The bitterness and late acidity also flow through on to the aftertaste and persistent finish. 85-87.

Cockburn Magenta centre, purple rim. Well developed nose with plenty of fruit. Soft fruit forward entry, mid-weight with a balance and elegance. The tannins are slow to show but are firm in grip when they eventually appear. Long and flavoursome finish. A fine return to the elegant Cockburn style of old. 92-94.

Croft 5,000 cases. Intense purple colour almost identical to the Fonseca. Lavender and blueberries on the nose, sweeter and with more floral tones that the Fonseca. Delicious texture on entry, with restrained fruit and unrestrained tannins - unrestrained, fierce tannins! There is a slight woodiness to the tart blueberry fruit. 92-94

Dalva Scarlet in colour. Beautiful nose of fresh fruit and fresh flowers but modest in volume. There is a little harshness to the port on entry and a fierce acidity that subdues the fruit showing a lack of balance at this early stage of the port's life. The aftertaste is a bit green and woody. An odd style of port if this is representative. 84-86.

Dow Violet colour. A fresh, floral nose, nicely developed. Lush and velvety texture on entry. Chocolate tannins are very firm at first but these then fade back into the fruit to reveal the sweet, rich fruit again. A touch empty on the immediate aftertaste before a long, strong licorice root takes hold. 94-96.

Ferreira Deep magenta, with lifting fruit on the nose that carries a hint of muskiness. Smooth entry, then a rapid build-up of tannins and grip. Quite light- medium-bodied on the palate. Great length. Plenty of tannins but a little light on fruit. 89-91.

Fonseca 6,000 cases. Intense violet colour. Exuberant nose showing lots of fruit. Sweet fruit on entry but round tannins grab hold and don't let go. Less aggressive tannins than the Taylor. Dry tannins show on the finish, showing a lovely combination of fruit and cocoa. Fine port with a great elegance to the fruit and clearly with plenty of structure for the future. 94-96

Graham Intense violet colour, with a pwerful nose of fruit. Fruit forward, but with tannins that quickly become apparent. Great balance on the palate with tannins firm and powerful but never dominating. Big and powerful on the finish. Stunning port, a star of the vintage. 95-97.

Graham Stone Terraces 250 cases. Less intense in colour than the Graham 2011, an attractive violet. Dominated by rich, lush fruit on entry with the very firm and ripe tannins hidden behind the mass of fruit. A huge finish, massive in size and very, very long. This is intense and concentrated, a huge wine and a contender for wine of the vintage at this tasting. 95-97.

Kopke Some red in the deep purple all the 2011 ports show. Modest nose, dominated by sweet fruit. Hesitant entry, with restrained fruit and powerful tannins dominating the structure, perhaps a little dry on the mid-palate. Dry grainy tannins show on the long finish. 87-89.

Niepoort One of the darkest of the 2011s on show. Little on the nose except a faint fragrance. Tannins grip from the first sip and hold very firm - certainly one of the most obviously tannic wines at the show. The fruit is present but the tannins dominate the palate. Huge tannin and fruit aftertaste - very definitely keeper and not an early drinker! 92-94.

Niepoort Bioma Intense purple, restrained nose mixing nettles and brambles. Velvet texture bringing generous fruit with generous tannins that provide very firm support. More fruit comes with a second surge in the mid-palate before the tannins gain control. This is a massively tannic wine but with the fruit to stay in balance. 93-95.

Niepoort Crusted Bottled 2011; blended principally from 2007 and 2008 vintages. Deep red, solid rim and opaque centre. Lovely fruity nose, lots of cherries. Fruit dominated palate. Soft tannins supprt, with a lovely silkiness. Delicious soft and fruity finish. Really nice. 90-92.

Offley Boa Vista Intense in colour, with a little more red than most. Youthful fruit dominates the nose, layered with a lovely spicy tobacco. Sweet fruit on entry shows before the spicy tannins take hold, firm but not dominating. Gently persistent on the finish. This wine has a great balance and elegance to it. Very good and my surprise of the tasting. 91-93.

Passadouro Intense centre but not opaque at the rim. Fresh and fruity nose, although subdued. Hollow entry, with good tannins but little of the lush early fruit that many other 2011s are showing. Fruit arrives late on the palate and is austere. The tannins are ripe and the acidity quite pronounced. The aftertaste is pleasant and of good length but the tannins show a hint of greeness. 87-89.

