Roy,
Is there any information on the 2001 vintage available? How many quintas declared? Any details would be appreciated ... what were vintage conditions like, TNs etc.
Thanks!
Cheers, Victor
Roy - Any intelligence on 2001 port vintage?
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Victor John Randall
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I don't know if you'd call this "intelligence" but I did a report and had some of the wines just before their release:
2001 Port growing conditions:
The 2000 harvest obviously yielded some amazing grapes and produced one of the great vintages in recent history, along with 1994, of course. 2001 was almost an aberration in terms of its weather. The winter had so much continuous rain that it seemingly did not stop for nearly five months. The Douro River crested above its banks six times in Oporto, and farther up river 59 people were killed when a bridge collapsed in Penafiel on March 5th due to the excessive level and velocity of the river. Fortunately, conditions slowly improved and bud break took place a few weeks later.
In May 2001, the flowering began and due to the vast moisture still in the ground, large crops were expected. This forecast changed considerably when a significant heat wave hit in mid-June which had an adverse effect on the vineyards due to insufficient canopy cover. The good news was that the reduction in fruit translated into improved concentration levels. The summer months were moderately warm and there was just enough rain to keep things well-balanced. There was virtually no rain for the last month of the growing season and this dynamic did not help the acid levels in the grapes which were otherwise concentrated with sweet juice.
Harvest took place under clear but warm skies and night time temperatures remained warm too. Those with temperature controlled lagares and autovinifiers were able to keep their fermentation temperatures in check. The young 2001 Ports I have tasted so far show a sublime, sweet style and also have good structure. I have not noticed deficiencies in acidity and have paid attention to this issue. I believe that had 2001 not followed the historic Millennium Vintage, it may have been generally declared in its own right. More importantly, information flowing out of Portugal is quite bullish on the 2003 vintage and although it is still very early in the game, it would surprise no one if this was the next generally declared vintage in the Douro.
2001 Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port (Taylor's Quinta) - dark and opaque purple, Intense lavender and violets on the nose present a fresh bouquet of flowers. It is actually TOO big for enjoying now and is more similar to a cask sample, so keep these in the cellar for a few years ... like 20! Massive and mouthfilling and with a tannic grip that begs for a good tooth brushing when you are done. I can't say it was fun, but a wild ride at this stage. It boldly goes where few Ports have gone before. 93-95 pts.
2001 Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port (Fonseca's Quinta) - dark ruby that falls short of opacity and is the feminine opposite of the Vargellas. Medium-bodied and far more approachable today than its brother, with black and blueberry fruit that is soft and smooth, with refined tannins. The Panascal possesses a well developed structure but at this stage offers an easy-to-drink-now style. 90 pts.
The Dow's 2001 Quinta Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port was quite good. The Quinta was bought (2nd time they've owned this) for the 200th anniversary of Dow's which of course was est. in 1798. Like the 2003, this is a sweeter style for a Dow Port which refects the ripened grapes at harvest and possibly the use for the first time of the 3 robotic lagares. This is a deeply extracted wine and has the grip to last well into its 3rd decade. Hard to find though.
I have also enjoyed the 2001 Vesuvio which was a best of a wine and right in line with the preceding vintage as well. Maybe the best SQVP or VP for that matter that I tasted from the 2001s. Dark and brooding with massive extract and tannic as hell when I tried this pre-release. Great juice!
The Quinta de Roriz was also a wine for the long haul but was so tight and tannic when I tried it ... and I only had one large glass of it ... that I would not say that it was really enjoyable at the time. It was overtly concentrated and was closed on the nose and the tannins were punishing when I tried it. The fruit was dominated by the tannins early on, but I'd like to try it again with proper time in decanter to make a more sound judgement.
2001 Port growing conditions:
The 2000 harvest obviously yielded some amazing grapes and produced one of the great vintages in recent history, along with 1994, of course. 2001 was almost an aberration in terms of its weather. The winter had so much continuous rain that it seemingly did not stop for nearly five months. The Douro River crested above its banks six times in Oporto, and farther up river 59 people were killed when a bridge collapsed in Penafiel on March 5th due to the excessive level and velocity of the river. Fortunately, conditions slowly improved and bud break took place a few weeks later.
In May 2001, the flowering began and due to the vast moisture still in the ground, large crops were expected. This forecast changed considerably when a significant heat wave hit in mid-June which had an adverse effect on the vineyards due to insufficient canopy cover. The good news was that the reduction in fruit translated into improved concentration levels. The summer months were moderately warm and there was just enough rain to keep things well-balanced. There was virtually no rain for the last month of the growing season and this dynamic did not help the acid levels in the grapes which were otherwise concentrated with sweet juice.
