The CHALLENGING year of 2022 for Vintage Ports

Call me a contrarian, but in reality, after spending every waking moment for some weeks tasting through and writing about 2 dozen diverse 2022 VPs and having spent almost a month in Douro in 2022, visiting a couple of dozen properties in all 3 sub-regions, I think 2022 produced a pretty fine vintage given the extremities and challenges. I have to wonder if 2023 must be so good that some producers decided not to produce a 2022 VP at all? That is what some are saying.

Early on, I heard a lot of negative comments about 2022 Vintage Ports and there seemed to be a lack of enthusiasm at the time of that harvest, obviously long before I had ever even seen or tasted a single Port from that year. Recently one well-known producer shared that he never considered producing a 2022 VP and believed it was his “worst year for Port, ever.” I was only slightly surprised and joked with him, asking, “Really, ever? Do you mean to say even worse than either of the 2002 or 1993 vintages?” His immediate response, “yes, worse than both!”

Writing this after completing my weeks of tastings and transferring my handwritten tasting notes onto my laptop (yes, I am old fashioned, and old habits die hard) here were some basic impressions of the 2022 Vintage Ports, but please realize these comments are a sweeping generalization, about the vintage overall, from my experience in recent weeks:

I honestly don’t believe I’ve seen colors as dark as the 2022 vintage, across the board … possibly it goes back to the 1994 vintage, from memory. The level of extraction is beyond belief. Not a single one of the big names, or the least well-known, was less than fully opaque. The only difference in color was pretty much only visible on the outer rim, whether purple, violet or variant shades of red. The darkness of these VPs was initially a big surprise, as when I was told, early and often that 2022 was nothing special, I expected to see a wide diversity of coloration and that, was definitely not the case. So, in my tasting notes (TNs) at times I may not have included the optics of every Port, because it just seemed redundant after a while.

The vast majority of the sampling of 2022 Vintage Ports taught me that the “approachability” of these Ports at this early stage is much better than I would expect of such a “challenging hot year.” In all seriousness, while there were a small number that do need more time to integrate and show their true character, at least 20 of the two dozen are already very enjoyable to drink. And before you cast aspersions or make conclusions about that statement, here is the follow up.

While they may be pleasant and easy to drink at this moment in time, make no mistake in thinking I am implying that they do not have the requisite structure to age very well. While this is certainly a generalization of 2022s, the level and nature of the acidity in the vast majority exceeded my expectation. With acidity, most hot year vintages have difficulty, partially due to the possibility of hydric stress, others because the grapes ripened too quickly, or in the case of field blends, unevenly. I did not find that to be the case with 2022. And not only the power of some of the tannins, but the quality of those tannins, certainly will see most (of you lucky enough to live long enough) of these Vintage Ports exceeding 3, and possibly 4 decades of age, and quite a few 2022s, considerably longer.

Last generalization: while I appreciated the 2021 Vintage Ports, and the 2020 VPs even more so, I believe that the best VPs from 2022 will live to outshine both. A bold prediction given how difficult things were in 2022, but in years with such issues, you can make great Ports, just in much smaller quantities. When yields are down as they were, obviously case production also drops and only the finest grapes can be used. Triage tables were very busy in 2022.

Methodology

I modified my typical tasting strategy with 2022 Vintage Ports, as I had to find a way to be able to taste these in the month of December, providing them with time to settle down before the actual tasting. I also had to deal with a tour at the beginning of the month and the holidays coming up at the end. So, I stopped requesting samples when I achieved my goal of having two dozen, from a year that I had heard was “challenging” from many and “terrible” from some. I thought, there is no reason to do 30, 40, 50 bottles or more, like I have done in the past with generally declared vintages. I really don’t hear many people talking about that term anymore. Now “Classic” is the word that seems to have replaced vintage that we used to call “generally declared.”

So, I decided the best way was to handle three flights of eight, instead of two flights of twelve, which used to be the largest flights I felt were doable, to insure avoidance of palate fatigue. This would be manageable and allow me to do very thorough blind and extended tastings and complete them prior to the holidays. I thought about a new approach, but still keeping my tastings to twice per day, late morning and then either a late afternoon or an evening session. But to save time, I interspersed the first and second flights.

My gal Elizabeth helped with the bottle prep, having her remove the corks and capsules, inserting T-stoppers and mixing them up and placing them into the numbered bags (pictured below). And to give her some credit, she did a wonderful job, considering it was her first time doing this.

