Back to back declarations

[Jasper A.]

So the end all rumours, i heard today at Prowein that the Symingtons are producing 2017 vintage port. So the first back to back declaration since 1934/1935, when Dow's was produced and sold (Graham's only 1935, i love my big Port Vintages book )

In my opinion, if the quality is there you should produce vintage port. So i am happy.

[David Spriggs]

In my opinion, if the quality is there you should produce vintage port. So i am happy.

I totally agree!

[Tom Archer]

There have been odd back to backs over the years - Warre declared both 1945 and 1946, and Graham 1900 and 1901, but the last time a significant number of the top players declared back to back was 1872 and 1873.

However.. mindful of past confusions on this subject, is there explicit confirmation that they are declaring their blends and not just their SQs?

[Thomas V]

Did you hear it from a Symington employee? Are you allowed to name the source?

I know Gustavo Devesa is at ProWine.

This is very interesting news. I both like it and dislike it.

There is something special about a commodity that is only made a few times per decade. Also I am not a fan of this direction things are taking in the Douro where they try to imitate the way they release and sell wine in for instance Burdundy.

Yearly declaration
Earlier maturing VPs
Increasing prices from the get-go

[Tom Archer]

This is very interesting news. I both like it and dislike it

In principle I like it, but the suddenness of it (if the report is correct) is worrying. The history of port making is littered with bright ideas that subsequently went pear-shaped. The producers have for decades been very shy when it came to two year intervals between declarations, so if the Symingtons couldn't bring themselves to fully declare 2009 (despite having some outstanding juice from Malvedos..) jumping in now with a back to back seems a tad reckless..

[Claus P]

Personally I am in the declare when the juice is good camp.

Since the millenium, pretty much every other year has had juice that was good enough to declare for a majority of the producers.
Maybe the major shippers are simply starting to accept that as demand is increasing and the quality is there it makes financial sense to market the wines.

[Tom Archer]

Since the millenium, pretty much every other year has had juice that was good enough to declare for a majority of the producers.

Taking the weakest years to be actually declared as the benchmark, about 70% of vintages are declarable.

Maybe the major shippers are simply starting to accept that as demand is increasing and the quality is there it makes financial sense to market the wines.

If demand is increasing, then they should increase the size of the VP bottling runs!

Production of the top blends today is tiny compared to the amount that used to be bottled. Since the millennium, the producers have been trying to starve the market to force up prices, but it's a fool's errand. The ratio between wine sales volume and price is not linear - if they tripled the volume of VP and halved the release price, the sales campaign would be a doddle and they'd net a greater profit..

[Claus P]

Since the millenium, pretty much every other year has had juice that was good enough to declare for a majority of the producers.

Taking the weakest years to be actually declared as the benchmark, about 70% of vintages are declarable.
But if in generel half the vintages of today are as good or better than the best third of vintages were 20-30 years ago why not declare them?
Also what about all the new independent producers that declare 8 out of 10, are they completely wrong??

Maybe the major shippers are simply starting to accept that as demand is increasing and the quality is there it makes financial sense to market the wines.

If demand is increasing, then they should increase the size of the VP bottling runs!

Production of the top blends today is tiny compared to the amount that used to be bottled. Since the millennium, the producers have been trying to starve the market to force up prices, but it's a fool's errand. The ratio between wine sales volume and price is not linear - if they tripled the volume of VP and halved the release price, the sales campaign would be a doddle and they'd net a greater profit..

One could argue that not having access to as many independent growers as earlier, maybe they can't as easely use their best grapes for only VP production, I don't know

[Jasper A.]

Did you hear it from a Symington employee? Are you allowed to name the source?

It was communicated to everyone that asked at the Prowein stand, so no secret there. It will be a classic vintage.

We should not forget that for the tradiontal porthouses 2016 was the first year since 2011. So far only twice this decade, 2017 being the third.

[David Spriggs]

We should not forget that for the tradiontal porthouses 2016 was the first year since 2011. So far only twice this decade, 2017 being the third.

Ah yes. I had forgotten about that.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

i love my big Port Vintages book

Thank you.

I also favour in declaring based on this year’s Port, without regard to last year’s. As quoted in Sandeman 1935: “From Fletcher, page 48, re 1934 and 1935: “Perhaps … Sandeman had the right solution in shipping both years”.”

[Andreas Nielsen]

Did you hear it from a Symington employee? Are you allowed to name the source?

It was communicated to everyone that asked at the Prowein stand, so no secret there. It will be a classic vintage.

We should not forget that for the tradiontal porthouses 2016 was the first year since 2011. So far only twice this decade, 2017 being the third.

That is very interesting news. Did you hear from other houses? My son was born in 2017 so naturally hope for a good selection and to lay down a lot of good vintage port for him to enjoy......together with his father

[Roy Hersh]

I received this information from a very reliable source three weeks ago. I was asked to not mention it until the news was made public. I asked more than once if it was solely SQVP or the classics and was told that it was the latter.

Excellent for the Symingtons. I hope we learn on April 23rd that TFP made that same decision, too. If so, this will then be considered a general declaration, as was 2016; instead of an unofficial split declaration as with 1991/1992. It will change the history of Vintage Port forever. We already knew that those who declared 2015, would be all in with 2017. So let's just wait for the final shoe to drop, or not.

Either way, this is very exciting.

[Andreas Nielsen]

I received this information from a very reliable source three weeks ago. I was asked to not mention it until the news was made public. I asked more than once if it was solely SQVP or the classics and was told that it was the latter.

Excellent for the Symingtons. I hope we learn on April 23rd that TFP made that same decision, too. If so, this will then be considered a general declaration, as was 2016; instead of an unofficial split declaration as with 1991/1992. It will change the history of Vintage Port forever. We already knew that those who declared 2015, would be all in with 2017. So let's just wait for the final shoe to drop, or not.

Either way, this is very exciting.

Roy,

Do you have an issue with tasting notes on the 2017 coming up or is it not until later?

Thanks

[Eric Menchen]

Do you have an issue with tasting notes on the 2017 coming up or is it not until later?

I posted one about nine months ago

[Andreas Nielsen]

Do you have an issue with tasting notes on the 2017 coming up or is it not until later?

I posted one about nine months ago

Great note. Sounds promising.