Quinta Do Vesuvio 2005 Vintage Port

Description

Quinta Do Vesuvio 2005 Vintage Port, harvest notes from Vesuvio, “the winter of 2005 was typically cold, albeit unusually dry and was followed by a spring that was considerably warmer than usual. The very hot and dry conditions persisted throughout the summer and it became clear that this period of drought was even more severe than the one experienced in 2004. An unprecedented eight consecutive months of above-average temperatures further compounded the situation, creating a difficult environment for the vines. The combined effect of these conditions led to the earliest recorded vintage at Vesuvio, picking starting on August 30th. Some rain finally fell on September 7th and 9th. This came at a critical time and greatly improved the quality of the crop. Ideal sunny and dry conditions followed, paving the way for perfect harvesting weather.”

Quinta Do Vesuvio is the flagship Single Quinta of Symington Family Estates (owners of Dow, Warre, Grahams et al.) The estate can trace its origins back to 1565. 1823 Quinta do Vesuvio was purchased by the well-known Port grower António Bernard Ferreira who massively renovated and improved the estate. It passed through family hands until is was acquired by the Symington family in 1989 and who immediately set about restoring and renovating the estate to modern standards. The main house and winery were restored and a large planting and re-planting of existing vineyard was undertaken taking the vineyard area to 136 hectares. All grapes are trodden by foot and only Vintage Port is made at Quinta de Vesuvio. Between the extraordinary variety of microclimates and the range of grape varieties grown on the estate, the Quinta is capable of making a great Vintage Port in all but the most challenging years.  The entire property is A-rated, the highest possible quality designation.