Pintas Lifting nose, lots of fruit and floral essence - really attractive. Silky entry, with masses of violets in the concentrated sweet blackcurrant. Big tannins show late on the palate. Great balance of silky fruit and powerful tannins - a very fine port. 94-96.

Portal An odd cheesy note to this port that was not the glass. Tannins dominate the fruit and the palate, with the strange over-ripe blueberry on the palate giving the same odd cheesy tome. The tannins are firm and in balance on the mid-palate. This is a modest port, but is flawed if this is representative. 83-85

Ramos Pinto Deep purple with a fruity nose that is pronounced and profound. Hollow entry, but with fruit that blossoms nicely on the late palate. Charcoal tannins and soft acidity gives good structure. Powerful tannins dominate the persistent finish. 91-93.

Roriz Deep colour with a dark purple rim. Little showing on the nose. Restrained fruit on the entry, with assertive tannins that give a good chewiness to the wine, but the fruit is irrepressible. A big finish, long and fruity! This doesn't have the overt lusciousness of the other SFE ports but is very fine. 91-93.

Rosa (Quinta de la) Deep purple, little on the nose, swirling brings out mint. Smooth textured entry with lots of violet perfume but little fruit on the initial palate. The tannins are rather fierce and dominating, refusing to let go. The fruit does show through, but is acidic and thin compared to others from the vintage. There is an interesting birch sap twist to the citrussy finish. 86-88.

Rozes Intense purple with a floral nose. Silky entry, ripe fruit with good concentration. Powerful tannins grip firmly, backed up by modest acidity that gives a good focus. Tannins dominate the aftertaste, but when they let go they allow a lovely long finish to show through. A good effort, but a slight touch of harshness compared to other 2011 ports. 87-89.

Sandeman (An early cask sample tasted a month before the BFT.) Magenta in colour. Sticking to the glass when swirled; opaque and vivid purple. Superb nose, a massive dose of parma violets and lavender, loads of ripe blueberries. Soft entry, sweet ripe parma violets then massive, massive tannins grab the teeth and never let go. Huge acidity but so full of fruit. A dry finish, slow to develop before leaving a very gentle and elegant length. Very impressive. 91-93.

Sandeman Powerful and punchy, good fruit and nice structure. Attractive port. 91-93.

Smith Woodhouse 1,000 cases. Deep and intense purple. Powerful flowers on the nose, full of lavender. Sweet fruit impact, very fruit forward but with a solid chocolate tannins and sweet, ripe acidity. Sweet black chocolate finish.This is lush, fruity port that has tannins which are hidden, soft and persistent. 92-94.

Taylor 11,000 cases. Violet in colour, with an open nose. Massive sweet fruit on entry, then very fierce tannins sieze the palate. A big wine, well structured. A slight bitterness to the finish, with the tannins powerful and persistent throughout the long, peppery finish. 93-95.

Vale Dona Maria Deep purple, fresh nose that is rather subdued. Luscious fruit on the palate with strong tannins providing a firm structure. Air on the palate releases a pure blueberry flavour. Very fine port. 90-92.

Vale Meao Restrained fruit, showing a little fruit. Sweet fruit on the palate, but also the bitterness that one or two ports from this vintage have shown. Powerful tannins which eventually relent and allow the port to come back into balance. The tannic grip comes back on the aftertaste with a good intensity of flavours. 88-90.

Vargellas Vinha Velha 310 cases. Magenta, not violet in colour. Bramble fruit on the nose - inviting and sweet. So silky and attractive in texture. Very fruit dominated but with a ripe, black chocolate tannin core that controls and focusses the wine. An immense finish of huge length. This is astonishingly good port. A contender for wine of the vintage at this tasting. 97-99.

Vesuvio Deep purple; fresh and floral nose with a good dose of acidity. Sweet entry, tannins ripe and round and swamped by the fruit. Ripe acidity provides further structure. A huge length of reasonable volume. A fabulous port in a very feminine and elegant style. 94-96.

Vesuvio Capela 300 cases. Intense purple, nose more closed than the regular Vesuvio but showing concentrated fresh blackberries. Sweet entry with masses of ripe fruit suddenly swamped by ripe tannins. Less fruit forward and more structured than the Vesuvio. Spicy aftertaste and a finish of great length. 92-94.

