Is Portugal’s 2017 Vintage Port better than 2016?

Port producers are comparing 2017 with the legendary 1945 and after recently tasting a few bottles of the more recent vintage, I think the comparison is reasonable. But what’s most significant about Portugal’s newly declared vintage for Port is that it’s the first back-to-back declaration in decades for most houses; some have gone even longer without declaring two years in a row.

Just last year, all the top names in Port declared the 2016 and they made some great Vintage Ports that quickly sold out.

“Since the 1880s, this is the first time we have done back-to-back vintages,” says Dominic Symington, one of the members of the family Port group owning such illustrious names as Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Quinta do Vesuvio.

“A few family members said that we can’t do back to back vintages. But that’s too traditional. The wines have to speak for themselves. And they are fantastic quality,” he adds.

I tasted 10 2017 Vintage Ports from the Symingtons and Quinta do Noval and their quality is impressive. My top rated ones show incredibly bright and vivid aromas like freshly fermenting grape musts in open fermentation vats before the fortification begins.

They also have excellent tannin intensity, or “grip” as Port shippers have called this characteristic for centuries. There’s a purity and unfinished or primary nature to the young Vintage Ports that makes them very exciting to taste.

2017 Vintage Ports show impressive concentration

“We believe that we have greater concentration in 2017 compared to 2016,” says Symington. “It’s more old fashioned with more intensity and grip. It’s tighter and more tannic.”

“We had smaller berries than 2016,” Symington adds, pointing out that the harvest was the earliest in his family’s history. His family moved from Scotland to trade in Port in 1882. The extremely dry and hot growing season resembled conditions in 1945.

Grape yields were down 20 percent compared to the 10-year average in his vineyards with some vines producing as little as 600-gram grape bunches. Production of Vintage Ports was significantly lower in general in 2017.

So far, I have a soft spot for the small production Ports of the vintage such as Quinta do Noval Vintage Port Nacional, Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port Capela do Vesuvio and Graham’s Vintage Port The Stone Terraces. I rated them 99, 99 and 100 respectively. They are the essence of the vintage and the essences of young Vintage Port.

When I taste more examples of 2017 Vintage Port in the future, I will post the ratings here.

I am not sure that 2017 is better than 2016, although a number of Symington’s Vintage Ports were. But they are certainly outstanding quality. Prices are expected to be about 3 to 5 percent higher than the 2016s with bottles ranging from $95 to $245 a piece. — James Suckling, CEO/Editor