Port 2018 Vintage Declared For A Rare Third Consecutive Year

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The 2018 Port vintage is being widely heralded, as the leading Port houses start to make their annual declarations. Taylor’s Port has taken the decision to declare a classic vintage for a highly unusual third consecutive year, following its declaration of the 2016 and 2017 vintages.

‘Although a Classic declaration normally only happens about three times a decade, the exceptional run of years has meant that Taylor’s is able to make a third in a row,’ said Taylor’s managing director Adrian Bridge.

‘This is very unusual but our principle is that we only declare a Classic Vintage when the quality is there and this is dictated by the year, not by any other consideration.’ Bridge added that in light of the current global situation the house would bottle in July as usual, but not offer the wines for sale until early 2021.

Fonseca and Croft, which like Taylor’s are owned by The Fladgate Partnership, will also be releasing 2018 vintage bottlings. Commenting on the general quality of the vintage, head winemaker David Guimaraens said: ‘The 2018 harvest has produced outstanding vintage Ports, although the year was not without its challenges. These included the severe hailstorm which devastated many Pinhão Valley vineyards on 28 May.’ He noted that 2018 Ports have ‘the highest colour intensity of recent vintages, always a sign of good extraction and longevity’.

Guimaraens highlighted ‘exceptional’ growing conditions in the Douro Superior in particular. ‘The Douro Superior enjoyed the combination of abundant ground water and hot summer weather which often produces great vintage Port. It has given us the excellent phenolic maturity typical of a hot ripening season but the fine multi-layered fruit, fresh acidity we normally see in cooler years.’

By Julie Sheppard
April 27, 2020
Source and complete article:Decanter.com