2011 Declarations

[jdaw1]

I've just noticed that Quinta do Sagrado 2011 is missing from the list of declarations. They filled 2,700 bottles.

• Quinta do Sagrado;

[Alex Bridgeman]

With JDAW's permission, I have added production volumes and a handful of new shippers to the first post on this thread.

[Roy Hersh]

Glad I could help!

[RAYC]

I have a question as to some of the ports that are being confirmed as a "declaration" in the first post.

Are we simply talking about how many differently-labelled bottles of port there are on the market?

Or are we talking more technically about how many individual blends have been approved by the IVDP and for which there is a supporting IVDP certificate? (see here for 2011 Quevedo VP certificate and here for a good article on the approval process, including the need to disclose exact numbers of bottles...)

Or, to put it another way by choosing just one of the many examples: according to the convention that is intended in the first post, would Niepoort Secundum 1999 VP and Fortnum & Mason 1999 VP be regarded as the same "declaration" or as two separate "declarations"?

[RAYC]

I am amazed at the volume of Romaneira produced.

[jdaw1]

Or, to put it another way by choosing just one of the many examples: according to the convention that is intended in the first post, would Niepoort Secundum 1999 VP and Fortnum & Mason 1999 VP be regarded as the same "declaration" or as two separate "declarations"?

It is easier for us to see labels than blends, for which reason it probably lies on that side. (Though obviously Danish-label G11 is deemed to equal USA-label G11.)

[RAYC]

It is easier for us to see labels than blends, for which reason it probably lies on that side.

Sounds sensible.

So for consistency, should we include Tanners 2011 b.o.b (with a note that it is confirmed as the same blend as Skeffington)?

Likewise, should e.g.: the SFE "Wine Society" bottling carry a note indicating that we are not sure whether this is a unique / bespoke blend?

[jdaw1]

Most of our House Ports are produced by Churchill Graham, apart from our Tanners Fine Reserve Port, which we source from Fonseca. If you want to buy a Port to drink with the minimum of fuss i.e. no decanting or ageing ”“ then our Fine Reserve Port or Tanners LBV will fit the bill perfectly.

[Miguel Simoes]

I am amazed at the volume of Romaneira produced.

Same here... if that 7,000 case number is true we will be drinking a lot of it at a great QPR.

[RAYC]

Most of our House Ports are produced by Churchill Graham, apart from our Tanners Fine Reserve Port, which we source from Fonseca. If you want to buy a Port to drink with the minimum of fuss i.e. no decanting or ageing ”“ then our Fine Reserve Port or Tanners LBV will fit the bill perfectly.

Tanners are releasing an own-label 2011 (i think it is Skeffington)

In the video Adrian Bridge describes a Pipe as ‟60 dozen”. Interesting.

See also here

[Alex Bridgeman]

Glad I could help!

Delighted I was able to pick up a few more labels to add to the list.

On a different thread, I plan to compare our impressions as there are some real differences which make me want to go back and revisit some of the ports I tried last summer. Very interesting and thought provoking.

[DRT]

I am amazed at the volume of Romaneira produced.

Same here... if that 7,000 case number is true we will be drinking a lot of it at a great QPR.

Not sure why you are astonished. QdR is one of the largest quintas in the Douro and this output is smaller than Graham and Taylor.

To give context to my use of the word "largest", the driveway from the gate to the quinta house is 7km

[Roy Hersh]

Not to mention the extremely large riverfront land mass. Likely the greatest of any quinta that comes to mind.

My Romaneira production number came directly from the source.

[RAYC]

Not sure why you are astonished. QdR is one of the largest quintas in the Douro and this output is smaller than Graham and Taylor.

Not sure whether you are being facile, but i'll give you a few reasons why i am astonished that Romaneira could be the third largest production of all 2011 vintage ports:

- huge quinta - yes. But area actually under vine is stated now as 85 hectares - not so huge by comparison e.g.: to Graham vineyards (240ish hectares under vine according to Malvedos blog), particularly when you consider that the proportion of those Romaneira vines old enough to be producing VP quality grapes in 2011 was presumably much smaller (only 36 hectares of vineyard in 2004, for instance)

- need to take into account Romaneira's stated primary focus on Douro wine rather than port (according to Romaneira website - but this tallies with the impression i have always had of the Romaneira project, even if it does have a particularly good 40yr tawny)

- general low profile / visibility / availability of its port in the UK

- 2008 VP production was only 5,900 bottles according to Roy's article on FTLOP link. I accept that production can be scaled up in good years (cf. Warre's 500 cases in 2009 and 3000 cases in 2011), but even so i am surprised at the difference between the quoted production numbers for those two declarations.

- Wine Spectator article about the recent developments in ownership from January last year which gives a quote of 12,500 annual case production for everything that comes out of the quinta, of which only 20% is port (and presumably an even smaller proportion is VP).

Today, 80 percent of the winery's production is table wine and 20 percent is Port. The total production reaches to 12,500 cases yearly, for a total annual revenue of about $1.33 million

[DRT]

This thread diverged into a different discussion, which can now be found here.

