What I have learned while visiting Portugal

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:43 pm

I have just returned from my third visit to the Port area in the past 12 months. Some observations from Gaia and the Douro:

a. As much fun as it is to crush grapes by foot treading in a lagar, it is really hard work. I was just one of 43 people in that lagar and only did the first hour (called the "corte") which is the hardest of all, but those that do it for three hours straight for 16 Euros deserve a lot of credit. It certainly provides further understanding as to one dynamic that makes up a small part of the cost of a bottle of Vintage Port.

b. The majority of the large and small Port shippers and producers have made significant investments over the course of the past decade to augment their technology and infrastructure. From robotics to temperature controls to the advancements in lagares within the production facilities ... to improvements in the block plantings and segregation of the grape varieties in the vast vineyards, there is no shortage of enhancements.

c. Quality refinements in the production of Douro whites and reds continues to improve with each visit I make to the region. There are some very fine whites now being made, where in the past only the reds were gaining attention and showing signs of significant qualitative improvement. The red wine produced in the Douro is far better than it was 5-10 years ago. Small unknown producers continue to come out of the woodwork and gain notoriety, if only within Portugal for now, as their main obstacle continues to be finding importers and distributors within the USA. Of course there is plenty of room for further improvement, but vine age, improved site and varietal selection are only going to get better from here. There is no going back now and it is only a matter of a few short years and the table wines of the Douro will be far more sought after than they are today. There are already more than a handful of Douro wines that have broken the $100 per bottle threshold and the term "cult wine" is no longer anathema to the wines from this region.

d. The average Vintage Port is better than it was 20-50 years ago. From technological improvements, to a more savvy and educated group of Portmakers to major advancements in the viticulture across the region; there is no question that it is easier to make better VP today. The proof is in the tasting.

e. Consolidation of Port companies has strengthened the Port trade overall. Not only have the weak been gobbled up by the stronger and more financially sound Port shippers, but more importantly, the middle-sized independent producers have taken great strides to make the necessary quality and organizational improvements in order to remain independent. For each company that is gobbled up by one of the "Big 5" there are one or two new small growers that turn into independent producers for the first time. The Renaissance continues.

Of course these are but a few of the overall enhancements that have been taking place in Gaia and the Douro lately. But the smaller details (ie. use of better French oak casks) are far too numerous to elaborate here. The number of quality Ports are seen far more frequently now than just 3x per decade and that is certainly even truer for the table wines which are quickly becoming a regional force to be reckoned with.

Jay Woodruff · Post by **Jay Woodruff** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:57 pm

Congratulations on taking a turn in the lagar. Would like to do t one day myself as it is one of those "things that would be cool to do" in my life.

As far as the average Port being better now, do you think this also means the peaks will be higher?

Jay

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:43 pm

No, not higher, just more consistent.

1927, 1931, 1945, 1948, 1963 and 1966 reach some of the highest notes Port is capable of. It was not just luck in the "old days", although Mother Nature certainly took the leading role in those vintage's success. However, by no means should we overlook the role of the Portmaker, master blender or the lagares in those days.

Starting with 1991 and improving thereafter, there has been a string of very fine to amazing vintages ever three years. 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2003 may not all be as great as the aforementioned vintages, but they certainly are consistent for such a tight string of declarations.