Harvest took place under clear but warm skies and night time temperatures remained warm too. Those with temperature controlled lagares and autovinifiers were able to keep their fermentation temperatures in check. The young 2001 Ports I have tasted so far show a sublime, sweet style and also have good structure. I have not noticed deficiencies in acidity and have paid attention to this issue. I believe that had 2001 not followed the historic Millennium Vintage, it may have been generally declared in its own right. More importantly, information flowing out of Portugal is quite bullish on the 2003 vintage and although it is still very early in the game, it would surprise no one if this was the next generally declared vintage in the Douro.
2001 Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port (Taylor's Quinta) - dark and opaque purple, Intense lavender and violets on the nose present a fresh bouquet of flowers. It is actually TOO big for enjoying now and is more similar to a cask sample, so keep these in the cellar for a few years ... like 20! Massive and mouthfilling and with a tannic grip that begs for a good tooth brushing when you are done. I can't say it was fun, but a wild ride at this stage. It boldly goes where few Ports have gone before. 93-95 pts.
2001 Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port (Fonseca's Quinta) - dark ruby that falls short of opacity and is the feminine opposite of the Vargellas. Medium-bodied and far more approachable today than its brother, with black and blueberry fruit that is soft and smooth, with refined tannins. The Panascal possesses a well developed structure but at this stage offers an easy-to-drink-now style. 90 pts.
The Dow's 2001 Quinta Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port was quite good. The Quinta was bought (2nd time they've owned this) for the 200th anniversary of Dow's which of course was est. in 1798. Like the 2003, this is a sweeter style for a Dow Port which refects the ripened grapes at harvest and possibly the use for the first time of the 3 robotic lagares. This is a deeply extracted wine and has the grip to last well into its 3rd decade. Hard to find though.
I have also enjoyed the 2001 Vesuvio which was a best of a wine and right in line with the preceding vintage as well. Maybe the best SQVP or VP for that matter that I tasted from the 2001s. Dark and brooding with massive extract and tannic as hell when I tried this pre-release. Great juice!
The Quinta de Roriz was also a wine for the long haul but was so tight and tannic when I tried it ... and I only had one large glass of it ... that I would not say that it was really enjoyable at the time. It was overtly concentrated and was closed on the nose and the tannins were punishing when I tried it. The fruit was dominated by the tannins early on, but I'd like to try it again with proper time in decanter to make a more sound judgement.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Frederick Blais
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Victor John Randall
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Steven Kooij
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I’ve tasted only the following few 2001s…my TNs:
November 2003:
Taylor 2001 Q.d. Vargellas VP: Black as ink, a very small purple rim. A heavy, fleshy nose, grapey and sweet. Medium bodied, rich, slightly green and hot, very, very hot; this stuff burns. Medium finish, some liquorice with just a bit of grip.
I found this wine very, very hard to like at this stage. Perhaps the wine and brandy had not integrated yet, but at this time, not very enjoyable.
BTW: the Taylor labels have also received a makeover. The new Vargellas label is UGLY.
Fonseca 2001 Q.d. Panascal VP: Again, very dark, but more red at the rim. Nose rather closed. Body quite thin, again slightly green, some grip and a bit hot (but not too much). The medium finish is not very complex, but enjoyable just the same. I doubt this would be a Port for the long term. I would have liked to compare this with the Guimaraens 2001, but unfortunately this wasn’t poured at this tasting.
Quinta do Vale D. Maria 2001 VP: The first bottle had a slightly muted nose, but I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. However, mr. Van Zellar said it was an off bottle, and indeed the second one showed better. This smells “fresh”, with ripe dark fruits. An extremely thick, rich body, plenty of grip and with a nice spicy. The finish is loooooong, sweet (much sweeter than the taste), again with spice. A great glass of Port. Delicious now, but with enough backbone to age for a long time. Even better than from barrel! (I’ve always wanted to use this phrase, and typing it feels gooooood)
Q. d. Vale Meao 2001 VP: Powerful nose, very herbal. The body it too thin, almost watered down. Fruity, though. The medium finish is smooth, and leaves the mouth dry. Tasty, yes, but too thin. I doubt this will age well.
Q.d. Roriz 2001 VP: The nose is slightly muted, but there is some ripe red fruit. The medium body is extremely jammy, but somehow not very sweet (does this make sense?). Those jammy flavours seem to hide the tannins, but they are there. An extremely long finish. Great stuff.
January 2004:
Fonseca 2001 Guimaraens Vintage Port: Tasted from 0.375 (21 Euros / 37 for a 750). Opened 3.5 hours before tasting, but not decanted. I was going to complain about the fill of the bottle (near bottom neck), until I pulled the cork: more than 5 cm long! That just left 1.5 cm of air between cork and wine: OK then.
This is one dark Port! Pure black, with just a 2 mm thick purple red rim. The concentration is visible just waltzing the wine slowly in the glass: an orange red hue stains the glass.
