2016 Harvest news

[Al B.]

I saw on facebook that the first grapes for Guru are coming into the winery. Has anyone heard any more news about the 2016 harvest in the Douro?

[Andy Velebil]

I've heard mildew was a problem this year and has affected yields. But overall, seems fairly decent so far. I think mostly (only?) table wine grapes are coming in right now. It's a little early for Port grapes, no?

[Roy Hersh]

Yes, early for Port grapes. The smaller yields also had more to do with late flowering and the cold spring weather too.

[Thomas V]

Returning from Porto and Douro tomorrow. When I am at my PC I will pass on the information I was given and gathered during my 4 days in the Douro. It was not very optimistic.

[Roy Hersh]

I had little doubt that 2015 would never be surpassed by this year's growing season. Too many variables that did not turn out favorably, right from the winter and onwards. There may be some quintas that find good parcels to use for table wines and even a smattering of Vintage Ports, but my contacts have seemed far less enthusiastic than even a difficult year like 2014. So while the 2015 general declaration seems like a certainty at this point, we will know for sure by February of next year, and officially in late April, 2017. That being said, conditions can still be decent enough to offer up some worthy grapes in 2016 too, but it is never going to challenge what was produced in the previous harvest.

I look forward to seeing, tasting, crushing and listening closely later in the harvest when the Port grapes are picked and crushed. There have been a few rare vintages that were made better with great weather in September and since this year, things are quite late, we shall see towards the 3rd and 4th week of the month the real story for Port. Table wines, the die is mostly cast.

[Thomas V]

So I was in Douro from Tuesday to Friday and during our time there we visited a lot of different places and got some very mixed information about the current state of the 2016 season.

What is clear is that early on the vines where affected by mildew which took its toll. But the rain also filled the reservoirs in return. Since then it is been very very hot for a long while though Oscar Quevedo said that they had some rain in Sao Joao de Pesqueira just the previous week. The current trouble seems to be that the harvest this is is behind as the current ripeness and baume levels are not that they would normally be around this time a year. Also when looking physically at the grapes you can see this with your own eyes. At Quevedo I saw many bundles of Touriga Nacional that had both mature purple, under mature pink and even green grapes. And this is not only a problem at Quevedo but many places. The wine makers are not happy and most I have talked with do not think that the yields will be very high this year and that there will be no general declaration of vintage.

Others think that they yields will be low but the quality will be better than 2015 (One person even said better than 2011- outrageous I know).

My thoughts:

2015 will be a general declaration
2016 could be a better year for some houses than 2015 but for most it wont. (Bomfim had really really sweet grapes already with good maturation)
If the choice between a good 2015 with high yields and a better 2016 with lower yields, what would be chosen?
Could we actually see some back to back declarations from major houses? (Noval nor Vesuvio is not afraid of this)
Will some houses declassify 2015 or 2016 and make some wonderful single quinta or second label vintages?

[Andy Velebil]

Saw a Facebook post from one producer who stated they stopped harvest due to rain today. Hopefully it blows out quickly.

[Eric Ifune]

I've also heard that harvest has been interrupted on the Douro Superior due to rain, although it's hoped it'll be only short lived.

[Andy Velebil]

I've also heard that harvest has been interrupted on the Douro Superior due to rain, although it's hoped it'll be only short lived.

Forcast for the area just a tad south of Regua was 60% chance of rain today and a little less tomorrow. Not a good time for that much rain. Of course, what Regua gets and what the far east end gets can be very different.

[Frederick Blais]

Tuesday was raining all over Douro as for Wednesday it was isolated showers. Still lots of cloud at the moment but low chances of rain I'd say.

Temperatures for the last 2 days where cold and will remain fresh for the next 2 as well. Maturation are slow at the moment except for vineyard of high altitude that did not shot down by the intense heat wave of the last 2 weeks.

Niepoort that is always an early picker did not start the Port grapes yet. Compared to last year at the same time, they are quite late... for dry wines, almost 70% of the harvest was completed already at the same date last year, if not more

From what I have tasted at Napoles, grapes are healthier than last year, easier to sort, very fresh, lots of flesh and complexity but less intense and concentrated than 2015. But from other vineyards I visited I was puzzled by the lack of pulp inside the berries, the rain was obviously beneficial for them.

[Andy Velebil]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a tough year for port and red wines. How are the white wine grapes looking?


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[Frederick Blais]

This morning I woke up and there was water traces at Napoles, so there was some rain during the night but I don't know the extend, I'll try to get more info on it.

Whites where more tricky than red so far this year. Flavours are nice, really nice, but the acidity lower. During the hot days of September, the acidity was dropping quickly. The earliest harvested had excellent PH, but as they'll complete the harvest this week for whites at Niepoort, the PH are more around 3,3 to 3,4, so some correction will be made. Only the last 2-3 days that rot started to appear on the grapes that I've been sorting, some parcels had more raisins than others, but they won't get pressed so nothing to worry on this side. Might be a great year for white Port though :)

edit: it is now noon and the Douro around Tedo river is still full of clouds and quite cold. Yesterday the forecast was fresh with some sun, but there is not one ray of light miles around! Rain is definitively a possibility again today.