When I mentioned, “interspersed” I am referring to doing these flights of eight bottles this way: The first flight was tasted twice … on days one, three and five … spreading them out even longer than I used to, gaining an extra day or two of air to get an even broader view into their evolution. Flight number two was tasted during day two, four and six. Excellent and within one week, I was able to complete two flights. I then took a day off to allow my palate to rebound. Next up, I started the final flight and was able to taste this over a five day period, twice a day as always, but skipping a day in between, negating the need for a fourth tasting, as they had plenty of time to breathe.

When these tastings were all completed, the tasting notes and ratings were all consolidated and this provided a time elapsed sense within the notes, and only then the Ports were removed from the bags. I was then able to find the top scoring wines and even though there had only been two dozen bottles to start out with, I decided to still produce, Roy’s Top Ten. This allowed me to not only include the best 8 … which is what I had been considering all along, but two wines below my usual 95-point threshold, to show two excellent VPs that were extremely close to scoring 95 but remained at 94. I think both of these final entries are fantastic and worth including.

I took the top dozen and decided to do some comparisons both 97 pointers vs. the 98, as well as individually putting the 96 point wines up against both the 97s and 95 pointers to see how they fared. This allowed me to fairly put like scoring wines in their proper order. I then put the 95 point wines, against the top VPs with 94 points. I realize this likely sounds like overkill, but I felt I got to know the best of the 2022 vintage very well; and in doing the calculations, have spent at least 1.5 hours tasting each bottle of Vintage Port, even before the bags came off.

So while procedures changed slightly from past practice, thoroughness still prevailed! I am very comfortable that for my palate, regardless of scores … with an average of fifteen minutes evaluating every glass of Port, six times in all, I really got to understand their character. It was then a really fun exercise to do the reveal of all bottles from each flight. There were some big surprises and some that totally fooled me, where I had written down what I believed they were.

To this point, I have still not read any other professional notes, whatsoever. Once I have settled on a rating for a particular wine, that won’t change once the bags come off. I already have my final scores completed, prior to revealing the Ports, which is why there are some surprising names on occasion that make the cut for my Top 10, or Top 8 or Top 6 … depending on how many bottles I start out with.

As in the past, it makes me wonder how other wine and Port critics can go to Douro, and sit in front of a producer or even at the IVDP and come up with a score after a few sips of a Vintage Port. Not to mention these are almost always, sighted tastings, where label bias is inevitable. Of course, there are true professionals that do spend several days doing their analysis, and I am happy to see this become more commonplace. If I have learned nothing else in my decades of doing these vintage evaluations, it is that from one day to the very next … Vintage Ports do evolve with time open. Even from bottles that are recorked immediately, the oxygenation that takes place in the bottle, will make a difference in how they show. And when doing multiple tastings over 3, 4, or 5 days, the changes can be very significant. Even now, I will keep my Top 10 for a week or so and try them all again at least two more times to make sure I am pleased with my ratings and in the order of their placement within the Top 10. Nothing will change of course, I just do this for my own satisfaction, and it helps me to remember their characteristics.

For those that have never read any of my prior vintage forecasts or reports before, I do want to explain my use of the plus sign with my ratings. My score of 92+ does not mean that I am on the fence, vacillating whether this Port will improve to become a 93 in the future, or even whether I consider it on the borderline between a 92 and 93. I realize others may use the plus sign for that reason. But as I have always done in Port or any wine ratings that I have put in writing for the public on FTLOP or in magazines, + for me, only means one thing. It designates that the wine/Port .. for me … has the ability to improve with age, for at the very least, one full decade. I just want to be clear on that point so there’s no confusion. I realize this is not what most others use a plus sign for, when rating wines, therefore this explanation.

-- RH 12/31/24

 

Growing season and harvest impressions of 2022

2022 was what everyone involved with Port wine called a "challenging year" but it is not like the Douro isn't filled with mostly challenging years. Entire seasons where rainfall delays or destroys partial or entire harvests, destructive heat waves or hailstorms do their damage, or with hydric stress in drought years that cause small yielding crops. So, maybe we should be far more surprised when the Douro has a growing season that doesn't provide for a "challenging year". But to be fair, 2022 was absolutely brutal and saw all of those issues arise during the year!

Now for the good news: After 2020 and 2021, foot treading returned to the Douro post-Covid 19. And it was exciting for the Douro, yet not easy to find workers to take part. They managed of course, as did the vines. Overall, production was lower, but better than expected given the record-breaking heat during the winter, spring, and summer. Overall, yields were down 10-15% depending on location. The grapes were small, concentrated and pushed to their limit of hydric stress, yet surprisingly the vines reached some deep groundwater and survived.

