Sogevinus presents it’s 2018 Vintages Ports
Sogevinus presents it’s 2018 Vintages Ports
After a challenging year, Sogevinus is releasing two Single Vineyard Vintages and two Classic Vintages, all of which reflect the authenticity and the style of each of their Port Houses.
The exceptional terroirs of Quinta de São Luiz, situated in Cima-Corgo, and Arnozelo, in the Douro Superior, resulted in two Single Quinta Vintages, each bearing the profile and character of their houses, Kopke and Burmester, respectively. Meanwhile, Cálem and Barros are launching two Classic Vintages that reflect the rich diversity of the Douro region.
“2018 was a particularly challenging year, with adverse weather conditions resulting in a lower yield, albeit of excellent quality. With a lower quantity of grapes coming into the winery, we were able to closely monitor the fermentation of the first musts. These exceptional wines, perfectly representing the profile of each of their Port houses, are the result of the excellence of that raw material”, explains Carlos Alves, Sogevinus Fine Wines’ Port winemaker.
“In general, the 2018 Vintage ports stand out for their freshness, elegance and excellent balance between sweetness and acidity”, he adds.
Quinta de São Luiz, located on the left bank of the Douro river, in the Cima Corgo subregion, experienced a winemaking year filled with contrasts: an extremely dry and cold winter, followed by heavy rain in the spring and early summer, with occasional hail. When summer arrived, it brought the hottest August and September months of the last decade, with average maximum temperatures of 35.8°C recorded at the weather station of Quinta de São Luiz. Despite the high temperatures of the summer, the leaves protected the berries from sunburn and the vines were able to extract the much-needed water and nutrients from the soil. By the time the harvest started the grapes were in great health and perfectly ripe.
For this Vintage we selected grapes from the lower and middle parcels of the hill, with north / north-west exposure, and only from vines planted between 110 and 135m altitude. The blend includes Touriga Nacional, giving it freshness and notes of fruit, and old vines (80 years old or more), which give the wine assertiveness and concentration.
Concentrated and with a deep dark colour, fresh and exuberant on the nose with layered notes of black fruit, this Vintage stands out for its structure and balance, whilst delivering firm tannins, true to the style of Kopke’s Single Quinta Vintage. Its crisp acidity combined with the layered flavours of fresh fruit make this wine accessible, and the intense finish suggests great ageing potential.
In keeping with the legacy of the oldest Port wine house whose origin is this historical vineyard, Quinta de São Luiz, only 4783 bottles were produced of this Vintage.
At Quinta do Arnozelo, located in the subregion of Douro Superior, the harvesting of the Port wine grapes only began on the 13th September, the consequence of a cold and dry winter followed by a particularly wet spring, which caused a delay in the plant growth cycle. The summer’s hot weather, along with the excellent subsoil water reserves, ensured the harvested grapes were of excellent quality. The performances of the varieties Touriga Franca (with plots facing east, at 200m altitude) and Touriga Nacional (with plots facing north-east at 280m altitude) of this Quinta were remarkable. The elegance and aromatic richness of the Touriga Nacional are matched with the concentration and structure of the Touriga Franca, which make up in equal parts this fascinating Vintage from Quinta do Arnozelo
With a deep red colour and hues of violet, this wine fits Burmester’s style in a more elegant and fragrant profile, engaging for its aromatic layers, fruit concentration and vibrant tannins, making it a remarkably refined Vintage. With an intense and lingering finish, this wine is the purest expression of Quinta do Arnozelo’s exceptional terroir.
Only 6405 bottles of Quinta do Arnozelo 2018 Vintage Port were produced. A limited edition of a Single Quinta Vintage, with the distinctive character of Casa Burmester.
Cálem Classic Vintage Port, from the Douro Superior, reflects a myriad of terroirs that make up the classic profile of the label. The result is of a blend from different plots of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Sousão and this Vintage by Cálem maintains the identity of the Port house: wines with a more robust profile, with firm structure and ripe fruit.
Concentrated and with a deep purple colour, this Vintage stands out for its aromas of intense ripe black fruit, entwined with pleasant notes of spice and cocoa. Vigorous, intense and with firm tannins, this is a full-bodied wine, with an assertive acidity which denotes a unique structure and great ageing potential.
Only 4435 bottles of this Cálem Vintage 2018 Port were produced, in a category that is increasingly becoming a classic of this Port House.
This Barros Classic Vintage is produced right in the heart of the Douro, in the subregion of Cima Corgo, and is a wine that presents a more delicate, mineral and balsamic character.
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz are the three main grape varieties for this blend, which also comprises a small percentage of Sousão.
With a deep red colour, this Vintage stands out for its perfumed nose, with floral notes well combined with notes of fresh fruit and spice. A voluptuous wine, with well-integrated tannins, juicy, with a firm structure and an engaging finish.
A Vintage with an engaging profile, enabling it to be enjoyed whilst young and therefore ideal for those new to Vintage ports, despite its ageing potential.
Only 3734 bottles have been produced of this Classic Vintage from Barros, a Port House whose history is distinctively Portuguese.
