Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port 2023

Socials

@SymingtonVinhos

Information

Title

Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port

Vintage

2023

The Year

Abundant rainfall during the first half of the winter reversed the severe drought of 2022, replenishing soil water levels satisfactorily. Although February to April was an exceptionally dry and mild period, generous late spring rainfall in May and June sustained the vines over the ripening cycle. While much of Europe was blasted by extreme heatwaves during the summer, July temperatures in Portugal were close to normal and in the Douro fractionally below average. Although there was virtually no rainfall in the Douro during July and August, reasonable soil moisture, combined with comparatively moderate temperatures, favoured good levels of acidity, balanced maturations, and good phenolic development. Perfectly timed rain in early September provided a great start to the vintage, and we picked under fine conditions during the first half of the month. From mid-September, excessive rainfall affected later ripening grapes, but many of our finest vineyard parcels had been picked before the rain, enabling us to produce some very fine wines.

The Quinta

Since acquiring Quinta do Vesuvio in 1989, the Symington family have sought to recover the quinta’s legendary reputation. Drawing on their wealth of winemaking experience in the Douro, which stretches back five generations, the family have made substantial investments in the vineyards. Over the last three decades, Quinta do Vesuvio has built a global reputation as a single-estate producer of fine Vintage Ports and, more recently, fine Douro red wines. The estate faithfully preserves the tradition of treading the grapes in granite lagares. At each vintage, Vesuvio’s impressive winery fills with the sound of 50 treaders working the lagares.
Quinta do Vesuvio is located in the Douro Superior, the demarcated region’s hottest and driest sub- region with just 470 mm average annual rainfall. The property’s sheer size (326 hectares) and mountainous terrain result in varied aspects, predominantly north and northwest, as it occupies a south bank position along the Douro River. The vineyards are laid out along varying altitudes, ranging from 110 metres up to almost 500 metres above sea level. These two variables are important features of the property’s terroir; combined they shield the vineyard from excessive heat. The estate’s mature vineyards in the Vale da Teja section of the property date from the 1970s and are a vital contribution to the wines in challenging years. These vines have a well-developed root system, enabling them to tap the water in the subsoil, providing vital sustenance through the dry summer conditions. They contribute to the incredible complexity and structure of Quinta do Vesuvio wines.

Brand

Quinta do Vesúvio

Trademark

Vesuvio

Type

Port