Except for some rain in December, temperatures were warmer than normal, with practically no precipitation until March which brought minor relief from the drought like conditions. April saw significant temperature spikes that set records. May was the hottest on record going back over 90 years. Then came hailstorms at the end of the month. June, July and August were all record breaking for the high temperatures, In fact, July was boiling in the Douro with 1/3 of the month over 40 C. Temps reached a record of 116 F. in Pinhão, to put things in perspective. People died throughout Portugal and Spain from the heat and lack of water. Small villages in some parts of the Douro were completely dry without running water, for cooking, gardens or taking showers.

Picking began everywhere in the Douro during August, some very early in the month and some towards the end. Rains arrived in mid-September which stopped picking as we saw during our visit to the Douro during vindima, some for up to a week and a half! The temperatures were considerably lower after the rains, allowing for longer hang times for grapes not yet picked, and phenolic ripeness was reached. Harvesting continued to late September, and as late as mid-Oct.

2022 was a year where Port shippers and smaller Douro producers declared their Single Quinta Vintage Ports, while not many full declarations were made. Lots of producers chose to forego making any Vintage Ports at all. Others wisely decided to lower productions of their VP and the quantity of cases was considerably lower than 2021. In my opinion, the 2022 Vintage Ports are consistently better, but that’s just one man’s viewpoint.

Earlier this year, Harry Symington wrote to me, “ … three months before the harvest being among the hottest and driest ever recorded. We were astonished, however, by how well the vines performed under such unprecedented conditions. While the grape bunches and berries were smaller than usual, they delivered concentrated wines with lifted aromas and remarkable purity of fruit.

 

 

Just opened by Elizabeth, but prior to removing most capsules (below) to prevent identification.

 