Good nose, not overpowering. A first sniff is rewarded with fresh black fruits, sweetness, violets and roses. Not a whiff of alcohol in sight (or should that be smell?).
This is a good medium-to-thick bodied Port. Again, there are loads of fresh fruits here: sweet cherries and dark plums. The midpalate shows some alcohol hotness, but this becomes less with additional sips. The sweetness is quite on par for Fonseca: not as dry as Dow, but not as rich as Graham’s. It’s a style I really, really like. Tannins are clearly there, but they seem to be masked by that same sweetness: they are the most pronounced in the finish. Speaking of which:
NICE finish on this wine as well: there is some hotness carried over from the midpalate (again less noticeable after two, three sips), but as this fades one is left with an intense black chocolate flavour (the really good stuff). A real lip-smacking finish: it lingers for minutes, raising the anticipation for the next sip…
Do I like this? You bet. Simply put, this is an excellent glass of young VP. As far as points are concerned: for how this is drinking today I give it an easily earned 94 points.
November 2003:
Taylor 2001 Q.d. Vargellas VP: Black as ink, a very small purple rim. A heavy, fleshy nose, grapey and sweet. Medium bodied, rich, slightly green and hot, very, very hot; this stuff burns. Medium finish, some liquorice with just a bit of grip.
I found this wine very, very hard to like at this stage. Perhaps the wine and brandy had not integrated yet, but at this time, not very enjoyable.
BTW: the Taylor labels have also received a makeover. The new Vargellas label is UGLY.
Fonseca 2001 Q.d. Panascal VP: Again, very dark, but more red at the rim. Nose rather closed. Body quite thin, again slightly green, some grip and a bit hot (but not too much). The medium finish is not very complex, but enjoyable just the same. I doubt this would be a Port for the long term. I would have liked to compare this with the Guimaraens 2001, but unfortunately this wasn’t poured at this tasting.
Quinta do Vale D. Maria 2001 VP: The first bottle had a slightly muted nose, but I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. However, mr. Van Zellar said it was an off bottle, and indeed the second one showed better. This smells “fresh”, with ripe dark fruits. An extremely thick, rich body, plenty of grip and with a nice spicy. The finish is loooooong, sweet (much sweeter than the taste), again with spice. A great glass of Port. Delicious now, but with enough backbone to age for a long time. Even better than from barrel! (I’ve always wanted to use this phrase, and typing it feels gooooood)
Q. d. Vale Meao 2001 VP: Powerful nose, very herbal. The body it too thin, almost watered down. Fruity, though. The medium finish is smooth, and leaves the mouth dry. Tasty, yes, but too thin. I doubt this will age well.
Q.d. Roriz 2001 VP: The nose is slightly muted, but there is some ripe red fruit. The medium body is extremely jammy, but somehow not very sweet (does this make sense?). Those jammy flavours seem to hide the tannins, but they are there. An extremely long finish. Great stuff.
January 2004:
Fonseca 2001 Guimaraens Vintage Port: Tasted from 0.375 (21 Euros / 37 for a 750). Opened 3.5 hours before tasting, but not decanted. I was going to complain about the fill of the bottle (near bottom neck), until I pulled the cork: more than 5 cm long! That just left 1.5 cm of air between cork and wine: OK then.
This is one dark Port! Pure black, with just a 2 mm thick purple red rim. The concentration is visible just waltzing the wine slowly in the glass: an orange red hue stains the glass.
Good nose, not overpowering. A first sniff is rewarded with fresh black fruits, sweetness, violets and roses. Not a whiff of alcohol in sight (or should that be smell?).
This is a good medium-to-thick bodied Port. Again, there are loads of fresh fruits here: sweet cherries and dark plums. The midpalate shows some alcohol hotness, but this becomes less with additional sips. The sweetness is quite on par for Fonseca: not as dry as Dow, but not as rich as Graham’s. It’s a style I really, really like. Tannins are clearly there, but they seem to be masked by that same sweetness: they are the most pronounced in the finish. Speaking of which:
NICE finish on this wine as well: there is some hotness carried over from the midpalate (again less noticeable after two, three sips), but as this fades one is left with an intense black chocolate flavour (the really good stuff). A real lip-smacking finish: it lingers for minutes, raising the anticipation for the next sip…
Do I like this? You bet. Simply put, this is an excellent glass of young VP. As far as points are concerned: for how this is drinking today I give it an easily earned 94 points.
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Victor John Randall
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Ronald Wortel
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Tasted the Guimaraens 2001 again today, TN here.
When Victor's original question came out I did not want to include these TNs until they appeared in the newsletter that followed. I know that I have had two others as well but don't know where my notes are but will eventually locate them and add 'em here. With the TNs above, here are an additional seven TNs from 2001 VPs in case they may be referenced here in the future too. So all told I may have tasted only a dozen or so from this vintage overall. Not a large sampling by any means.
