The 2004 growing season in the Douro was – of course – a bit cooler and more normal than 2003’s but it clealry produced some very fine wines and I must say I can quite understand why Noval decided to buck the trend and declare a vintage in 2004 as well as 2003, as witness the following:
Quinta do Noval 2004 18 Drink 2009-23
Exceptionally deep blackish crimson. Lovely scented youthful nose – almost more claret than port. Very floral – reminscent of a Touriga Nacional table wine almost. Very fine tannins – so fine you can hardly taste them. Fine boned, angular almost, a sort of aesthete in a suit and panama hat. Not big and plummy at all but an entirely valid style of port. This is lovely and seems particularly well distributed in Germany, from under 50 euros a bottle.
Christian Seely of AXA Millésimes which owns Noval, and a great port lover, claims “The wines were so beautiful, I just wanted to see them in bottle.” He calls 2004, of which just 1,000 cases were made, “one of the great collectable wines of Noval, similar to the classic 1966 or 1955”. In the UK the wine should also be available at Tanners, Nickolls & Perks and some House of Fraser stores at around £49 a bottle.
I also loved a Symington offering:
Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2004 18 Drink 2010-18
Very dark – blackish crimson. Just 500 cases of this were produced. Spicy fruit with a bit of oak still obvious. Very dry and punchy – lovely structure. As though this had liquorice ribbons wound round its core of fruit. Great lift, and very dry on the finish. For the moment, much more structure than fruit. Lovely vibrancy. This should develop very well. A quinta the Symingtons, regretfully, had to sell in the 1970s but managed to buy back in 1998. Very small property just opposite Vesuvio and now a key element in the Dow blend. Paul Symington is convinced you could slip this into any tasting of any great young reds and it would be outstanding. Adnams of Southwold used to sell it in the UK but I can’t find any UK stockist currently. On the other hand you can find it in Germany, Canada and Holland as well as quite widely in the US from under $40 a bottle which is surely a bargain.
The Fladgate Partnership is also pretty excited about 2004, offering not just a Quinta de Vargellas 2004 (Tanners and The Wine Society in the UK) but their special limited edition Vargellas Vinha Velha 2004 (Berry Bros, Corney & Barrow, Cellar Door, Four Walls Wine, Morgan Classic, Reid Wines – maybe not so limited after all?) for the first time since 2000 as well as Guimaraens 2004 vintage port from prime Fonseca vineyards and a Quinta de Panascal 2004 (The Wine Society) from this admired single quinta in the Távora Valley. Here’s the Fladgate vintage report on 2004:
The first months of 2004 were very dry and the growing season started with very depleted ground water reserves. The dry conditions led to a low fruit yield and some lack of vigour in the leaf canopy.
Although there was some warm weather in early summer, most of the ripening season was relatively colo [although Noval report very hot and dry weather in early August and a very hot September – JR]. The dry weather continued until mid-August when fortunately there was some heavy rainfall, 38mm of precipitation being recorded at Fonseca’s estate of Quinta do Cruzeiro in the Pinhão Valley. This rainfall allowed for a balanced ripening of the grape which might otherwise have been compromised by the drought conditions.
Owing to the relatively cool conditions, the harvest began later than normal. Picking started on September 22 at Quinta do Panascal and on 25th at Quinta do Cruzeiro. The start of the harvest coincided with the arrival of hot weather and picking took place in perfect conditions. Yields were about three-quarters of those the previous year. The winemakers’ notes record that the musts showed an attractive fresh fruity character as a result of the cool and prolonged ripening period.
This is a great time of year for those of us in the northern hemisphere to be reminded of the special qualities of port and here is stunning evidence that port today is made better than it ever has been. I urge you to take advantage of this, another very fine vintage in the Douro, one of the most difficult viticultural environments in the world. For more suggestions on ports to drink now, see free for all on Saturday Dec 30.