2022 Vintage Port tasting note section

2022 Barros Vintage Port – Dark garnet color with broad ruby edge, opaque throughout. Exuberant spicy and floral fragrance of violets, carnations, pine needles and cocoa. Days later also noted ripe boysenberry on the nose. Medium+ weight, sumptuously textured, smooth and rich by day 5. The Barros is an engaging VP, that was very solid from the beginning, and on day 3 it opened up more and came into its own. Only slightly more weight, yet it not only was better integrated, but the mid-palate filled out considerably. Loads of fig, tar, hint of elderberry and an herbal streak added depth. Structurally the acid was excellent from the beginning, but tannins grew throughout the process, powdery, with some grip, but non-aggressive, showing fine aging potential. The finish was long, dry and smooth. A very well-made VP! Drink now through 2054. 93+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Burmester’s Quinta do Arnozelo Vintage Port – This Port shipper from 1750 is nearly ready to celebrate its 275th anniversary in 2025. The Burmester SQVP is attractive, and the fine aromatic silhouette begins with fragrant fresh violets and fresh cut herbal notes, as well as intense and pure blueberry and brambly scents of cassis. While the acidity is adequate and provides poise, the tannins are dusty, soft and rather mild. Blessed with a blast of briary blueberry on the palate along with some drier cranberry and marionberry flavors, and a touch of rock rose towards the medium-long aftertaste, which shows some light hints of grippy tannins, and promise for fine drinking between now and 2050. It’ll be perfectly ready for its tercentenary. 91+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Cálem Vintage Port – A full on declaration from this historic Port firm dating back to 1859. Once the identity was revealed after the fifth day, I was glad to see Sogevinus declared this fine shipper, as we visit Cálem’s Port lodge frequently, and it’s one of my personal favorites! It began with an old-school dark brooding walk in the forest at night, with some black cherry, note of sous bois, rock rose and wood char. Earthy, beautiful and complex! Scintillating vibrant acidity propped up the dry red fruit flavors of black raspberry, redcurrant, along with fresh acai. Medium weight, round, smooth and delicious. I was reminded of Quarles Harris, but knew they were not produced any longer, but the profile was similar. The tannins were powdery and refined and mostly soft, while over the next tastings the flavors melded and showed pure wild berry essence as it continued to evolve and showed a sense of more long term aging potential and the finish improved a bit as well. I was quite impressed by how this changed for the better, and is more approachable now, but has one of the best noses in the first 2 flights. While fun to sip now, drink anywhere between 2028-2057. A simply impeccable, and gorgeous Cálem Vintage Port! 94+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – This isn’t a Single Quinta Vintage Port, which is what Quinta do Vesuvio is. This is a single parcel Vintage Port. There is a difference. This is the 5th time that the Symington’s have bottled the Capela, since the first release was launched. Very dark optic with a maroon edge. Initially a tanky note dominated, but that was gone a couple of days later and morphed into the violet candy, herbal realm which was considerably more pleasant. Add to that some Bing cherry and cocoa scents and the final day, I noted bright raspberry, too. Medium+ weight, juicy and soft in the mouth, with ample acidity to maintain the balance and provide a sense of notable freshness. The tannins remained refined and non-assertive throughout, yet made their presence known, dusty and with light grip. The Capela delivered a sweet entry with ripe, briary, if not jammy blue and purple fruits plus purity of grape. This was very close to appearing in my top 10. It was harmonious in terms of balance with plenty of stuffing at its core, and a juicy long berry filled finish. Drink now through 2059. 94+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Churchill’s Quinta da Gricha Vintage Port – This began with slight VA and high-toned tanky notes that evolved into some briar patch fresh lavender, forest floor with hints of cocoa and kalamata. It was nice to see this morph away from the initial aromatics and gain a cleaner bouquet a few days later, more freshness and fruit filled. Medium weight, with an outstanding soft and creamy texture, it gained further prominence due to the fine crisp acid and tannins that were ripe and showed their powerful grip and chalky sensation a few days into the tasting. There was some beautiful fig and plum flavors up front and some greener notes of esteva and herbal essence too. A delicious, dry and persistent finish prevails. This lovely Gricha has fine upside potential and should drink well over the next 4 or possibly 5 decades. 93+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port – Pitch blackish-purple with ruby rim. The smell of this Port is like perfume: decadent and tantalizing! It was not easy to come up with precise descriptors. It smelled so sweet upfront and then came some earthiness that changed my impression. Intense rose petal, macerated sweet cherries and black plums, followed by forest floor, esteva and tar. The next tasting … no nose at all. Light-medium weight by the end of days, though it started out medium+. As I wrote on the final day, “one of the most difficult VPs to peg.” Soft and awesome to roll around in my mouth texturally. In possession of big ripe briary flavors immediately … and all days … intricate and accessible, nice vibrant acidity with tannins that gained power with each tasting, and then the last, “mild tannic finish.” Flavors were ripe upfront with briary red fruits, and also showed an almost jammy, dry blackberry profile. If I sound confused, I was … by this VP. Fine mid-section depth, and lingering finish with a half century of aging potential. I love Dow’s Port style and never imagined this could be their SQVP. It changed a lot and my last note was: “a delicious enigma.” 93+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 DR Vintage Port – Inkwell opacity with purplish rim. Reviewing my notes from the six tastings, the funniest quip was: “Not quite Dow’s, but similar to that style and quality.” I should end there and save time! An incredible first whiff, instant smile, aniseed was the first fragrance followed by briary grenadine, spicy esteva, Cran-apple, and raisin. An intricate and singular bouquet. Medium-full bodied, unctuous, and the mouthfeel is one of several significant strengths of this DR. The structure is another. While the acid kindly provoked my salivary glands, the dry, chalky, lip-grabbing tannins stuck to my teeth. Most would not be amused by this. But I remember the good old days when most VPs delivered this kind of impact. Dry fruit flavors of blackcurrant and cranberry, adorned by spicy black licorice and cocoa powder, made for a delicious, penetrating mid-palate, but one must like the dry side of Port to appreciate this beast. It appealed greatly to my senses, even though I also like sweet Ports as well. Lastly, the finish was one of the longest of not only the flight, but entire vintage. This DR is a brash, potent and energetic young Port, consistent all days in projecting 5-6 decades of excellent drinking ahead. 95+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Ferreira’s Quinta do Porto Vintage Port – Another Sogrape stalwart with a long history, and a shipper that has often delivered in otherwise weak vintages, and while Ferreira is never mentioned with the big names in Port, some of the greatest ancient and long-lasting Ports I’ve tasted, have been from this firm. Also look to underappreciated more recent vintages like 1975 and 1980 for similar surprises. Now to 2022, it all began with some green aromas of pine needles, mint and menthol. It took a few days for this to emerge and present actual fruit notes of black cherry and black raspberry, still with some mintiness. Medium+ weight, with bold flavors of kirsch with a distinct chocolate covered raisin presence, and a harmonious, stuffed mid-palate, with excellent complexity. Good acidity and omnipresent, yet non-assertive tannins provide solid balance, but likely this will drink best over the next three decades. By day 5, the palate gained some new additions, dry black cherry and only slightly sweeter boysenberry, still with lots of chocolate. Delicious and with a very long, soft and drying aftertaste. If drinking this any time soon, provide a long decant for best results. A fine Ferreira! 93+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port – In the early goings the fragrances showed lots of high-toned scents, some tanky notes, violet candies, and an odd first-time distinct smell of petroleum jelly, with fresh lavender and herbs. Later in the week, rose petal, plum and sweet perfumed grenadine fragrances were notable. Medium+ bodied, mouthfilling chewy and smooth, the palate presence was very good. There was ample acidity, and the tannins delivered upper-lip grip, with a bit of astringency. On the fifth day, the impression had smoothed out a drop and showed some velvety texture, which along with the fresh plum, medium-dry black and blue fruits, was juicy and tasty. The length of the finish was solid but lacked intensity and complexity. While this ready to drink now, wait until 2030, though 2065. 94+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Graham’s Quinta do Tua Vintage Port – Vinhas Velhas – Special Edition – I wrote, “best pure fruit nose of the third flight” which is beyond high praise. It began with perfume of rose petals, black cherry, plum and fresh crushed grape, and was adorned by rock rose and autumnal leaves. A true heady bouquet! Medium-full bodied and simply an exquisite thrill ride in the mouth, pure velvet, sexy smooth and voluptuous. Structurally this contained juicy vibrant acidity and big, chalky, ripe non-aggressive yet powerful tannins; this is built for the long-term, with five to six decades of upside aging potential. Massively fruited, brambly, and seemingly medium-dry profile of black and purple fruits from this first ever launch of Graham’s Tua SQVP, as it is one of the top VPs of the 2022 class and besides my six sessions of tasting it, I brought it back for some one-on-one comparisons after it had been revealed. It was put up against the top contenders and it faired quite well in this fiercely competitive assemblage. A gorgeous Graham’s! 96+ points ~ 12/26/2

