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The 2017s were tasted on Tuesday 25th June 2019, at The Boot & Flogger.

Many thanks to the many shippers who sent bottles, and to Alex for organising.

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• The 2017s:
  • Bulas 2017;
  • Burmester 2017;
  • Churchill 2017;
  • Churchill Quinta da Gricha 2017;
  • Cockburn 2017;
  • Quinta do Crasto 2017;
  • Croft 2017;
  • Croft Quinta da Roêda Sērikos 2017;
  • Dalva 2017;
  • Dow 2017;
  • Fonseca 2017;
  • Graham 2017;
  • Graham The Stone Terraces 2017;
  • Quinta do Javali 2017;
  • Kopke 2017;
  • Quinta das Lamelas 2017;
  • Martha 2017;
  • Maynard 2017;
  • Maynard Organic 2017;
  • Niepoort 2017;
  • Quinta do Noval 2017;
  • Quinta do Noval Nacional 2017;
  • Pintas 2017;
  • Poças 2017;
  • Portal 2017;
  • Portal Muros 2017;
  • Quevedo 2017;
  • Ramos Pinto 2017;
  • Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 2017;
  • Quinta da Romaneira 2017;
  • La Rosa 2017;
  • Quinta da Sequeira 2017;
  • Skeffington 2017;
  • Taylor 2017;
  • Taylor Vargellas Vinha Velha 2017;
  • Quinta do Vale Meão 2017;
  • Quinta do Vallado 2017;
  • Quinta do Vallado Adelaide 2017;
  • Quinta do Vesuvio 2017;
  • Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio 2017;
  • Vieira de Sousa 2017;
  • Warre 2017;
• Sticky labels and TN pages (which caused some additions to the list of Port House abbreviations).
• Planing and arrangements.

A5: A denser, smokier nose. Some dustiness and an alcoholic edge. Oak too in evidence? Vanilla sweetness on palate along with oaky dryness. Quite aggressive finish and harder going today. Needs time to come together and show its potential. (Fonseca)

Fruity nose. Not as fruity on the palate (red fruits mostly), but heavy, grippy tannins. Quite bitter in the back, certainly not easy drinking. Not convincing right now, but could age well. Ok.

(Tasted sighted) Deep purple, perfumed nose of red fruit and. Classic Fonseca, refined and understated elegance. This wine has a lovely balance at this point in its life. Showing well on the palate smooth and mellow. For me this provides a lovely counterpoint to some of the more powerful wines. Good finish strong finish. 97.

Deep purple colour, forest fruit, blackberry and black cherry, blueberry and blossom, cinnamon and mint. Lovely balance between the acid, well-integrated tannins and sweetness. The 2017 Fonseca displays a mouthwatering long peppery and spicy finish. 18/20

Tasted blind. Deep red with a purple tone. Perfumed nose with plenty of sour fruit. Thick in texture with lots of dark plum fruit. Huge tannins lurk under the fruit giving a fine grained and floury grip in the lovely dense fruit. Chewy black plum sits on the aftertaste, keeping the attention while the tannins fade away to give a black liquorice finish. This Port has great density of fruit. 93-95/100.