2000 Vintage Port
The 2000 Vintage will be remembered for the immense concentration of its wines and for the small quantities produced.
Drinking Status
The first Vintage of the 21st Century. The best wines will need to be cellared to 2015-2025.
Tasting Notes
The wines are showing tremendous promise, with intense berry fruit aromas and full-bodied structure, which at this early stage is an excellent sign.
Climatic Conditions
The Winter was exceptionally dry with virtually no rain from October to the end of February. There were bright blue skies day after day and temperatures were very mild. Consequently this led to an early bud burst. However, cool and wet weather set in during April and the rains persisted into May, which registered three times the normal average rainfall. This slowed down vine development and flowering was delayed into May.
Flowering took place still under very wet conditions leading to very poor fruit set. This set the scene for one of the smallest harvests in many years.
During the month of June ideal dry weather conditions prevailed. July and August saw some useful showers although the summer wasn't one of extreme heat and as such vine development towards the end of August was slightly behind normal.
September began with an unusually hot period, leading to a rapid advancement in maturity. When the Vintage started, the fruit was in excellent condition, the grapes looking slightly "raisoned" as good Port grapes should.
Vinification
It has been many years since so many of the quality indicators have been present in any one year. Namely the excellent fruit quality; high sugar readings; ideal weather throughout picking; very low yields; purple colours already apparent from the beginning of fermentation; wonderful aromas from the musts and the low juice to skin ratio.
Fermentations took place under near ideal conditions, no cooling being required, infact a little heating was needed due to quite cool nights.The ideal fermentation temperatures produced wonderfully aromatic musts.
Winemaker's Comments
"I think 2000 will produce very good wines inspite of the earlier weather (spring) conditions not being ideal. The small crop with the wonderful weather conditions during summer resulted in very ripe and perfect fruit."
Peter Symington
12th October 2000