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I've just savoured a bottle of 1996 Vargellas today (ripe, fine, pure, excellent and wonderful now), and am looking to explore Terra Feita now. I know the latter has been discussed recently here. Vargellas is supposed to be about finesse, purity and florality - so what is Terra Feita about?

I'd love to know what anyone has gathered from tasting the two side-by-side or on different occasions over the years, and what you see as what the two offer when compared to each other in general terms. What are their underlying characteristics and how do they differ.

Ben

The simple option is to try for yourself! There's a tasting very soon which is accepting reserves. If you add your name now, you'd have a good chance of being on the attendees list.
For this tasting, you might have to adopt (I e. Come to a financial or trade arrangement) from a fellow attendee. Otherwise, we're always happy for a new face.

viewtopic.php?t=13362

Edit: should note that whilst the tasting is Terra Feita focused, guest ports of Vargellas are invited.

This has made me realise it is a very, very long time since I have drunk a bottle of Terra Feita even though it was my Port of choice when I was a student because it was the cheapest serious SQVP! I need to remedy this soon. I wonder if you can still get halves easily for a side-by-side tasting?

BRPetrie wrote: ↑21:05 Sat 22 Oct 2022 Vargellas is supposed to be about finesse, purity and florality - so what is Terra Feita about?

I’ve noticed that the Taylor Fladgate Partnership often describes their Ports in these sorts of terms. Especially if you ask them what the difference is between a classic Taylor Vintage Port and a classic Fonseca one. I’ve never found them very easy to understand: I prefer more prosaic descriptions about how sweet or dry they are, how the tannins come across and the like...

I think one should expect the main difference between these wines to be caused by the locations of the quintas. Vargellas is up in the Douro Superior so one should expect the extreme heat to allow them to make wines with great tannic structure for long term maturation. Terra Feita is on the Rio Pinhão in the Cima Corgo region where temperatures are generally a little less extreme and the wines might be a bit lighter and more expressive when young. But that is speculation based on a very long period of time from when I last tried a comparative tasting...

This thread encouraged me to open a 2001 TF tonight. I'm not sure that provides much of an answer to the question but it has been very enjoyable and makes me wonder why I have drunk so little TF recently.

JacobH wrote: ↑21:15 Mon 24 Oct 2022 This thread encouraged me to open a 2001 TF tonight. I'm not sure that provides much of an answer to the question but it has been very enjoyable and makes me wonder why I have drunk so little TF recently.

This is great, I'm glad it sparked some interest! I'm very keen to try soon

@ BRPetrie - There is now a space for the 2 Nov tasting if you are interested. Dinner will be about £60 and wine buy-in about the same.

@winesecretary - That sounds great! By wine buy-in you mean covering the cost for the bottles?

@ BRPetrie - yes indeed. We have the wines arranged so you would be 'adopting' one (the 1986 TTF, which I am bringing along with a number of others simillarly for adoption).

@winesecretary That sounds great count me in!

JacobH wrote: ↑09:50 Mon 24 Oct 2022 I wonder if you can still get halves easily for a side-by-side tasting?

Never seen TTF halves, but TV often more readily found in this format (eg 1996). In recent vintages (eg 2012) have purchased halves EP for earlier drinking.

Halves are good. I think we generally need more.

@BRPetrie - on the list