Question about declared years

[gardenhose]

Hi folks,

Single Quintas are often released in non declared years, but in declared years, is it common that a house will also release a single Quinta? I was wondering if there would be a Dow bomfim or Graham malvedos 2011? Also, two years seems typical for the release of a declared vintage after it is harvested, but is the same true for single Quintas?

Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere (or that my assumptions are false). I was wondering because in the email I received from Churchill's it was suggested that they would begin to release their single Quintas a year later from their house blend of the same vintage. They said in previous years they were released alongside one another.

[Glenn E.]

VP, and SQVP, must be bottles between 18 and 30 months after harvest. Most is bottled after 18, but occasionally someone will delay for some reason.

Note that bottles and released are entirely different things. It is not uncommon for a producer to hold back some or all of ybe VP produced during a harvest for later release.

Your Quinta da Gricha could be either, though a slightly delayed release seems more likely to me.

[PhilW]

Single Quintas are often released in non declared years, but in declared years, is it common that a house will also release a single Quinta? I was wondering if there would be a Dow bomfim or Graham malvedos 2011? Also, two years seems typical for the release of a declared vintage after it is harvested, but is the same true for single Quintas?

It is not common (I would assume because all of the grapes from the primary quinta(s) are used in the flagship VP) but it does happen sometimes, for example in 1970 there was a "Taylor" VP and a "Taylor Quinta de Vargellas" VP. More producers are now starting to create a premium VP as well as their main VP in declared years, such as Graham + Stone Terraces, Vesuvio + Capella, Taylor + VV, as well as Noval + Nacional of course.

[Alex Bridgeman]

It's unusual, but there are precedents for shippers who in a full declaration year bottle and release both a top label blended port and a single Quinta port. There is the example Glenn gave (Taylor and Vargellas in 1970), I seem to recall some discussion on this Board or perhaps FTLOP a few months ago over a Dow and a Bomfim being made in the same year and I have in the back of my mind that Churchill might also have done this before. A single Quinta wine might allow a shipper to access their market at two price points in the same vintage.

It happens, but it is unusual.

[djewesbury]

There is the example Glenn gave (Taylor and Vargellas in 1970)

LET Glenn = PhilW

I have in the back of my mind that Churchill might also have done this before.

2003, possibly?

[PhilW]

Also Cockburn in both 2000 and 2007 issued Cockburn VP and Cockburn Quinta dos Canais VP (the latter being the one with the label much favoured by me in 2000).

[uncle tom]

Taylor and Vargellas in 1970

IIRC, the Vargellas '70 was a swansong wine made solely from vines that were about to be lost due to the damming of the river

[Glenn E.]

Taylor and Vargellas in 1970

IIRC, the Vargellas '70 was a swansong wine made solely from vines that were about to be lost due to the damming of the river

That story sounds familiar. Would love to get a bottle, precisely because of the story. There's a "coolness" factor to something like that which goes beyond even something like Noval Nacional, VVV, Stone Terraces, etc.

[gardenhose]

Thank you for the replies. Port wine and its history is so much fun to learn about.

[RAYC]

a Dow and a Bomfim being made in the same year

This definitely happened in 70, 77 and 80. Possibly earlier too.

[Andy Velebil]

Taylor and Vargellas in 1970

IIRC, the Vargellas '70 was a swansong wine made solely from vines that were about to be lost due to the damming of the river

I was also told the same by Allistar.

[Andy Velebil]

a Dow and a Bomfim being made in the same year

This definitely happened in 70, 77 and 80. Possibly earlier too.

IIRC, the Bomfim was produced in these years, in very small amounts, by special request to a (or the) Scandinavian country(ies). Don't remember which one or ones.

[jdaw1]

by special request to a (or the) Scandinavian country(ies)

IIRC, Denmark.