2022 Kopke’s Quinta S. Luiz Vintage Port – Dark and fully opaque, but I could say this about nearly every 2022. The color purple is the essence of the aromatic profile of this Port. Lilac, Iris and Violets … that’s just the floral fragrances, plum and boysenberry scents abound as well, then some not so purple notes, asphalt, esteva and a blast of minerality over the next few days. High-toned in a completely different context than how I typically mean it. Medium-bodied, and it never gained weight, this is a Port with a really nice palate presence, but lighter than most that came before it in this first flight, fluid and easy to approach. It also straddles the line between sweet and dry better than almost any other, not just in terms of the residual sugar, but the impression it leaves after the finish. Loaded with powerful punchy acidity and the polar opposite when it comes to the tannins, which are user friendly, soft, dusty and mild mannered, subverted to the primacy of the fruit, at least through several two-a-days. Ripe, not sweet, big blast of huckleberry, black plum and lip-smacking redcurrant flavors, with that same minerality that I smelled. This S. Luiz has a medium-length finish and will drink very nicely through 2050. 92+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Menin Wine Company Port – Two wealthy Brazilian men have a vision to renovate several vineyards and quinta properties with production expecting to reach 400,000 bottles in 2025. They produced their first Vintage Port in 2020, and 2022 is just their 2nd VP overall, an exemplary effort, which I believed was Vesuvio. Wrong! That goes to show the quality of this Menin, a name most people have never heard of, YET, at least when it comes to Port. You can’t drive in Douro without seeing their signs lit up at night on the north bank. This Port is very dark, fully opaque with a violet rim. An exuberant nose with some high-toned notes from the Touriga Nacional grape, there’s also an earthy element along with cherry, black pepper, cassis and a rare peach note that I rarely if ever have found in Vintage Port. The first sip made me sit up and take notice. The medium-full frame was one of the two most impressive of my first flight of eight. Mouthfilling, vibrant, and concentrated, the texture was not only appealing, but unctuous in its richness. It was not only approachable early on but got better on the third day and by the fifth, I had to up my score by a point. Ripe but not overtly sweet, meio seco with blueberry, fig and black plum flavors and plenty of acidity, which kept the ripeness in check, while the bold primary fruit dominated the tannins. Not a bad thing in a hot year like 2022. The 2003, 2017 and 1966 vintage shared similar character, known for their extremely hot vintages! Hints of anise and cocoa joined the party a few days later. It’s immediately approachable, while the finish exhibits great length, soft, elegance and sophistication. Drink this now through 2058. A surprise upon the reveal, Menin is now a name to keep an eye on, for sure! 94+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Niepoort – Opaque to the rim with star-ruby meniscus. A punch to the nose, in the best of ways, ripe raspberry, pure crushed grape, briary notes, along with lavender, and fresh green herbs. Knockout nose! Medium+ weight, but with a suave mouthfeel. I wrote: “how did it reach this level of cleansing acidity in such a hot year?” Structurally impressive with tannins that are like a powerful vice grip, yet lack any sense of astringency. Bold, penetrating, in-your-face plum, blueberry and pure grape flavors, and over the 5 days, like drinking a wild berry pie just an hour out of the oven. Unctuous, yet lacking serious weight, just round and mouthfilling. No signs of chocolate and then it appears out of nowhere at the end … silky, sexy and long. In reality it has everything you could ask of an infant VP. Nick, Daniel, Dirk or whoever was the guiding force on this one, or a team effort, congratulations! As approachable as it is, it would be easy to finish this in a night. Drink now it’s fun, or anytime through the late 2080s. 98+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Offley Vintage Port – This often-ignored shipper from 1717, deserves credit and I was surprised and quite pleased to see it was the Offley when the bag was removed. A stalwart of the Sogrape family of Port houses, this 2022 was something special. The aromatic intensity stood out within this excellent flight, with a mélange of black plum, huckleberry, fragrant rose petal and lavender perfume. In coming days more depth emerged with a spicy overtone along with fresh cut herbs. I loved it! Medium-full bodied, voluptuous and velvety in its mercurial and mouthcoating luxuriousness. We don’t talk enough about textural pleasure with Port, and it’s a big part of the pleasure in palate presence for me, and is a significant highlight for this specific VP! Chewy if not dense, harmonious and tantalizing tastes of bold brambly meio seco black fruits, adorned by ripe cherry, fig and sweet milk chocolate notes. While the acidity deserves honorable mention, it is the powerful grip of this Port that is most notable and provides plenty of long-term upside potential for this impressive Port. It should drink extremely well over the next six decades, with ease. An absolutely voluptuous Offley and a notable “sleeper” of this vintage. This in a nutshell, is why tasting flights blind, and over several days, is really so very important! 95+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port – It begins with a tanky top note, likely the Touriga Nacional grape that is a well-known player in the old vine parcels of this excellent Quinta. Tar, and char notes, notes along with earthy blackcurrant and dried leaves lead the aromatics here. Medium-bodied, soft, smooth and lithe, this could pass for a top tier LBV, as it is less like a Vintage Port in terms of its overall density and heft. Pretty in purple with bright, bold plumy flavors, balancing acidity and mostly mild mannered but slightly astringent tannins that show up late after the swallow. Lacks oomph and sophistication but has the rest of the package and fine length overall. It is very approachable and will remain fun to drink for the next thirty-five years. 91+ points ~ 12/20/24