Warre Restrained nose with some faint fruit showing. Fruit all over the initial impact on the palate but then a fiercely tannic mid-palate which softens nicely. The structured palate leads to a big and persistent finish. A mid-weight, well balanced port. 90-92.

[jdaw1]

Alex’s scores, re-sorted in a manner that AHB probably didn’t want, but that others might find useful.

Portal ! 83-85

Dalva ! 84-86.

Burmester ! 85-87.

Barros ! 86-88.
Rosa (Quinta de la) ! 86-88.

Alves de Sousa ! 87-89.
Kopke ! 87-89.
Passadouro ! 87-89.
Rozes ! 87-89.

Vale Meao ! 88-90.

Ferreira ! 89-91.

Niepoort Crusted ! 90-92.
Vale Dona Maria ! 90-92.
Warre ! 90-92.

Offley Boa Vista ! 91-93.
Ramos Pinto ! 91-93.
Roriz ! 91-93.
Sandeman ! 91-93.

Cockburn ! 92-94.
Croft ! 92-94
Niepoort ! 92-94.
Smith Woodhouse ! 92-94.
Vesuvio Capela ! 92-94.

Niepoort Bioma ! 93-95.
Taylor ! 93-95.

Dow ! 94-96.
Fonseca ! 94-96
Pintas ! 94-96.
Vesuvio ! 94-96.

Graham ! 95-97.
Graham Stone Terraces ! 95-97.

Vargellas Vinha Velha ! 97-99.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex’s scores, re-sorted in a manner that AHB probably didn’t want, but that others might find useful.

But don't just go on the scores, please read the comments as well!

[RAYC]

Alex’s scores, re-sorted in a manner that AHB probably didn’t want, but that others might find useful.

But don't just go on the scores, please read the comments as well!

Remind me - are your scores "current drinking" scores or "potential at peak" scores?

I seem to recall you suggesting somewhere that you said all your scores were given on a "current drinking" basis. But i may have mis-remembered!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex’s scores, re-sorted in a manner that AHB probably didn’t want, but that others might find useful.

But don't just go on the scores, please read the comments as well!

Remind me - are your scores "current drinking" scores or "potential at peak" scores?

I seem to recall you suggesting somewhere that you said all your scores were given on a "current drinking" basis. But i may have mis-remembered!

That's the right question!

The way I've scored these is for their potential at their peak in 10-50 years. Some of these are just fabulous to drink now (such as the Vesuvio) because they have so much fruit and baby fat but I have tried to look past this and concentrate on where I think the wine will score at its best.

[Chris Doty]

I had the opportunity at the BFT on Wednesday to take my first quick look at the 2011 vintage ports that were on show...

Ahb!

Cracking notes as always.

No Quevedo at this tasting? It's a sensational wine and has me very excited for the prospects of this Vintage.

Your Offley note is interesting -- I can't remember the youngest bottle of Offley I have ever purchased (if it wasn't the '85, it would be the '70). Looks like the 2011 may be worth a peek in an odd format...

Like the comparison to '94. I have only tried a handful, but these look to have hallmark character.

Thanks for all the hard work!

[jdaw1]

No Quevedo at this tasting?

There was meant to be Qv11 port at this this tasting, but there wasn’t. There was Quevedo table wine, but not port.

[djewesbury]

Am in awe. 30-odd ports tasted in one day and no corners cut.

[Alex Bridgeman]

No Quevedo at this tasting? It's a sensational wine and has me very excited for the prospects of this Vintage.

I've been promised a sample bottle shortly and hope to include it in my more detailed blind tasting.

[DRT]

Remind me - are your scores "current drinking" scores or "potential at peak" scores?

I seem to recall you suggesting somewhere that you said all your scores were given on a "current drinking" basis. But i may have mis-remembered!

I know from previous experience that AHB always rates newly released VP in terms of "when I will enjoy this best", which, to mere mortals such as you an I means "at least 88 years after bottling"

[DRT]

I don't have my notes with me, and if I did they would be embarrassingly useless by comparison to AHB's, but I am in broad agreement with his assessment with a few notable exceptions.

