ThePortForum.com

JacobH wrote:Well, the ideal situation would be if economics meant the shippers stuck to 3-time-a-decade but produced SQVP of VP quality in the intermediate years! Indeed, I think that is already happening to some extent: every time I do a big vertical tasting, I am always struck by the quality of wines from minor years after 1994 and, again, after 2003.

Fonseca’s website wrote:23 April 2011: Fonseca is pleased to announce that it has declared the 2009 vintage.

Fonseca’s CEO, Adrian Bridge, commented, ‘I am delighted to announce that Fonseca will bottle a declared vintage port from 2009. It is very unusual to have a string of four great vintages in a decade. This is a reminder that, although we can tip the balance in our favour through investment in our vineyards, ultimately it is nature which is in control.’

The reduced yields, resulting from low vine productivity and the very dry summer, resulted in dense and concentrated musts with high levels of tannin, sugar and colour. Due to the low yields at the harvest, the quantities of Fonseca 2009 are smaller than those of the preceding three declared vintages.

Fonseca’s head winemaker David Guimaraens remarked: ‘The’09s have higher colour intensity and tannin levels than we have seen for the last two decades. They also have exceptional fruit quality as can be seen from the wonderfully opulent nose of the Fonseca.’

Blender Mario Araújo, who celebrates his 50th year working in the Fonseca tasting room, noted: ‘This is one of the most impressive young vintage ports that I can remember. In many ways it reminds me of the 1970 with its firm tannins and powerful fruit.’

According to house tradition, the announcement is made in the morning of St. George's Day, 23rd April.

JacobH wrote:Of course these threads are only fun if we put our necks on the line and prepare to make some wide speculations about what will happen, so: my prediction is that 2009 will be another 2005. Mostly SQVPs but quite a few major shippers (and not just those, like Noval, who are known for declaring in minor years) will produce a classic blend.

jdaw1 wrote:But in the FG vertical, many of the pre-’94 years were also excellent.

JacobH wrote:What I don’t think existed 20 years ago were the fine wines in secondary years from much smaller shippers and independent quintas

Perhaps this is shaping up for a true split declaration with 2010?

uncle tom wrote:At this point, 2009 is looking more like a '58 or '72 - an intermediate year; although the quality I've seen so far is exceptional.

jdaw1 wrote:

uncle tom wrote:At this point, 2009 is looking more like a '58 or '72 - an intermediate year; although the quality I've seen so far is exceptional.

This is a sentence of two halves. How can ‟intermediate” and ‟exceptional” best be reconciled?

jdaw1 wrote:

JacobH wrote:What I don’t think existed 20 years ago were the fine wines in secondary years from much smaller shippers and independent quintas

In the late 1980s the rules changed, permitting shipping from the Douro rather than from Gaia, which has hugely increased the number of ‟smaller shippers and independent quintas”.

How can ‟intermediate” and ‟exceptional” best be reconciled?

1972 an intermediate year? Stop kidding around.

g-man wrote:Maintain the running list:

Taylor 2009
Taylor VVV 2009
Fonseca 2009
Croft 2009
Skeffington 2009
Niepoort 2009
Quevedo 2009
Warres 2009
Vesuvio 2009
Dow Senhora de Riberia 2009

uncle tom wrote:I would be amazed if there was not a 2009 Malvedos - a cask sample was stupendous..

..has this been confirmed?

g-man wrote:Maintain the running list:

Taylor 2009
Taylor VVV 2009
Fonseca 2009
Croft 2009
Skeffington 2009
Niepoort 2009
Quevedo 2009
Warres 2009
Vesuvio 2009
Dow Senhora de Riberia 2009

jdaw1 wrote:

uncle tom wrote:I would be amazed if there was not a 2009 Malvedos - a cask sample was stupendous..

..has this been confirmed?

Yes.

DRT wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:Yes.

The Symington's are also producing Dow Bomfim and Cockburn Canais from 2009.

JacobH wrote:I thought the Quinta dos Canais was an extremely-limited library-only production. Is it going to be available anywhere?

uncle tom wrote:There are always dozens of small library stock bottlings..

..if there are no plans to market it, then perhaps it shouldn't be on our little list...!

Tom

DRT wrote:I think it has been approved by the IVDP, which makes it different to the family reserve wines I think you are referring to, Tom.

JacobH wrote:

DRT wrote:I think it has been approved by the IVDP, which makes it different to the family reserve wines I think you are referring to, Tom.

I wonder why they have done that, unless they are planning to sell some?

DRT wrote:

JacobH wrote:

DRT wrote:I think it has been approved by the IVDP, which makes it different to the family reserve wines I think you are referring to, Tom.

I wonder why they have done that, unless they are planning to sell some?

Perhaps because without approval it isn't vintage port?

Paul Symington wrote:Dear Derek,

We are not Declaring the 2009 Vintage Port, apart from a small quantity of Warre's 2009 Vintage Port. 500 cases of a special commemorative Warre have been bottled (each bottle numbered) to commemorate the liberation of Oporto in May 1809 by the Anglo-Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington. William Warre, born in Oporto, fought in this campaign. He tried to hold a bridge over the Cavado river with a small band of local militia. He expected to meet stragglers from the French army who had been pushed out of Oporto. But Warre ended up facing Soult's entire army, who had Wellington closing fast on his tail. This wine is a dedication to his singular bravery at this action and the awards he won at the time. We will be contributing £4.00 on every bottle sold (£48.00 per case of 12) to Help the Heroes on all bottles sold in the UK and the equivalent on Portugal's sales to the Liga dos Combatentes. I expect that only about 360 cases will be available for the UK as we have to keep some for other markets.

