For The Love Of Port

I was wondering about the following: Every year I get these brochures and mailings about the new wine releases, wether it is German Riesling, Bordeaux, Burgundy or Vintage Port. Almost every time it seems that the new releases are at least as good as, or even better than the years before, mostly due to the winemaker who did a fantastic job, often despite of some bad weatherconditions. I wouldn't doubt that, mind me, but my question is:
Is it even possible to make a bad vintage port or single quinta port these days? I mean, with all the new technology, the new knowledge, highly educated winemakers, etc, is that even possible?
Thanks for your thoughts...

I've noticed that with improvements in viticultural techniques as well as winery controls the overall quality has risen over the past decade or two. That's not to say that a sub-standard VP could not be produced, but that occurance has been reduced quite a bit. Much of the variability these days is usually found among the smaller houses, but I'm still convinced that the overall quality level is higher than its ever been.

I think the overall quality has definitely improved with new technologies, techniques, etc. I think some bad juice might still be made, but I think the possibility of it being released as a VP or SQVP is pretty small, in particular from the big names. That said, I still think there is a bit of hype about just about every new release that goes beyond the quality of the vintage and product. I appreciate the more honest assessments, and Dirk comes to mind with respect to 2007. And guess what? I buy his products for sure.

In this case, I agree with Marc 100%. And I would also say that yes, there are still some Vintage Ports which miss the mark and seem like failed experiments when tasting them. Fortunately VERY FEW and I also agree that typically these are from the smaller Port producers. For example, I noted some from the 2007 vintage, but again, few and far between.

Improved viticulture and winemaking technology now seems to allow the skilled winemaker to bottle a wine that tastes good when young in just about any vintage (I'm speaking more from my non-Port experience here). But the real proof is what happens years in the future, when it's harder to disguise the quality of the product. So many vintages whose fruit wasn't quite the best can still be very much enjoyed for what they are in their youth, but one shouldn't assume they can be cellared and develop favorably for many years like a truly classic vintage. This is a mistaken assumption even the professional critics seem to make far too often, IMHO...

Tom D. wrote:So many vintages whose fruit wasn't quite the best can still be very much enjoyed for what they are in their youth, but one shouldn't assume they can be cellared and develop favorably for many years like a truly classic vintage. This is a mistaken assumption even the professional critics seem to make far too often, IMHO...

I often wonder whether or not this new phenomenon has wider implications.

When one considers the circumstances in which some of the great vintages of the past century were created, such as 1927, 1931 & 1945, where scientific knowledge of vineyard and winery management, hygiene, transport and storage conditions were light years away from where they are today, it leaves me wondering whether or not the magical formula that created those classic wines can still happen in today's world. That isn't in any way a criticism of today's winemakers, simply an observation that the variables are now very much more controllable, which could easily lead to a raising of the overall standard of what is produced whilst sanitizing the process to the extent that the artistry is somewhat diminished.

Am I being too nostalgic?

When one considers the circumstances in which some of the great vintages of the past century were created, such as 1927, 1931 & 1945, where scientific knowledge of vineyard and winery management, hygiene, transport and storage conditions were light years away from where they are today, it leaves me wondering whether or not the magical formula that created those classic wines can still happen in today's world.

I think the answer is yes, and that there seems to be an emerging divide in opinion amongst the producers as to whether - or not.. - some elements of recent modernisations may be ultimately counter-productive.

The pursuit of VPs that will delight when first bottled has led some producers to give the wine less exposure to wood, to bottle earlier, and to reduce the input of aggressively tannic wine when making the blend. Others feel that this approach is storing up trouble for the future, and are willing to sacrifice some initial critical acclaim in order to produce a VP that they believe their children and grandchildren will be proud of.

There is also quite a noticeable divide in opinion regarding varietal blocks, and the use of Touriga Nacional. Some take the view that varietal planting makes for a better and more efficient harvest, while others, with considerable conviction, maintain that field mixes are essential for the production of great port.

Over the last generation, TN has been acclaimed as the greatest of the grape varieties, but I've noticed a number of producers are getting cold feet about it, and one told me earlier this year that he has no plans to plant any more. I'm not quite clear as to what has provoked this, but do note that historically, it was quite a rare vine..

Tom Archer wrote:
Over the last generation, TN has been acclaimed as the greatest of the grape varieties, but I've noticed a number of producers are getting cold feet about it, and one told me earlier this year that he has no plans to plant any more. I'm not quite clear as to what has provoked this, but do note that historically, it was quite a rare vine..

I've noticed the same thing when talking to some producers. Don't get me wrong, they aren't ripping out these vines but rather it seems this grape is slowly taking a back seat with some. What I've been hearing being planted more of is a grape often talked about in books about Port from the 1800's, Souzao.