2022 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port – I had a session with Christian Seely and Carlos Agrellos, along with Ana Carvalho in the early part of May this year, just the week before a private tour for Dr. Tawny’s 60th birthday. My notes then had the identical score(s) because I usually use a small range (e.g. 93-95) and the rating below, actually fell right in the middle, which always amuses me, when something like that happens. And no coincidence, but my Nacional score was identical to May as well, and I certainly had no strong memory of specific descriptors or scores from that early tasting session attended by a bunch of other journalists and Somms from all of Portugal, (held here in Porto). The reason to check those notes was to find the GPL/RS and for this wine, there was 89 g/l of residual sugar, but not until the tastings were completed. Nonetheless, I liked this Port on both occasions, plus one of the three times when visiting Noval this year with groups. Dark and impenetrable, ink blot. Loaded with floral notes, tar, boysenberry and dark brambly essence, dark cherry came later. Classic Noval structure but maybe a bit softer than other recent vintages, with cleansing acidity and prominent drying modestly grippy tannins. Delicious medium sweet black and purple fruits, and as good as the flavors were, the mouthfeel was the highlight for me, the silky-smooth nature of Noval, and this was exemplified even more so on the prolonged aftertaste. Drink this young pup from 2030 to 2062. 94+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port – A fine blend of Touriga Francesa (Franca), Tinta Cão, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, and Tinta Roriz grapes from this venerable parcel at Noval. Drier than the 2022 Noval, this weighs in at only 85 grams per liter of residual sugar. The optic is black and there is some reddish black at the meniscus, but impenetrably opaque throughout. The exotic and enticing bouquet is framed by lovely framboise, black cherry, earthier notes of underbrush, anise, esteva and tree bark. Dark in profile, but a real head turner. Immediately, it reminded me of the 2017; but it seems that Nacional is appearing on the scene with LOTS more frequency than ever in history. When you have great quality, why not show the world … in limited quantities, of course! Considering the heat of 2022, I was initially taken aback by the exuding freshness of this VP. The palate is a top contender, with brambly and dry essence of cassis, plum, and ample purity of fruit, that actually seemed riper upon entry than it finishes. Atypical for me, I found the Nacional the bigger and more structurally powerful wine vs. the Noval which normally carries that mantle, in my opinion. This is a really gorgeous Nacional, with fine underpinnings structurally, to drink exceptionally well, early on requiring several hours in decanter, but as it gains some bottle age … this will drink beautifully for a half century, at least. Absent is my mention of this Port’s exemplary seductive mouthfeel, and its never-ending finish. 96+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port – Nearly full opacity with a ruby-violet edge. Smoky, charred wood, tar, light VA, cedar and finally some fruit emerged to brighten up the bouquet after a couple of days, with some strawberry and blackberry fruit. The Sousão stands out prominently on the nose. Medium-bodied, and smooth on the palate, loaded with juicy acidity, while the tannins hint at mid-long term aging potential, chalky, if not overtly aggressive in the early going. Tart fruit flavors of redcurrant, blackberry, warm and spicy, with a backdrop of kalamata tapenade. Seemingly dry stylistically, (and from my first tasting in early May, I see 86 g/l of RS). It ends with a smooth medium-length tart, somewhat spirity aftertaste. This will need several years to fully integrate, I believe there are solid underpinnings, but it may be in an awkward phase. Drink from 2029 to 2059. 89+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – “Paint it Black!” should’ve been playing in the background. Typically, every 2022 had this incredible opacity that only was tinged by purple, violet or various shades of red. One of the stars of 2022, aromatically, a really profound and diverse silhouette of perfume here, including blueberry, macerated just picked grapes, wildflowers yet to be picked, and pomegranate, along with sticky rock rose. Fantastic and it took me a long time to finally take a first sip. I thought of many visits to this property since our first, in 2006 and some of the vertical tastings and lunches and the renowned hosts who have joined us at this historic venue, once owned by Sra. Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira. By the end of 5 days this put on considerably more weight, and showed great density, richness and that telltale elegance that these corpulent beauties can elicit. And this 2022 does that naturally, and very well. Structurally, it seems hard to believe that the underlying traits of the acidity and tannins are big and promise far more than a half century of drinking well, yet they do not get in the way of the spectacularly present fruit of this Vesuvio. Blueberry, suave purity of grape and ripe plum flavors all come to the fore in this harmonious Port, reminiscent of the 1997 for me, when it was a youngster. I could continue to wax poetic, but you will soon see how much I believed this is one of the greats from this surprising year. Even after the tasting, I came back to this Port over and over to compare with others considered, Best of Show. 97+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo Vintage Port – Opaque inkwell with medium ruby edge. Not a fan of the tanky nose, but 3 days in, it lost that. High-toned, with lavender, esteva and minty essence, with cocoa later on. Medium-bodied, lithe fluidity in the mouth, initially quite dry with brambly blackcurrant, fleshy fig, and underripe black raspberry fruit flavors and a hint of mint. Improved over the five days, the acidity was more noticeable, while the tannins remained constant throughout, light granular with late cheeky grip. They sneak up on you like no see um mosquitos and then its too late. Off-dry medium-long tannic finish. Nice symmetry overall. Wait to drink … as it will meld better than it shows now, 2030-2064. 92+ points ~ 12/19/24

