1973 Quinta da Devesa White Colheita

[Alex Bridgeman]

Quinta da Devesa sits high in the mountains with stunning views over the Douro and Corgo River valleys, just to the east of Régua. The 30 hectares of vineyards run from the banks of the Douro to the top of the mountains giving nearly 500 metres of variation in altitude facing north, south and west — meaning that in almost all years there are parcels of grapes which deliver the concentration of fruit, ripeness and the acidity needed to keep the wines fresh on the palate and yet capable of ageing gracefully over the years. The estate is old, appearing on Baron Forrester's maps of the Douro in 1844 and was bought by the current owner's grandfather in 1941. As was the tradition at the time, the quinta made Port from the grapes harvested every year and sold the Port to the shippers and merchants who used it in their blends. Unusually, José Fortunato did not sell all the Port he made in the best of years and so slowly built up family stocks of single harvest tawnies and single harvest white Ports for the family's use.

In 2003 the family changed from selling Port to the shippers to selling grapes, to Symington Family Estates at that time, until 2015 when they decided to become an independent shipper under the new legislation and made their first Late Bottled Vintage Port. Today Quinta da Devesa has a full range of premium Ports including Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage, 10, 20, 30 and 50 year old tawny, 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old white Port and a range of single harvest tawnies (colheitas) from 1944, 1969 (white), 1970 (white) and 1976. The family have other reserves in stock - such as this white from 1973 - but have chosen not to register these with the Port Wine Institute.

This note is of a cask sample of a blend from the winemaker of a parcel of wine put together as an exclusive for Vintage Wine & Port. The wine has been submitted to the IVDP as a Reserve White but 100% of the wine is from the 1973 harvest. The wine is a deep honey orange colour, 30% opaque. Powerful on the nose showing some menthol and rosemary together with sweet and fragrant orange blossom honey. Smooth entry on the palate, a little thickened from the extended barrel ageing; spicy cracked peppercorn on the mid-palate, honey and golden syrup with a deep bitter-sweet Seville orange core. Generous heat on the aftertaste leads to a rich caramelised orange, before a surprisingly dry green nutty finish settles and persists for a good length of time. Rich and chunky, this is not a Port for the faint-hearted but is a testimony to those few producers who kept their 1973 Ports to mature slowly in their cellars. 84/100. Tasted 29-May-2022. Cask sample.