I found both of the Graham's wines, particularly the GST, the Vesuvio Capela and the Taylor VVV too easy to drink. Is this a bad sign from a "stellar vintage"? I have no idea, but it doesn't feel right to me. All I know is that I was drawn to the more austere and powerful wines such as Dow, Fonseca, Niepoort and Vale Meao. The latter has a particularly dense, raisin character that I find typical of wines from the far end of the Douro and I hope it matures beautifully. The Croft put on a very good show but was a tad more drinkable than the Fonseca. I found the Taylor difficult to read, so am happy to give that another go at some point soon and am not ruling it out as being up there with the best. I enjoyed the Offley more than the Sandeman and Ferreira, although all three are very solid wines and Sandeman is clearly back on the road to what it should be.

One point that I think is worth noting is that for the last two years the inimitable Mr Niepoort has been telling anyone who would listen, and even those who wouldn't, that 2011 was the best Vintage Port he has ever produced. On this showing he isn't wrong. Well done Dirk!

[DRT]

My impression was that quality seemed very good across the board. Caveat: You should take into account with my comments below that I am not generally familiar with tasting such young VPs and so my judgement was based on the wines' current differences, their depth, complexity and structure.

My top three 2011 VPs were (in no particular order) Dow, Fonseca and the Vesuvio Capela; The last of these had a very interesting fresh hint on the nose which seemed almost peachy(?!) overlaying a very deep, full body; I was less impressed by the Ferreria and the Taylor, with the former seeming ultra-dry, and the latter being somewhat weak - but I should acknowledge that my personal taste is not normally in that direction.

Others such as the Rozes, Roriz and Graham Stone Terraces seemed very accessible for early drinking if wanted, with slightly softer and sweeter characters. It will be very interesting to see whether the ones which seem more accessible now continue to be so as they mature.

[DRT]

The thing that most struck me about the BFT tasting was the enormous enthusiasm that all of the wine-makers seemed to have for their ports - even allowing for a bit of "hype" (particularly in these difficult times), it is quite unlike anything i have seen before and a good couple of notches up from my recollection of the presentation of the 2007s.

In terms of other key take-aways:

- I enjoyed all the "super-cuvees": Stone Terraces, Vesuvio Capela, Vargellas Vinha Vehla and Bioma Vinha Vehla were all showing well (though Dirk was at pains to state that the Bioma now is not an accurate representation of how it should show after another 7 or 8 months in cask). Given their limited bottling runs, these are probably where i will focus my funds at this stage (on the basis that some of these may be "now or never" purchases, whereas others should still be capable of purchase down the line).

- slightly boring, but Dow, Fonseca and Graham were - to me - the other obvious ones that will score well with the critics.

- Vesuvio put in a strong performance and must be worth a look on the basis of its track record of wines that can be approached with pleasure even in its teen years (none of us are getting any younger...)

- i didn't have quite have a "Noval 2007" moment (which remains my favourite young VP) when tasting these. That said, Noval 2007 was also on display at the BFT and seemed to me to have just started to lose a touch of the balance and aromatics that made it so attractive in 2009/2010. Probably too early to say it is shutting down (though the 2003 was very closed, i thought), but goes to show that while young ports can be very beguiling, they do need the fundamentals underneath. And i don't feel particularly qualified to determine whether or not the characteristics that i enjoy in a young VP are in any way what is needed for it to mature into a 40+yr wine that matches the current 63-66-70s.

[DRT]

Really enjoyed the Niepoorts.. I would like to buy the main vintage in big formats, normal formats and small formats. Many of each. It has the dense concentration that the whole vintage seems to have but the tannins are very fresh, and help to lighten what could easily become very jammy. Really delightful. The Bioma is great too, a light finish that isn't too dominating, and fruit that isn't too sweet.

The Stone Terraces is very, very soft, without a great dryness, and I wonder is this something that will develop, or will this wine be too soft? I know nothing about how a wine like this might age, but it seemed that there wasn't a really big backbone to this - it seems to be perfect to drink now.

I liked the Dow too - quite the opposite of the GST, a real structure that I felt everything else could hang off.

I had two pints of beer en route from the Glaziers' Hall to the Bunghole, and I fear this must be what made me unintelligible later in the evening. I think I probably owe an apology to someone, somewhere, but I have no idea who. Thankfully I had someone with me who could tell me quite a lot of what I'd said and done.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I found both of the Graham's wines, particularly the GST, the Vesuvio Capela and the Taylor VVV too easy to drink. Is this a bad sign from a "stellar vintage"? I have no idea, but it doesn't feel right to me.

