2021 Harvest Begins

[Alex Bridgeman]

I’ve just seen a post on FaceBook from Quinta do Crasto saying that they have started harvesting their white grapes.

Is this earlier than usual? It feels it to me,but I’ve no idea when the equivalent harvest started last year or previous years.

[MigSU]

It's early, yes.

[Glenn E.]

Quinta do Noval also posted on Facebook that their harvest has begun.

[MigSU]

Symington Ports start on Monday the 30th. Sousão and Alicante Bouschet.

[uncle tom]

Early, but not without precedent - there was a crazy early vintage for the wine grapes a few years ago.

[MigSU]

Symington Ports start on Monday the 30th. Sousão and Alicante Bouschet.

Confirming this. We started receiving Sousão today.

[MigSU]

Some rain over the last few days has dampened my enthusiasm for a classic year.

[uncle tom]

Some rain over the last few days has dampened my enthusiasm for a classic year.

A refreshing shower or two in early September has often preceded a great vintage, but it needs to then stay dry - the current forecast is a bit unsettled and not very encouraging.

[MigSU]

Indeed. Temperatures have dropped as well, so there's little chance of the grapes sweating this moisture. It's a shame, as the year was looking quite promising.

[JacobH]

I saw a few end-of-the-harvest posts on social media today from Qd Canais and Vale Meão, although I noticed Fonseca put their one a couple of weeks ago. I think I saw some other shippers at a similar time. Have finishing dates been more spread out this year? Were some of the producers waiting to see if the unsettled early September weather improved before picking?

[Andy Velebil]

I saw a few end-of-the-harvest posts on social media today from Qd Canais and Vale Meão, although I noticed Fonseca put their one a couple of weeks ago. I think I saw some other shippers at a similar time. Have finishing dates been more spread out this year? Were some of the producers waiting to see if the unsettled early September weather improved before picking?

I think erratic is a good general description. Start, rain, stop, hope for better weather, pick, more rain, stop again, no wind, some mildew, pick, etc. the weather really factored in this year depending on where ones grapes were at.

Regardless, it was the coolest and wettest harvest I’ve ever experienced in the Douro during harvest. As a visitor the cool weather made it very nice. As a producer that is definitely not a good thing.

[JacobH]

Regardless, it was the coolest and wettest harvest I’ve ever experienced in the Douro during harvest. As a visitor the cool weather made it very nice. As a producer that is definitely not a good thing.

How bad do you think it was? I wonder if some of the shippers who make a VP each year are going to have enough grapes to do one this time.

[MigSU]

Regardless, it was the coolest and wettest harvest I’ve ever experienced in the Douro during harvest. As a visitor the cool weather made it very nice. As a producer that is definitely not a good thing.

How bad do you think it was? I wonder if some of the shippers who make a VP each year are going to have enough grapes to do one this time.

From my experience, yes. There were two dry weeks in the beginning, so there should be enough good Sousão, Alicante Bouschet, and some Touriga Nacional (along with other earlier-ripening varieties) to make at least decent VPs. Touriga Franca has suffered massively, though.

Although I suppose that would depend on where you're located and how early you started to harvest.

[JacobH]

That’s interesting. Thank you. I was a bit worried from the lack of positive comments on social media and elsewhere that we were faced with a 1993-style washout...

[Alex Bridgeman]

I had a glass of 1993 Vintage Port a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was poured blind and I guessed it to be a fully mature Port from the 1960s.

[MigSU]

Was that the infamous Liceiras?

[Andy Velebil]

Was that the infamous Liceiras?

Yes, from 1/2 bottle. Was pleasant, a bit simple, and showed older than it was as mentioned. Still a nice drink...not at the insane price it sells for today though!

[uncle tom]

I had a glass of 1993 Vintage Port a couple of weeks ago

I've never tasted a '93 VP - I have just one bottle, scheduled for consumption in 2193..

..however I do have a few bottles left of the Crasto '93 LBV - which is almost vintage quality..

[JacobH]

Was that the infamous Liceiras?

Yes, from 1/2 bottle. Was pleasant, a bit simple, and showed older than it was as mentioned. Still a nice drink...not at the insane price it sells for today though!

I was going to say you could probably buy a bottle of decent vintage Port from the 1960s for the price of one of those these days!

[JacobH]

Charles Symington has recorded a rather nice video which is available on YouTube about the 2021 harvest. It very much echos what Miguel told us. He refers to an eight-day window for getting the best Touriga Nacional in which makes me wonder if it is going to be one of those years when whether you managed to get the grapes in at the right time is going to be important. Since it doesn’t sound like the Douro is going to be swimming in VP-quality wines and he emphasises the acidity, I wonder if it might also be a year for tawnies?

[MigSU]

Yes, I saw it as well.
It could be a year for colheita instead of VP, yes. It will vary almost Quinta to Quinta. Small producers might come out with some cracking VP, if they were lucky. The big ones will probably go with SQVP (where applicable).