For The Love Of Port

I am a sucker for Vesuvio and their VPs. I have been since I tasted one of their VPs for the first time.

Having an elaborate plan to gather all their VPs since 1989 (First vintage under Symington) to do a full vertical and having only tasted a handful of these I was wondering.

"Which vintages from Vesuvio are the best you have tasted and which do you reckon will turn out to be even more magnificent over the next decade or two?"

I too love Vesuvio's ports. I have done ever since my wife bought me a bottle of the 1989 vintage as a Christmas present in 1992 (or maybe 1993?)

I love the fact that they are an almost continuous series of vintages and so as any particular vintage cycles through different phases of attractiveness, when one vintage is declining another vintage is improving. This really came home to me a couple of years ago. Back in 2015 I thought the 1998 vintage was drinking really well. I tried a range of the more mature Vesuvio vintages that year and it was 1998 which really stood out for me and which was just simply delicious. But early last year it started to be less impressive and disappointing - and then someone gave me a glass of the 1995 vintage, which I remembered as being quite hard and tight and not a great port to drink. But in the 7 years since I last tried it, it had turned into a delicious port just reaching early maturity.

But your question was which I've tasted and what might turn out even better in a decade or two. I reckon the best is probably the 2011. I was blown away by the opulence of the fruit and I think this will be a superb port. I was really surprised (in a good way) by how impressive the 2010 vintage was - and if someone asked me for a "sleeper" tip for a Vesuvio vintage, this would be my tip. 2007 and 2003 are also really very good.

And then there is 1994. It deserves its reputation of being a monster of a port. I consistently score it in the high 90s and have a bottle to open at some point this year.

Have fun collecting the vertical and holding the complete tasting! Don't forget - the longer you take to collect all the bottles, the more bottles you'll have to collect!

My problem is the foot locker is too darn nice looking and I don't want break into any of them!

Hi Thomas

We did a vertical of the Vesuvio last year - you can read the notes here. Good luck with your own vertical, though I must advise almost everyone at the vertical last year subsequently agreed that 23 ports in one sitting was a bit nuts

Vesuvio was my first "favorite" producer, mostly due to the 1994. It was just such a powerful, sexy beast, though very much too young. I've been collecting 6-packs of the generally declared vintages plus a handful of other "strong" non-general vintages, with the idea being to have a 6-pack from every 2-3 years. Due to rarity of the older vintages I started with 1994... if I could find a 1991 with the original footlocker I'd get it, though.

At least for the time being I think I have to stick with 1994 as my favorite, but that's because I can't seem to find any record of having tried the 2011. I have a 6-pack, though!

I too am in the camp of loving Vesuvio Ports and it's hard to pick the top ones. Looking back over my notes I saw something that I had forgotten as I've not had this vintage of it in some time...2005.

However, my all time favorite is still the 1994. Just an amazing young VP give it's more than 2 decades and it will outlive me I suspect.

My second favorite is the 2011. In time this has the ability to rival and perhaps one day even beat the 1994. Time will tell....

And my third, the 2005 mentioned above. They hit a home run with the vintage and it's worth seeking out, which isn't easy as I can't recall seeing this for sale for many years, even in auctions.

Quinta do Vesuvio 1994 very good and ready to drink
Quinta do Vesuvio Capela 2007 and 2011 will be great wines (tasted both)


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Interesting responses.

The 1994 is pretty amazing as I've been lucky enough to try it approximately a year ago.

I will have to get my hands on some 2011 and 2005 as well for myself outside of the complete vertical. I agree that 20 something bottles are quite a lot. However this is something I need to do for myself and the project in acquiring all the bottles is just as much part of the enjoyment as the tasting with friends and family will be.

A few Danish connoisseurs was rally praising the 1995 bottling, though none inhere did mention it?

Thomas V wrote:Interesting responses.

The 1994 is pretty amazing as I've been lucky enough to try it approximately a year ago.

I will have to get my hands on some 2011 and 2005 as well for myself outside of the complete vertical. I agree that 20 something bottles are quite a lot. However this is something I need to do for myself and the project in acquiring all the bottles is just as much part of the enjoyment as the tasting with friends and family will be.

A few Danish connoisseurs was rally praising the 1995 bottling, though none inhere did mention it?

I like 1995 but I also think it is like most other 1995's in that it will be something to drink while you wait for your 1994's and other better vintages of it mature.

Andy Velebil wrote:I like 1995 but I also think it is like most other 1995's in that it will be something to drink while you wait for your 1994's and other better vintages of it mature.

I don't have a problem with that. I think my next new years resolution will be to drink 1 bottle of Vesuvio every 2nd month for 2018

Thomas V wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:I like 1995 but I also think it is like most other 1995's in that it will be something to drink while you wait for your 1994's and other better vintages of it mature.

I don't have a problem with that. I think my next new years resolution will be to drink 1 bottle of Vesuvio every 2nd month for 2018

Now that's a good resolution to have.


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Andy Velebil wrote:

Thomas V wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:I like 1995 but I also think it is like most other 1995's in that it will be something to drink while you wait for your 1994's and other better vintages of it mature.

I don't have a problem with that. I think my next new years resolution will be to drink 1 bottle of Vesuvio every 2nd month for 2018

Now that's a good resolution to have.

A Vezúvio vertical, just held over a very long period of time