CAPELA DA QUINTA DO VESUVIO PORT VINTAGE 750ML 2017

This is an old-vine Port with two-thirds coming from ancient ones. Bark, black tea, crushed grapes and mahogany. Big and grippy. Old, traditional styled Port with incredible depth and power. Big yet polished tannins. This is foot-trodden. Co-fermented. Real deal. 470 cases. Try after 2030.

The 2017 Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port is principally a field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousão and Alicante Bouschet aged for 18 months in seasoned vats. It comes in at 105 grams of residual sugar. This was a pre-bottling sample. I thought the regular Vesuvio was concentrated and powerful. This kicks it to the curb in those senses and takes no prisoners. In other words, it is spectacular. Showing old-school power and depth, this is very ripe and nowhere near as elegant or as fresh as most of the Symington lineup this issue. However, it revels in its power and preens. It feels like intense, traditional Port. If you have no patience and no cellar, this is a good time to stop and read other notes. This isn't for you. It grips the palate and refuses to let go. The long finish seems endless. For as much density and muscle as it showed, about 90 minutes in a glass made this seem a little fresher (although the regular Vesuvio easily outdoes it there). The Alicante and the Sousão combined (so I surmise) to give it some distinction in flavors, with hints of beef and strawberry. It's very complex. This is potentially one of the great Ports in a great vintage, but I would like to see it project something more than just ripeness and muscle in time. It also needs to maintain its balance. It doesn't seem quite as fresh as many 2017s, even if it's still potentially brilliant. Let's be a little conservative just now, because at times, this was simply impenetrable, but this certainly seems like a superstar in the making. This is relatively available too. There were 472 cases produced, expected to be released in the third quarter of 2019.

A field blend from centenarian vines together with Touriga Franca, Alicante Bouschet, Sousão and Touriga Nacional. This has lovely lifted floral aromas, with wild berry and green tea on the nose. It's similarly exotic on the palate, showing great purity of fruit once again, alongside liquorice concentration wrapped around bold, spicy tannins. A massive finish leaves some fresh acidity from the Sousão.