[RAYC]

In terms if RCV production numbers, as well as 500 cases of Delaforce and 500 cases of Carvalhas, there were 6000 bottles of a third blend, of which 4,500 bottles are under the RCV label and 1,500 bottles are under the RO label. Source is from the company and I will report the name of the individual once I've worked out definitively how to spell it!

[cmfernandes]

I add 2 more 2011 vintage to the list.

- Fafide.
- Castelo D`Alba.

The link to the winemaker webpage:

http://www.ruimadeira.pt/en/?/vinhos

[jdaw1]

Thank you: done.

• Rui Roboredo Madeira:
  • Castello d’Alba;
  • Fafide;

And welcome to ThePortForum.com.

[gardenhose]

I am not sure what qualifies as Declared, but

Quinta da Gricha

from Churchill, is also being sold, so would you add it to the list? If you need it, I have proof from the opimian offering 223.

[jdaw1]

I have proof from the opimian offering 223.

Please do post the ‘proof’, as churchills-wineshop.com has only one 2011, the full blend.

[gardenhose]

It is saved in PDF form on my computer, just one page with the information on it. Is there a way I could upload it as an image?

[Alex Bridgeman]

It is saved in PDF form on my computer, just one page with the information on it. Is there a way I could upload it as an image?

The easiest way is probably to email it to me or one of the other admins. Let me know if you need my email address.

[jdaw1]

I suspect that the Canadian company has made an error, and need to call them.

[gardenhose]

I shall call opimian about it. But I sent the pdf to jdaw which included a little picture of the label, and it says Quinta da gricha 2011. We will know for sure when it ships in June.

[gardenhose]

I just received an email from churchill's stating that they are indeed releasing a small amount of the 2011 Quinta da Gricha, mostly in magnums, this year. Opimian secured a small batch that were bottled in 750s and sold directly to their members.

[jdaw1]

I just received an email from churchill's stating that they are indeed releasing a small amount of the 2011 Quinta da Gricha, mostly in magnums, this year. Opimian secured a small batch that were bottled in 750s and sold directly to their members.

Good work. Done.

• Churchill Graham:
  • Churchill (3,000 cases);
  • Churchill Quinta da Gricha;

[jdaw1]

Quarles Harris 2011, as recently delivered to the UK by Glenn E.

[RAYC]

I see that Adnams has also done a 2011 own-label VP (like Tanners, Skeffington)

[Alex Bridgeman]

And a couple added to the list on the first post of this thread.

[RonnieRoots]

Quinta Eira Velha 2011? New to me, but obviously declared, see here. Has anyone come across this, or better, tasted it? I must admit I'm curious, knowing the quality the quinta is capable of producing.

[DRT]

In April 2013 I ordered some Quinta do Vale Meao 2011. Yesterday I was informed that the producer is unable to fulfill the orders from the allocation they handed out two years ago and a number of merchants are having to contact their customers to offer alternative wines or a refund. I took a refund.

Quite shoddy behaviour.

[Andy Velebil]

In April 2013 I ordered some Quinta do Vale Meao 2011. Yesterday I was informed that the producer is unable to fulfill the orders from the allocation they handed out two years ago and a number of merchants are having to contact their customers to offer alternative wines or a refund. I took a refund.

Quite shoddy behaviour.

Have you thought about contacting Vale Meao directly to see what happened? Possible a story by retailer to cover their lack of ordering from their supplier correctly???


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[DRT]

In April 2013 I ordered some Quinta do Vale Meao 2011. Yesterday I was informed that the producer is unable to fulfill the orders from the allocation they handed out two years ago and a number of merchants are having to contact their customers to offer alternative wines or a refund. I took a refund.

Quite shoddy behaviour.

Have you thought about contacting Vale Meao directly to see what happened? Possible a story by retailer to cover their lack of ordering from their supplier correctly???


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Good point, Andy, but it was only a six pack so I probably won't bother doing that. It is worth noting that it was a wine merchant with an excellent reputation and they did tell me that other merchants were affected. I explained that I knew the guys at Vale Meao and they stuck to their story so I strongly suspect it's true otherwise they would have known I could have rumbled them.

I suppose it has saved me having another 6 bottles of young VP in the cellar that I'll never drink

[DRT]

In April 2013 I ordered some Quinta do Vale Meao 2011. Yesterday I was informed that the producer is unable to fulfill the orders from the allocation they handed out two years ago and a number of merchants are having to contact their customers to offer alternative wines or a refund. I took a refund.

Quite shoddy behaviour.

Have you thought about contacting Vale Meao directly to see what happened? Possible a story by retailer to cover their lack of ordering from their supplier correctly???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good point, Andy, but it was only a six pack so I probably won't bother doing that. It is worth noting that it was a wine merchant with an excellent reputation and they did tell me that other merchants were affected. I explained that I knew the guys at Vale Meao and they stuck to their story so I strongly suspect it's true otherwise they would have known I could have rumbled them.

I suppose it has saved me having another 6 bottles of young VP in the cellar that I'll never drink

[Andy Velebil]

Yeah but what will you drink in another 20-30 years time. You're life coach has you in top top shape. You need some younger things in the cellar.


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[PhilW]

Passagem also produced a 2011 vintage port, details here, which I don't see in the main list.
2500 bottles made.

[jdaw1]

Vivino asserts “Hooper's Port 2011”.