Quinta de Terra Feita Vintage Port 2019 Also To Be Bottled — The Ports Will Be Cellared for Release at a Later Date to Help Satisfy Market Demand for Mature Single Quinta Vintage Port
NEW YORK, NY – April 21, 2021 – Taylor Fladgate will bottle two Single Quintas from 2019: Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita.
Commenting the announcement, Taylor Fladgate Managing Director, Adrian Bridge, states: ‘The 2019 harvest has produced excellent wines with extensive longevity to age in bottle. Quinta de Vargellas 2019 Port shows the elegance and composure which we associate with this great estate, whereas Quinta de Terra Feita 2019 Port expresses a sumptuous opulence and earthiness, hallmark of this historic property.” He adds: “Taylor Fladgate has always offered Single Quinta Vintage Port as a mature Port as we are currently selling the Quinta de Vargellas 2013. By putting these aside we are looking to satisfy demand for such Ports in 2029/2030.
Taylor Fladgate winemaker David Guimaraens notes: “The cool conditions in August and the much-welcomed rain on the 25th and 26th August, were key to preserving the natural acidity of the grapes that is one of the characteristics of the Ports from 2019. The Vargellas 2019 has an attractive crisp acidity and expresses its terroir with great precision. Picking at Terra Feita started on the 22nd September under hot weather, with extraordinarily healthy grapes, which was a critical factor in the quality of the Ports. Yields were relatively low, but this was made up for in the depth and structure of the 2019 Vintage ports.”
Presently Taylor Fladgate Classic Vintage 2018 is available at fine wine merchants throughout the USA.
- CASES PRODUCED QUINTA DE VARGELLAS VINTAGE PORT 2019: 5,000
- CASES PRODUCED QUINTA DE TERRA FEITA VINTAGE PORT 2019: 1,500
- TASTING NOTE QUINTA DE VARGELLAS VINTAGE PORT 2019
Deep purple black with a narrow red rim and magenta highlights. The keynotes here are elegance and finesse. The nose is polished and precise, displaying very pure, bright fruit with predominant notes of raspberry and cherry and an attractive fresh grapiness. Surrounding this core of fine fruit are subtle botanical notes of bracken and underwood and scents of wild herbs and flowers. The palate is compact and racy, with wiry linear tannins galvanised by a powerful charge of acidity. The fine, ‘singing’ fruit which is the signature of the 2019 vintage re-emerges on the palate and extends into the long finish. As always with Vargellas, it is the distinctive fruit quality which stands out, combining focus and definition with a seductive complexity.
TASTING NOTE QUINTA DE TERRA FEITA VINTAGE PORT 2019
Deep ruby black with a vivid purple red rim. The nose opens with a heady infusion of red berries and black woodland fruit blended with notes of damson and plum. This is soon joined by discreet spicy tobacco notes, wild herbal scents of mint, balsam and resin and warm aromas of dark chocolate, liquorice and spice. The texture is velvety and supple but well supported by beautifully integrated granular tannins. A dense flow of succulent black berry fruit runs through the palate and into the long finish. This wine displays the hedonistic, sensuous character of Terra Feita restrained by the flinty freshness of the 2019 vintage.
NOTES ON THE 2019 VITICULTURAL YEAR AND HARVEST
After a warm and dry period of dormancy, the vineyard cycle began slightly early with budburst on 9th March, about a week ahead of the usual calendar. Overall, the growing season was drier and cooler than average although the usual April rains were quite heavy, with around 98 mm of precipitation as the grapes began to colour (véraison) at around the usual time in mid-July. Although the ripening season began with high temperatures, the weather in the critical month of August was cooler than average with some rainfall on 25th and 26th to balance the ripening of the crop. The relatively cool conditions and absence of peaks of high temperature have translated into the elegance, crisp acidity and ‘singing’ fruit that we find in the 2019 wines. Harvesting of red grapes in the eastern areas of the Douro began in hot weather on 4th September and at Pinhão on 14th. The crop was perfectly healthy and in excellent condition, although yields were almost a tenth lower than the 10-year average. The wines were attractively aromatic, with a high natural acidity and greater than normal colour intensity.
ABOUT QUINTA DE VARGELLAS
The wines of Quinta de Vargellas traditionally form the ‘backbone’ of the Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port blend. This outstanding estate, recognized as one of the world’s finest vineyards, was acquired by Taylor Fladgate in 1893 although its reputation as a source of the finest ports dates back to the 1820’s. Located in the remote eastern reaches of the Douro Valley, Vargellas is known for its elegant, scented wines, with their fine focused fruit and well integrated sinewy tannins. It is also known as a source of one of the rarest and most collectible Vintage Ports of all, Vargellas Vinha Velha, made in very small quantities from the produce of the oldest vines on the estate.
ABOUT QUINTA DE TERRA FEITA
A traditional component of Taylor Fladgate classic Vintage Ports, the wines of Quinta de Terra Feita are full-bodied, powerful and full of rich berry fruit flavour. They provide depth and volume to the blend. Located on the warm lower slopes of the Pinhão Valley, Terra Feita is one of the oldest port estates. Already identified as a source of the finest ports in the 1757 classification of Douro vineyards, Terra Feita has supplied Taylor Fladgate with outstanding wines since the 1890’s. Acquired by Taylor Fladgate in 1974, the property has been the site of pioneering work in batch planting and vineyard landscaping.
For more information, please visit Taylor Fladgate.
About Kobrand Corporation
Founded in 1944, Kobrand Corporation remains one of the few family-owned wine and spirits companies in the United States. Kobrand’s portfolio was meticulously selected according to a single, unerring principle: quality. This continued focus has made the Kobrand name synonymous with wines and spirits of the highest caliber for 75 years. Kobrand is the exclusive agent for an outstanding selection of fine wines, spirits, and sakes from key regions around the world, including the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. For more information about Kobrand and the portfolio visit http://www.Kobrandwineandspirits.com.
