1958 Vintage Port
A good year with some fragrant and delicate Vintage Ports, despite the rather damp weather conditions throughout. Declared by some but not all the major Port houses.
Drinking Status
Most are still very pleasant to drink, and so long as the cork holds they will age gracefully.
Tasting Notes
Aromatic and elegant wines. Now with a gentle tawny colour. The best still have good fruit and balance.
Climatic Conditions
The first half of March was dry and sunny, but was then followed by gales and rain. April was cold; and then the weather was fairly standard for that time of year, until June - hot and with the highest rainfall experienced since 1896 (an outstanding year for port).
July was sunny and fine. The first half of August was fine and hot but the second half was cold and rainy. Then an unsettled patch at the beginning of September was followed by hot weather.
Vinification
Harvest started about the 25th September, but there was torrential rain for a week at the beginning of October, which was extremely disruptive. Hot sunny weather for the rest of the harvest period followed.
Winemaker's Comments
"The grapes generally speaking are looking very healthy and nice."
John D Symington
12 September 1958
"Throughout the vintage the weather was most unfavourable with showers of rain which developed some of the days into continual pouring rain causing the picking on several occasions to come to a stop. The lagares took quite a lot of work. I think possibly in the better districts some quite good wines will be made but I doubt if any will be outstanding."
Ronald A Symington
5 October 1958