[Andy Velebil]

This morning I woke up and there was water traces at Napoles, so there was some rain during the night but I don't know the extend, I'll try to get more info on it.

Whites where more tricky than red so far this year. Flavours are nice, really nice, but the acidity lower. During the hot days of September, the acidity was dropping quickly. The earliest harvested had excellent PH, but as they'll complete the harvest this week for whites at Niepoort, the PH are more around 3,3 to 3,4, so some correction will be made. Only the last 2-3 days that rot started to appear on the grapes that I've been sorting, some parcels had more raisins than others, but they won't get pressed so nothing to worry on this side. Might be a great year for white Port though :)

edit: it is now noon and the Douro around Tedo river is still full of clouds and quite cold. Yesterday the forecast was fresh with some sun, but there is not one ray of light miles around! Rain is definitively a possibility again today.

Thanks Fred, the updates on weather and conditions are very much appreciated. Keep them coming!!

[Frederick Blais]

And it's been raining gently now for a couple hours and it is still going on at the moment. 15:45

[Tom Archer]

Weather forecast going forward is good, the recent rain will hopefully serve as a useful pre-harvest freshener.

This year's weather patterns bear more than a passing similarity to those of 1966, and a recent phone call from a leading winemaker was very upbeat about the port prospects for the vintage, but more guarded about the prospects for wine.

[Andy Velebil]

Weather forecast going forward is good, the recent rain will hopefully serve as a useful pre-harvest freshener.

This year's weather patterns bear more than a passing similarity to those of 1966, and a recent phone call from a leading winemaker was very upbeat about the port prospects for the vintage, but more guarded about the prospects for wine.

That's good and not so good...but I'd rather have a good Port year.

[Frederick Blais]

Weather forecast going forward is good, the recent rain will hopefully serve as a useful pre-harvest freshener.

This year's weather patterns bear more than a passing similarity to those of 1966, and a recent phone call from a leading winemaker was very upbeat about the port prospects for the vintage, but more guarded about the prospects for wine.

Very interesting, but as you know you have to be careful about the sales pitch hidden there. For me I stop reading after everyone claimed high and loud during the 2013 harvest how everything was good and perfect. I was seeing with my eyes for 2 months what was happening and what they wrote was totally different....

For sure it is still early, too early to see the full potential as it is really late this year. There is no truck activity at all in the Douro at the moment, we are far from being close to harvest for Port. My doubt at the moment is the concentration and thickness in the skins that is clearly below the quality of 2015.

To give you an update on the rain, Tuesday was rain for everyone and then Wednesday and Thursday was isolated showers depending on your location. At Niepoort we got a bit of rain the last 2 days, nothing bad. In Ervedosa for example, only on Tuesday.

I think the rain was good, not enough to create a problem with fungus but enough to relief from the heat wave of early September. Yes with this rain, it helps the vine to breath and concentrate and thickens the skins. Weather needs to remain exceptional for the next weeks and cross your fingers for no September rain like the last 3 vintages!

Today we are back to season average, around 30 at Napoles, clear and sunny sky, the forecast is the same for the next few days. Night are cooler though.

[Tom Archer]

you have to be careful about the sales pitch hidden there

Given the way a 2015 declaration has been trailed since long before anyone had a clue how the 2016 vintage might turn out, I've been expecting a negative slant from the marketing angle..

Following the sellout 2011 vintage the trade is certainly hungry for a declaration, especially after 2014 got rained out, and if 2016 shows really well it will certainly put them on the horns of a dilemma.

My solution though would be to take the opportunity to break new ground. There's no evidence that the trade took unkindly to Taylor Fladgate declaring 2007,2009 AND 2011, so if both 2015 and 2016 amply make the grade, I'd say take a deep breath - and run two general declarations back to back..

[Frederick Blais]

Interesting point of view coming from a winemaker(not making Port) as he said that with the amount of rain received this week, he is in a hurry to harvest everything now. According to him, there was enough water in the ground that in a week, it would all be soaked up. Since this year the skins are lighter, they would crack and rot would install itself. He is located in Cima Corgo. So far he is very happy, lots of freshness and balance in his grapes, easy to sort too.

[Thomas V]

you have to be careful about the sales pitch hidden there

Given the way a 2015 declaration has been trailed since long before anyone had a clue how the 2016 vintage might turn out, I've been expecting a negative slant from the marketing angle..

Following the sellout 2011 vintage the trade is certainly hungry for a declaration, especially after 2014 got rained out, and if 2016 shows really well it will certainly put them on the horns of a dilemma.

My solution though would be to take the opportunity to break new ground. There's no evidence that the trade took unkindly to Taylor Fladgate declaring 2007,2009 AND 2011, so if both 2015 and 2016 amply make the grade, I'd say take a deep breath - and run two general declarations back to back..

It is quite the predicament.

Lets say that 2015 had good quality and volume is quite large and 2016 had even better quality but far less volume. What would the different houses do?

A)
Declare back to back?
Noval and Vesuvio is not afraid of this approach, though Vesuvio is a special case. But with 2014 vintage from Noval they have declared in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The first house to do so?

B)
Declare 2015 because there are more bottles to sell?

C)
Declare 2016 because the quality is better?