I do agree that these wines are entirely drinkable today, full of sweet ripe fruit that currently swamps the tannins and acidity. You have to work the wine hard and leave it on the palate a long time to allow the tannins to come through, but they are most certainly present. You could argue that such wines are unbalanced with too much fruit but I believe that as the port matures the tannins will become more noticeable. A retaste in a year or two should show the tannins more obviously. The best recent analogy I can give where I saw this kind of fruit forward port stepping back to show its tannic components is the Vesuvio '94 - and that seems to be turning out OK.

[RAYC]

Jamie Goode on Sandeman here, on Vesuvio and Capela here and on the rest of the Symington 2011s here

Sarah Ahmed on Sogrape 2011s here

[Paul Symington]

Thank you for a particularly careful and intelligent set of tasting notes on the 2011 Vintage Ports by Alex.
Most interesting.
The comments about the production quantities are very apt. in our case we calculate that we will be sell virtually all that we produce, so there will be literally none left after this campaign.
Just for your interest, we are this week bottling our 2011 Vintage Ports and it is really cool here, I saw 4.5 degrees on my thermometer at my Quinta yesterday morning, it's nearly May....But perfect weather for bottling great Vintage Port.

[jdaw1]

and on the rest of the Symington 2011s here

That’s a Namibian flag, so the tasting was in the building that houses the High Commission for Grenada.

[RAYC]

and on the rest of the Symington 2011s here

That’s a Namibian flag, so the tasting was in the building that houses the High Commission for Grenada.

I was more interested by the myserious bottle on the far right....

[uncle tom]

If there's one thing (and perhaps the only thing..) I've convinced myself about this vintage, is that it's a very tough one to appraise.

Two things stand out:

1) The producers seem caught between a rock and a hard place. Their blending stock seems to include both sexy fragant wines, which will appeal to the great un-washed (i.e. most wine writers) but with traits that seem unlikely to suffer the passage of time well; and brutal tannic stock that will probably survive two generations or more with impunity.

Near term fame and prosperity, or long term reputation? - a hard call..

2) That the gulf between the giants, and the aspiring minnows, was very narrow. With the big names making no price concession to the world's economic misfortunes, and the implosion of the wine investment bubble; could this be the first big vintage for the port Garagistes ?

[RAYC]

Link to Jancis's initial scores from BFT (paywall). She is very positive generally, giving 11 of the wines on show at BFT marks of 18.5 or above and finding particular favour for the Taylor Fladgate Partnership offerings. Top marks of 19.5/20 were awarded to 3 different ports.

Seckfords have quoted several of Jancis's TNs and scores in their offer - see here

[djewesbury]

Portal An odd cheesy note to this port that was not the glass.

Quinta do Portal 2011 port 16.5 Drink 2028-2045
Dark purple. A little cheesiness on the nose.

Was she cribbing your notes, AHB?

[RAYC]

Richard Mayson has published his first impressions from his "rather hurried tasting" at BFT. Fuller notes with star ratings promised in due course!

[jdaw1]

The producers seem caught between a rock and a hard place. Their blending stock seems to include both sexy fragant wines [!] with traits that seem unlikely to suffer the passage of time well; and brutal tannic stock that will probably survive two generations or more with impunity.

Near term fame and prosperity, or long term reputation? - a hard call.

I thought this a very fair summary. Do any of us dissent?

[djewesbury]

[...]Their blending stock seems to include both sexy fragant wines [!] with traits that seem unlikely to suffer the passage of time well; and brutal tannic stock that will probably survive two generations or more with impunity.

Near term fame and prosperity, or long term reputation? - a hard call.

I thought this a very fair summary. Do any of us dissent?

I thought that this comment gives another potential reading; I would be interested to know who takes which position on this, and why..

You could argue that such wines are unbalanced with too much fruit but I believe that as the port matures the tannins will become more noticeable. A retaste in a year or two should show the tannins more obviously. The best recent analogy I can give where I saw this kind of fruit forward port stepping back to show its tannic components is the Vesuvio '94 - and that seems to be turning out OK.