The Warre's 2009 comes primarily from Cavadinha which is a higher vineyard than the river-side Quintas, so performed particularly well in this very dry year. We have also used some wine from the Warre's Retiro vineyard in the Rio Torto and from the Warre's Telhada Quinta near Vale de Meao, beyond Vesuvio. It is a truly remarkable wine and a landmark for Warre; deep and structured but with elegance and length and fantastically perfumed.

We are offering a small quantity of Quinta do Vesuvio 2009, 600 cases and 400 cases of Dow's Quinta da Senhora de Ribeira 2009, as we do in every good year. In both cases these wines come from the higher and more protected vineyards on these estates (Ribeira faces south, but the top vineyard, by the old water tank, faces north-east and is protected from the south and the afternoon sun) that suffered less from the dry weather and the hot summer. The Vesuvio has the classic velvet balance that always characterises this Quinta, with a steely backbone on the finish. The Ribeira is more austere, like all Dow, but has a lovely bitter-chocolate mid-palate.

We are also bottling Malvedos, Bomfim and Canais 2009, but these wines are being cellared now and will only be offered when they have gained some bottle-age.

2009 was a difficult year in our vineyards. Please see our harvest report written in October 2009 (available on our website). We had 31% less rain than average in the agricultural year, this after two dry years. We then had a warm August and early September, resulting in high graduations in many cases (often graduations increased in the lagares a few hours after crushing as some of the very dry grapes released their sugars) coupled in many cases with still green pips and stalks. The vines were finding it very difficult to ripen their fruit normally due to the lack of humidity. But the Douro is a region of micro-climates unlike virtually any other region on earth, so even in a challenging year like 2009, some small gems can be made.

The 2009's that we are offering (as above) are truly in very short supply, they will be true collectors Ports as they will never again become available. What is offered now is it. No more. So if anybody is interested they had better get onto their usual source of supply....!

Best wishes,

Paul

Joint Managing Director
Symington Family Estates
http://www.symington.com
Member of Primum Familiae Vini
http://www.pfv.org

DRT wrote:Thanks, Paul.

Could you please clarify something regarding the Canais 09?

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to taste it at The Big Fortified Tasting last month when I visited Henry and Tim on your stand. My recollection is that they told me that the Canais was such a small quantity that it would be "library stock only", with no intention for it to be released now or in the future. They did mention that Bomfim and Malvedos would be released in a decade or so and the Warre, Vesuvio and Dow Reibera being released imminently.

Have I got the story wrong on the Canais?

Regards

Derek

Paul Symington wrote:Hi Derek,

You have it right, the Canais 2009 is library stock. It will be used for tastings and so that we can make internal evaluations for the Quinta's wines over the years.

So the quantity is very small and it will never be released commercially.

Best,

Paul

Paul Symington wrote:So the quantity is very small and it will never be released commercially.

JacobH wrote:As another suggestion, if they have it approved as Vintage Port by the IVDP, does that help their reserve stock levels requirements, even if they are not planning on selling it?

RonnieRoots wrote:No, for the law of thirds it doesn't matter what sort of port your reserve is, all that matters is that it's port. I've seen one particular example where there were a number of tanks filled with the worst possible port, just to serve as reserve stock, while that producer only sells port in the 'premium' category.

JacobH wrote:

RonnieRoots wrote:No, for the law of thirds it doesn't matter what sort of port your reserve is, all that matters is that it's port. I've seen one particular example where there were a number of tanks filled with the worst possible port, just to serve as reserve stock, while that producer only sells port in the 'premium' category.

But does the reserve stock still have to be certified by the IVDP? If so, it would be worth getting all library stocks certified so that they contribute to the third and reduce the number of tanks of rubbish kept to conform to the rule.

DRT wrote:Is it not only Special Category styles that require approval?

uncle tom wrote:Unless I've got it wrong, you could ship out every last bottle of premium port in your inventory; provided you have twice the volume of standard ports retained in tanks somewhere.

DRT wrote:

uncle tom wrote:Unless I've got it wrong, you could ship out every last bottle of premium port in your inventory; provided you have twice the volume of standard ports retained in tanks somewhere.

I think that is exactly right.

In the late 1980s the rules changed, permitting shipping from the Douro rather than from Gaia, which has hugely increased the number of ‟smaller shippers and independent quintas”.

DRT wrote:In an email exchange this evening...

Paul Symington wrote:Dear Derek,
We are also bottling Malvedos, Bomfim and Canais 2009, but these wines are being cellared now and will only be offered when they have gained some bottle-age.

SushiNorth wrote:

DRT wrote:In an email exchange this evening...

Paul Symington wrote:Dear Derek,
We are also bottling Malvedos, Bomfim and Canais 2009, but these wines are being cellared now and will only be offered when they have gained some bottle-age.

Interestingly, I've been seeing Malvedos on the market recently.