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I have just read the following in Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Book 2010...

Oz Clarke wrote:Single quinta (Vintage) A true single-quinta wine comes from an individual estate; however, many shippers sell their vintage port under a quinta name in years which are not declared as a vintage, even though it may be sourced from 2 or 3 different vineyards. It is quite possible for these "off vintage" ports to be equal or even surpass the vintage wines from the same house.

Discuss...

The above quote got me thinking. I cannot find an official definition of what constitutes an SQVP. Does such a rule exist?

Having visited many quintas during harvest I know that most buy in grapes from independant growers as well as using their own grapes from the quinta. If these bought in grapes are not trodden, vinified and aged entirely separately from the wines made with grapes grown on the quinta, it is highly likely that the description given by Oz Clarke is true and that SQVPs are wines made on a specific quinta rather than being wines made exclusively with grapes grown on that quinta.

Perhaps someone from the trade will let us know what reality looks like

Derek

I always thought "SQVPs are wines made on a specific quinta " to be the case with the exception of the taylor VVV and noval nacional no?

Tho what about big years where someone like fonseca decalres all 3 labels.

DRT wrote:The above quote got me thinking. I cannot find an official definition of what constitutes an SQVP. Does such a rule exist?

I believe that SQVP is a fairly informal category of Port; certainly the Regulamento das categorias especiais do vinho do Porto does not include a definition of it, and I presume the IVDP just passes them as Vintage Ports.

DRT wrote: If these bought in grapes are not trodden, vinified and aged entirely separately from the wines made with grapes grown on the quinta, it is highly likely that the description given by Oz Clarke is true and that SQVPs are wines made on a specific quinta rather than being wines made exclusively with grapes grown on that quinta.

I wonder whether it also varies between the type of SQVP that is being produced too? There are at least four different types of Vintage Port produced which have the name of the Quinta on the front: the ones compete in the same market as the main shippers (essentially Noval and Vesuvio); the secondary VPs of the main shippers (e.g. Canais, Malvedos &c.); the major independent players (some of which are high quality Douro wine producers who do a bit of Port too) and the very small independents that seem to produce Port for a small mostly domestic market.

Another factor must also be the amalgamation of the bigger Quintas. I think many of these are now much bigger properties than they used to be, absorbing what used to be independent Quintas around them.

DRT wrote:The above quote got me thinking. I cannot find an official definition of what constitutes an SQVP. Does such a rule exist?

I don't think it does. SQVP is not a formal category, it's just one that we Port geeks use.

As far as I know, all VP goes through the exact same process whether the final label is going to be "Fonseca" or "Fonseca Guimarraens" or "Quinta do Panascal." I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Glenn E. wrote: I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Ahem ... Price

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote: I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Ahem ... Price

1994 Warre Vintage Port: $55
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port: $80

Come again?

Glenn E. wrote:

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote: I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Ahem ... Price

1994 Warre Vintage Port: $55
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port: $80

Come again?

NOT THE SAME HOUSE!

how bout the 03 Fonsecas across the three labels? mmmmmmmmmmm?

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote: I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Ahem ... Price

1994 Warre Vintage Port: $55
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port: $80

Come again?

NOT THE SAME HOUSE!

how bout the 03 Fonsecas across the three labels? mmmmmmmmmmm?

Same owner!

I don't follow 2000 onward all that closely, so have no clue what the 2003 Fonsecas might cost.

I vaguely recall that Graham’s recently switched from using the brand ‟Graham’s Malvedos” to ‟Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos”, as grapes had previously been bought in but are no longer. As others have said, perhaps somebody from the trade could comment.

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:

g-man wrote:

Glenn E. wrote: I believe that the difference between the three is just an informal one.

Ahem ... Price

1994 Warre Vintage Port: $55
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port: $80

Come again?

NOT THE SAME HOUSE!

how bout the 03 Fonsecas across the three labels? mmmmmmmmmmm?

What’s the going price for a Vargellas ’70 compared to a Taylor ’70?

JacobH wrote: What’s the going price for a Vargellas ’70 compared to a Taylor ’70?

I don't think the Vargellas 70 was released. It was apparently made using grapes from the vineyard that is now below the water but I don't think it was released into the market.

DRT wrote:

JacobH wrote: What’s the going price for a Vargellas ’70 compared to a Taylor ’70?

I don't think the Vargellas 70 was released. It was apparently made using grapes from the vineyard that is now below the water but I don't think it was released into the market.

TV70 is jolly good.