Harvest underway at Quinta do Vesúvio
When, in mid-July 2022, the highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal (47ºC) was measured in Pinh?o, in the heart of the Douro Valley, few thought the year would yield wines of note. However, the harvest brought in healthy, small berries, showing remarkable flavour definition and a surprising freshness.
After two years in the cellar, some of the Douro’s leading Port houses acknowledged the singularity of their best plots by announcing the release of several Vintage single-quinta and special vineyard selections from the troubled year.
Although not a classic, widely-declared Vintage, the 2022 bottlings show an incredible sense of place, notable aromatic nuance and refined tannic frameworks.
With insights from head winemakers and master blenders, the extended overview of the growing season and its intriguing, perhaps surprising, outcome raises interesting questions about the ongoing shifts within the Port trade, the challenges of climate change and the sometimes competing priorities behind Vintage declarations.
Above all, it delves into the remarkable wines produced in the scorching year. Quinta do Noval’s Nacional confidently stands out; the storied plot produced a beautiful wine, with depth and concentration offset by mineral precision. Its drinkability upon release is outstanding but the wine will surely improve in decades to come.
Other wines of note include the fifth edition of Capela do Vesúvio – hailing from three small plots within the Vesúvio estate and truly evocative of schist soils, wild herbs and summer rains – and the inaugural release of Taylor’s Sentinels.
For those sceptical about the dynamism of the Port industry, the 2022 Vintage is a good rebuttal.
Producers were able to assert the singularity of their best vineyards and celebrate the resilience of both vines and men through wines that despite – or rather, while – swerving the paradigm of a ‘classic’ Vintage display the specific allure of their parent micro-terroirs.
Read the full overview, scores and tasting notes for Vintage Port 2022 – now on Decanter Premium
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