2001 Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port – Light ruby color with lifted red berry and fresh floral scents. This is a delightfully approachable young SQVP that offers elegance along with spice, cedar and raspberry flavors, along with a smooth seamless quality and gentle palate presence. This VP delivers lots of pleasure and light, round tannins that appear on the generous finish. 91 points (10/26/05)
2001 Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – There is a beautiful purplish-ruby hue to this youngster. The aromatics are a bit reticent and dark berry, tar and alcohol are coaxed by vigorous swirling for a few minutes. A very approachable young VP, even softer in the mouth than the 1996, with delicious plum and boysenberry that linger long on the palate. Not one for the long term but very enjoyable today while waiting for the 2000s to come around. 91 points (10/26/05)
2001 Dow’s Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port – This property was re-purchased by the Symington Family in 1998 on the 200th anniversary of Dow’s establishment. It shows a fully opaque dark red color. Beguiling nose of red berry fruits and grenadine syrup, while delivering dark cherry and pomegranate flavors that are tart and rustic. There is a tad too much heat which blemished the modest length of the aftertaste and overall enjoyment. It was hard for me to decipher if this is due to the youth or not. 87 points (10/26/05)
2001 Graham’s Malvedos Vintage Port – Fully opaque shade of magenta. A somewhat tight nose that came around to provide hints of violets, anise and cassis. Big tannins were the first thing I noticed when tasting this VP. The sweet blackberry fruit and milk chocolate are tasty but lack mid-palate interest. Good length to the sweet yet simple finish. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Inky black-purple tinge. Purple fruit essence with a touch of anise provides the initial intrigue. More of a red fruit persuasion and much softer and easy to drink now than the 1997 tasted next to it. It has modestly ripe tannins and it’s a gentle, approachable young Port with a medium length. This is a Vesuvio with finesse, which is not how I normally describe this producer’s Vintage Port offerings. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Smith Woodhouse Madalena Vintage Port – Very dark and with a magenta color, this Madalena provides an intense violet aromatic profile with a hint of licorice. Young and authoritative, with ripe blackberry fruit that has powerful tannins and a well-knit structure. This needs time to soften and is no where near as approachable as the 1995 Vintage. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port – Inky centered with a ruby rim, this Roriz offered lively violet and licorice aromas. The blackberry fruit was ripe and dense. This drinks well now but shows some prominent alcohol on the finish. 86 points (10/26/05)
2001 Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port – Light ruby color with lifted red berry and fresh floral scents. This is a delightfully approachable young SQVP that offers elegance along with spice, cedar and raspberry flavors, along with a smooth seamless quality and gentle palate presence. This VP delivers lots of pleasure and light, round tannins that appear on the generous finish. 91 points (10/26/05)
2001 Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – There is a beautiful purplish-ruby hue to this youngster. The aromatics are a bit reticent and dark berry, tar and alcohol are coaxed by vigorous swirling for a few minutes. A very approachable young VP, even softer in the mouth than the 1996, with delicious plum and boysenberry that linger long on the palate. Not one for the long term but very enjoyable today while waiting for the 2000s to come around. 91 points (10/26/05)
2001 Dow’s Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port – This property was re-purchased by the Symington Family in 1998 on the 200th anniversary of Dow’s establishment. It shows a fully opaque dark red color. Beguiling nose of red berry fruits and grenadine syrup, while delivering dark cherry and pomegranate flavors that are tart and rustic. There is a tad too much heat which blemished the modest length of the aftertaste and overall enjoyment. It was hard for me to decipher if this is due to the youth or not. 87 points (10/26/05)
2001 Graham’s Malvedos Vintage Port – Fully opaque shade of magenta. A somewhat tight nose that came around to provide hints of violets, anise and cassis. Big tannins were the first thing I noticed when tasting this VP. The sweet blackberry fruit and milk chocolate are tasty but lack mid-palate interest. Good length to the sweet yet simple finish. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Inky black-purple tinge. Purple fruit essence with a touch of anise provides the initial intrigue. More of a red fruit persuasion and much softer and easy to drink now than the 1997 tasted next to it. It has modestly ripe tannins and it’s a gentle, approachable young Port with a medium length. This is a Vesuvio with finesse, which is not how I normally describe this producer’s Vintage Port offerings. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Smith Woodhouse Madalena Vintage Port – Very dark and with a magenta color, this Madalena provides an intense violet aromatic profile with a hint of licorice. Young and authoritative, with ripe blackberry fruit that has powerful tannins and a well-knit structure. This needs time to soften and is no where near as approachable as the 1995 Vintage. 90 points (10/26/05)
2001 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port – Inky centered with a ruby rim, this Roriz offered lively violet and licorice aromas. The blackberry fruit was ripe and dense. This drinks well now but shows some prominent alcohol on the finish. 86 points (10/26/05)
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com