A Guide To Vintage Port
Declaration of a Vintage
THE INFLUENCE OF THE WEATHER
A 'Declaration' takes place when the producer believes that he has an outstanding port. Nature plays a major role in this decision. For this reason, a Vintage Port is only declared about three times every ten years.
A cold wet winter is required, followed by a warm dry spring and an intensely hot summer. Often it will not rain significantly from May through to September. Many of the greatest Vintage Ports have been produced in years when there have been a few days of rainfall in late August or early September. This is very welcome, as it allows the grapes to swell slightly, the skins to soften and the natural sugar levels will rise. The grapes will then be in perfect condition to be picked. Good weather during the harvest is important.
With ideal weather conditions and the most careful wine making, great Ports can be made from the finest vineyards.
DECLARATION AND BOTTLING
The young port is left to age in wood. During this time it will be tasted so as to judge its true worth.
If, after some 16 months, the wine lives up to its early promise, the producer will submit the wine to the Port Wine Institute for approval as Vintage Port. Here it must be tasted and approved by a panel of experts.
The producer will then announce to the Wine Trade that he is 'Declaring' the vintage. A 'Declaration' will normally be made by many if not all producers. However this is not always the case, and sometimes a few producers will decide to declare while most others will not. This only adds to the interest of great Vintage Port. For years after, these wines can be tasted and the wisdom of the original decision debated around countless dining room tables as the Port itself is savoured.
Vintage Port will be bottled, without any fining or filtration (one of the very few wines in the world not to undergo any treatment whatsoever prior to bottling) between July of the second year after the harvest and up to 30th June of its third year.
"NON-DECLARED VINTAGE"
The finest vineyards in the Douro will produce excellent Port even in some of the years which are not officially 'Declared'.
Because the weather conditions are often not quite up to the absolute ideal, these wines do not have the intense structure of the rare declared years. Nevertheless they can be very good. For this reason some of these wines are bottled exactly as for Vintage Port. In many cases these wines will be from (and carry the name of) the producer's prime vineyard. They offer very good value for money and will be ready for drinking earlier than the 'Declared' Vintage Ports.
The Evolution of the Port Bottle >>