2022 Taylor’s “Sentinels” Vintage Port – The four Taylor properties — Junco, Casa Nova, Terra Feita, and Eira Velha are all situated within the Cima Corgo, up in the heartland of the Pinhão Valley, which Taylor has counted on for decades, some for centuries in some cases. You may be thinking, what about Vargellas? No, that’s way upriver in the Douro Superior. The Pombalino Stones which were placed, (1758 and again in 1761 … not 1756 as some journalists get wrong with frequency … that was when the Marques de Pombal made his initial decree announcing there would be boundaries set for the region, the demarcation of the Douro actually took place twice. These stone markers, which laid the boundary lines of the region, have become important pieces to Douro (and Portugal) and here are alluded to as the Sentinels. And it is a beauty, as one would expect from a new release from Taylor’s. There were initial high-toned notes aromatically, but they were tamed over the five days this Port remained for this tasting. Other notables; cassis, pine tar and pine needles, distinctive cedar, acai berry, and tapenade. A full-bodied Port from the onset, this is a beautifully made and integrated Port that I’d call, “old school” as it reminds me of some of the Ports from 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2003. Not stylistically, but both aromatically and structurally. This is a powerful Port that not only crushes the palate with waves of flavor throughout, but the tannins are what used to be known as “blackstrap”. I do not shy away from “take no prisoners” assertive tannins, and they have their place if there’s enough fruit to allow them to mellow with age and fully meld. This is the case here and will provide the spine for at least another half century, and possibly six decades of fine drinking. It was one of the big standouts in its flight and I can’t wait to try this again a decade hence, or so. 95+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port – Purplish black and with full opacity. An astounding aromatic profile here and as good as any in recent memory, it includes grenadine and violets upfront, with a creosote note, minerality, and then pure black fruit and autumnal sous bois earthiness. From the first sip, I knew this was something very special and would be hard to top, as it was the 22nd of 24 Vintage Ports tasted. Medium-full bodied on day one, by the end of the fifth day open, and tasted, it was rich, now at full-weight and not only smooth, but absolutely unctuous and with a silky texture. This and the Niepoort excelled with this pure finesse, and sheer level of concentration. While the acidity induced waves of salivation to take place, it was rivaled by the chiseled and powerful grip of the tannins which were milder in the early going and became massive and powerful, yet without aggressiveness. This is a classic SQVP at its best, with a gorgeous profile and it has everything decadent and harmonious. It will see the end days of this century and that is a rarity for most in 2022. 97+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Vieira de Sousa Vintage Port – Now in the 5th generation of their family, Luisa Borges is a fine wine and really talented Port maker. Whereas many other bottlings had a chance to rest, this Vieira de Sousa was delivered only a few days before my tasting. Not making excuses, but it made for a significant difference. Whether that would have changed the way this Port showed, is anybody’s guess, but in fairness, it deserves to be noted. It began with a stalky tree bark note and scent of vitamin pill, yet not unpleasant … just weird. By day five the nose emerged cleaner and offered up some raspberry, acai and carnation scents with some tar and char, but clean overall. Medium-bodied and dry stylistically, the tannins presented dusty-grainy with plenty of grip and joined by some juicy acidity. The mouthfeel was unctuous and lovely. The fruit itself was rather tart and drying, with rhubarb, redcurrant, underripe blackberry along with sour patch candy and tar flavors. I’d like to try another sample with a bottle that had as much time as all the others to rest. That said, this delivered a medium dry, tannic and fairly long finish. The long- term prognosis for ageability was a solid 3-4 decades. Revisit! 89+ points ~ 12/26/24

