When is a Vintage Announced

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 20:31 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Further to the thread on how the Harvest went, isn't it around November, when the Port Industry declares (Or doesn't)? I presume they are close to a decision on 2005?
Does anyone have any insights into the procedure? Or is it clouded in secrecy, and you just get a short annoucement?

Alan

Post by **DRT** » 20:39 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Alan,

I think it is April that the shippers declare. The 2005s are already declared.

I think the timing is probably down to allowing them to do what they need to do with blending and bottling their VP before the next growing season gets into full swing.

Derek

Post by **jdaw1** » 20:49 Mon 29 Oct 2007

St George’s day, I thought.

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 20:51 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Derek,

Well there's something I didn't know. So they declare around 18 months after making it? You so often hear the phrase about declaring 2 years after, I thought that would be roughly correct. So its actually a case of make it in the Autumn of one year, and decare in the spring 18 months later.
I seem to remember 2005 now you mention it. Wasn't it generally a Non Declaration?

Alan

Post by **DRT** » 21:20 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Alan,

Yes, 2 years is a very loose term in the world of VP. I think the rule is that it has to be bottled between 1 and 3 years after the harvest.

Derek

ajfeather · Post by **ajfeather** » 21:32 Mon 29 Oct 2007

not widely declared some of those who did:

Fonseca Guimaraens
Kopke
Nieport
Pintas
Q. d Senhora da Ribeira
Q. d Vargellas
Q. d Roriz
Q. d Crasto
Q. d Panascal
Q. d Passadouro
Q. d Vale D. Maria
Q. d Vesuvio

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 21:58 Mon 29 Oct 2007

ajfeather,

Isn't the Fonseca Guimaraens and the Taylors Vargellas a bit of an anomoly, in that they are secondary year Ports?

But Kopke and Niepoort had full declarations? I worry a little that Niepoort are investing and diversifying in that many directions, they may becoming trigger happy, in the pusuit of trade.

Alan

uncle tom · Post by **uncle tom** » 22:18 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Even single quinta 'interim' ports get declared - it's the wine that gets declared, not the vintage, but if all the big players pile in, and in particular, the big name blends, the year becomes known as a 'declared' year - and they hold a little ceremony to that effect!

If the big names can't agree which of two adjacent years they should declare, then it becomes known as a 'split declaration' or 'split vintage' - 91/2 being the last example.

I have a hunch that '05 will be a bit like '87 - an opportunity for a general declaration that the shippers might later regret, but it's early days - we shall see..

Tom

Frederick Blais · Post by **Frederick Blais** » 03:13 Tue 30 Oct 2007

Conky wrote:ajfeather,

I worry a little that Niepoort are investing and diversifying in that many directions, they may becoming trigger happy, in the pusuit of trade.

Alan

Alan, don't worry about Niepoort, their 2005 is the big step in quality any Port producer would like to achieve. I've tasted more than a dozen 2005 so far and none come close. Dirk and Nick are very picky on quality. Of course it is not like they had to declare 10 000 cases of very good quality each year, it is much easier to producer great stuff when you work on small quantities, still they must do it.

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 03:46 Tue 30 Oct 2007

Derek, I think you hit the wrong key by mistake, happens when you're stretching one bottle over 4 days

They're bottled between the second and third year after harvest.

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 10:11 Tue 30 Oct 2007

So they declare 18 months after Harvest. They then prepare, or whatever they do, before bottling between the 2nd and 3rd year of existance.

Right. Unless someone tells me I've misunderstood, I'm going to put that in the little grey cells.

Alan

uncle tom · Post by **uncle tom** » 10:34 Tue 30 Oct 2007

Talking in round years will confuse Alan!

Vintage port samples must be sent for approval by the IVDP between Jan 1st and Sep 30th of the 2nd year following harvest - i.e. 2007 for the 2005 vintage.

Once approval has been obtained, the wines may then be bottled at any time up until July 30th of the third year - 2008 in this case.

In practice, they are mostly bottled between February and May of the second year. The producers tend to avoid bottling in high summer if they can.

Tom

Post by **DRT** » 14:25 Tue 30 Oct 2007

So, assuming the harvest is completed in October, the youngest point that a wine can be declared as VP is 14 months and the oldest that it can be bottled is 33 months.

Not a million miles away from "between 1 and 3 years old" - is it, Andy?

Derek

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 15:31 Tue 30 Oct 2007

No just a 1/2 million away

Nothing is 100% absolute in the Port world, as I've come to find.

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 15:33 Tue 30 Oct 2007

Andy,

Quite right. Just remember Guiness and The Liffey, when it comes to admitting mistakes.

Alan

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 15:35 Tue 30 Oct 2007

Conky wrote:Andy,

Quite right. Just remember Guiness and The Liffey, when it comes to admitting mistakes.

Alan

2 years is down river from 1 year