Classic Vintage Porto 2009
Trade Tools
Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
Quinta da Roêda forms the backbone of the Croft Vintage Porto, produced only in years when vineyard conditions are optimal and warrant a “declared vintage.” Wines from Quinta da Roêda are characteristically plump, full and vigorously fruity, with the hallmark aroma of the gum cistus bush—a character that informs the Croft house style. The grapes are trod by foot in granite lagares to minimize the release of harsh, bitter compounds from skins and seeds, and the wine spends two years aging in vat before bottling. Croft Vintage Porto will continue to develop in the bottle and may be cellared for decades before opening.
Harvest Note
2009 was marked by an early start to the viticultural cycle. At Quinta da Roêda the first buds began to appear on March 8. The shoots were vigorous and the vines produced very healthy leaf canopies, but all varieties showed low fertility and produced a small quantity of fruit. The first signs of color in the grapes also appeared earlier than usual. The ripening season started with relatively cool conditions which continued throughout July, but in August the weather turned very hot. Almost no rain fell during the summer and the very dry conditions remained into September. The combination of the arid conditions and the small fruit load meant that yields were very low and musts showed above average concentration in sugar, tannin and color. Picking at Quinta da Roêda started earlier than usual, on September 9.
Tasting Note
The wine is deep purple-black in color. The nose combines pungent, resiny eucalyptus and notes of lychee and passionfruit with exotic hints of leather, musk and cedar. The palate is round and velvety, with dense but well-integrated tannins. The jammy fruit carries through to the finish, where it is lifted by an attractive crispness and pungency. This wine will develop in the bottle for decades and should be decanted due to sediment in the bottle.
Technical Data
GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Tinta Amarela
APPELLATION: Douro
PH: 3.99
ACIDITY: 4.66 g/l
ABV: 20%
AGING: 20%2 years in oak
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 91.8 g/l
Unique Selling Points
- A collectible, vintage Porto intended to mature in bottle after purchase
- One of few wines that pairs perfectly with chocolate desserts
“Croft is defined by an abundance of rich, plump fruit with a delicious exotic quality and a distinctive herbaceous, spicy character.”
Natasha Robertson Bridge, Chief Blender
About the Grape
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional produces wine with finesse, body and warmth that is dark, concentrated, massively tannic and aromatic. It ages to show the complex aromas typically found in mature vintage port.