2022 Vista Alegre Vintage Port – An outstanding Port producer that is well known for their excellent aged White Ports and Colheitas, but they’re often overlooked when it comes to their solid Vintage Ports, which can do well even in unheralded vintages. Here’s a good example of that! An audacious aromatic silhouette highlights great scents of fennel, mint and floral notes, but took a few more days to finally unfurl and present its best red fruit aromas. Medium+ body, soft and extraordinary liquid velvet across the palate, supple yet pure gracefulness. Meio doce with grape purity, plum and some bittersweet pomegranate and generous acidity, but nearly imperceptible tannins at first. They remained rather refined throughout, and it is the only weak spot of this 2022. But not every VP must be able to age for many decades. This Vista Alegre is a decadent youngster, balanced, lip-smacking goodness, with its classy and delicious long finish. Drink anytime in the next quarter century, as it will be great through the mid-point of this one! 92+ points ~ 12/20/24

ROY'S TOP 10 VINTAGE PORTS OF 2022

1 98 NIEPOORT
2 97 VARGELLAS
3 97 QUINTA DO VESUVIO
4 96 QUINTA DO NOVAL NACIONAL
5 96 GRAHAM'S QUINTA DA TUA - VINHAS VELHAS
6 95 OFFLEY
7 95 TAYLOR'S SENTINEL'S
8 95 DR
9 94 FONSECA GUIMARAENS
10 94 CALEM