For The Love Of Port

Bottled in 2006. I purchased this bottle on my very first trip to the Douro Valley in 2006. Quinta do Javali’s Ports tend to stylistically trend towards a “greener” or “herbal” style. Amber in color with some touches of brown. A touch cloudy with some sediment. Initially a lot of esteva (herbal) notes on the nose, but then in the decanter it rounded out to a pleasant nose of herbs and dusty fruits. Nice sweetness on the palate. The fruit in this wine seems to be starting to fade so there isn’t as much to balance out the noticeable tannins. This is an admirable effort in a bad Port wine year. 89 points.

Having had dinner not too terribly long ago with the owner of Javali, was finally able to understand his style of Ports. He prefers to make very old-school style of Ports. That is, Ports that are more "green" like what was produced in the old days. Best way to describe it is a style that most VP was made in and why it was cellared for a couple decades before drinking. It definitely produces a less overripe fruit forward Port, instead a more lean, stemmy and tannic profile when young. Learning his philosophy was important for me to understand how to approach his Ports. They are definitely not for everyone, but I enjoy that old harsh style from time to time.