2018 Vintage Port

[Jasper A.]

Kopke the first one to be official? Tasted it today, good quality. Not as concentrated as the 2017, but still really nice.

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Updated list declared 2018 vintage ports:

Barros
Burmester Quinta do Arnozelo
Calem
Cockburn Quinta dos Canais (late release)
Croft Quinta Roeda
Dow’s Quinta da Senhore da Ribeira
Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim (late release)
Ferreira
Fonseca Guimaraens
Graham’s Malvedos (late release)
Kopke Quinta Sao Luis
Offley
Pintas
Quinta da Romaneira
Quinta do Noval
Quinta do Vesuvio
Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro
Rozez
Sandeman
Taylor’s
Warre’s Quinta da Cavandinha (late release)

[Andy Velebil]

Cool.

If you can please post a tasting note (however brief) in the tasting note section so others can easily find it in the future.

[Tom Archer]

I'm hoping to be able to try a few 2018s next month.

After three good years, 2018 has a mountain to climb to impress. It was a small harvest following some extreme spring weather that badly damaged yields, but the harvest period appeared to proceed smoothly without upset. There might well be some good value to be found in this vintage.

The little I've heard about 2019 is less encouraging. Not a disaster I think, but one producer told me that the weather patterns 'confused' the vines in the run up to harvest, and the results were less impressive than they had hoped.

[Andy Velebil]

I'm hoping to be able to try a few 2018s next month.

After three good years, 2018 has a mountain to climb to impress. It was a small harvest following some extreme spring weather that badly damaged yields, but the harvest period appeared to proceed smoothly without upset. There might well be some good value to be found in this vintage.

The little I've heard about 2019 is less encouraging. Not a disaster I think, but one producer told me that the weather patterns 'confused' the vines in the run up to harvest, and the results were less impressive than they had hoped.

I don't recall anyone being excited during the 2019 harvest, for Port.

And agree, I think there will be some good values from 2018. But I am pretty confident there won't be a general declaration for 2018 after the previous declarations.

[Eric Menchen]

Andy started this thread about the 2019 harvest a while back: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41927
2019 Vintage Ports might merit their own thread when the time comes, or maybe not if the above comments hold for most producers.

[Jasper A.]

Cool.

If you can please post a tasting note (however brief) in the tasting note section so others can easily find it in the future.

I tasted the port quickly, so I did not make any tasting notes. This thread was more about the 2018 Vintage Port in general.

[Roy Hersh]

2015 was a massively better year than 2018 was. The VP's are tried and true and we already know what they are about. Unless there is a major birthday or family event from 2018, why not take advantage of the low prices and a few more years of age?

That said, while nobody seemed overtly enthusiastic re: 2018 Ports during the harvest, several producers were talking up their potential for table wines. But 2018 was ugly in that there were not enough pickers during harvest and that manifested itself pretty much across all sectors of the region. It should be very interesting to see what was produced and I will look forward to spend a week or so, in June to taste some blind flights of 2018.

[Thomas V]

I will follow the 2018 declarations closely as this is the birth year of my son.

Need to load up on Vesuvio, Noval and who else decided to declare. I expect quite a few of the smaller producers to continue the trend of a VP each year if the quality is there. Wouldn't mind some Pintas, Alves de Sousa, Vieira de Sousa, Quevedo and the likes to my sons stash.

[Roy Hersh]

Andy wrote:

And agree, I think there will be some good values from 2018.

But I am pretty confident

there won't be a general declaration for 2018 after the previous declarations.

Now that is about as brave a prediction as I've ever seen.

I think my own laughable line about visiting Porto in June to taste some 2018's rivaled that, but Covid-19 was just a "Hoax" here in the USA at the point of typing that.

[Roy Hersh]

There will be some worthy VP's Thomas, so you will have the pick of the litter, and I'd imagine there will be some folks who get samples sent to them early on to give you a better chance to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ferreira should be considered, as they often nail the "off vintages" better than most ... and are worthy of cellaring if you like their house style.

[David Spriggs]

Ferreira should be considered, as they often nail the "off vintages" better than most ... and are worthy of cellaring if you like their house style.

So true!

[Paul C. Metman]

Interesting news:

http://www.revistadevinhos.pt/noticias/ ... co-de-2018

Sorry, I can't find an English version, but I think the message is clear

[Luc Gauthier]

Basically it's saying that Offley ,Ferreira and Sandeman are declaring 2018 as a vintage port, according to Luis Sottomayor

[Tom Archer]

Basically it's saying that Offley ,Ferreira and Sandeman are declaring 2018 as a vintage port, according to Lois Sottomayor

So, after declaring '16 but not '17, Sogrape are declaring '18..

..that's quite a surprise. I wonder whether Stone Terraces and Taylor VVV will declare..?

[Luc Gauthier]

In the article , Luis Sottomayor did however say that more SQVP's would be the probable outcome

[Glenn E.]

..that's quite a surprise. I wonder whether Stone Terraces and Taylor VVV will declare..?

LOL... I sort of hope not, because my wife will kill me if I purchase another 2-3 cases of Stone Terraces again this year!

[Luc Gauthier]

Discipline , Glenn, discipline
Either that or take up serious cycling

[Thomas V]

There will be some worthy VP's Thomas, so you will have the pick of the litter, and I'd imagine there will be some folks who get samples sent to them early on to give you a better chance to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ferreira should be considered, as they often nail the "off vintages" better than most ... and are worthy of cellaring if you like their house style.

Adore Ferreira's vintages. The 77 and 85 comes to mind. Drank a 2011 this past year as well. Very tasty. Great news from Sogrape.

I am sure my son, who turned 2 years old today will like them too. Since he has been 1 year he gets to sniff my ports from the glass and I ask him how many stars it should get.

This damn Covid will spoil me from returning to Porto for a 4th straight year. Must do a Christmas run later in the year then.

[Roy Hersh]

It is official, Sogrape has declared: 2018 Sandeman, Offley and Ferreira Vintage Ports today.

[Glenn E.]

I've split off the side discussion into its own topic in the Other Discussions forum so that this topic can remain a discussion about 2018 Vintage Port.

COVID-19 and travel