1983 Vintage Port
An exceptional Vintage, with outstanding, powerful wines, but unjustly overshadowed by the 1985s and the 1977's before them. As a result these wines are very good value at auction. Declared by most houses.
Drinking Status
Still showing tremendous depth of colour, the best are just beginning to show their true pedigree. These wines have plenty of time ahead and should develop into a first class vintage year.
Tasting Notes
These are very muscular wines with a great capacity for ageing. The fruit is very evident in these wines today, well balanced and they will be ideal from 2003 onwards. They are often compared to the 1966s.
Climatic Conditions
A cold and dry winter was followed by a very wet spring. This harmed the flowering, a moderate summer did not help, with the variable weather leading to the vines being about a month behind normal. All was saved with a glorious September, turning what had seemed like being a very poor vintage into an excellent one..
Vinification
The vintage took place under perfect weather conditions, though due to the heat the fermentations were hard to control. From the start the growers could tell that excellent wines were being made.
Winemaker's Comments
"No rain for weeks and very cold. We were surprised to wake up on the morning of the 11th to find it snowing and the ground covered with a light fall, it had not snowed at Bomfim for 12 years."
James R Symington
9-11 February 1983
"Just when it seemed summer had at last arrived - 32 C on saturday - heavy rain fell on sunday 5th and during the night.....Vines here flowering and good, hot dry weather badky required'
3-6 June 1983 'Few "coloured" bunches even here at Bomfim, and development continues some three weeks or more behind normal for this time of year. 1983 will certainly be a very late vintage.' 28 July - 8 August 1983 'As foreseen, a very late starting vintage. Quantity will be down everywhere, quality uneven tho' this present hot, fine September weather will have been of great help to the general backwardness of all areas in the Douro.' 19-21 September 1983 'Sugar graduations in the Upper Douro were on average at least 1.5 degrees higher than last year....our own impression is that certainly above-average wines have been made throughout the Upper Douro and we are sure that some will prove to be outstanding....the fresh nose of the fermenting musts was most noticeable and reminded one to the similar lovely fermenting nose of the 1977s and 1980s... the overall production of the Douro region is some 20-25% down on last year."
Michael Symington
October 1983