SQVPs, What Are Your Favs?

[Bradley Bogdan]

John's tasting of various VPs in another thread got me to thinking. His WOTN was the '86 Malvedos, the only SQVP from a not generally declared year in the bunch. Looking at the rest of the wines tasted, a great showing, to be sure.

This leads me to the question: What are your favorite SQVPs that you think hit above their weight? Which ones do you think top most full VPs?

[Glenn E.]

Of traditional SQVPs, I think that the 1987 Taylor Vargellas is probably the king. It is one of the top 3 Vintage Ports of the 1980s, on par with the 1985 Fonseca and 1985 Graham. It is easily the best VP produced by Taylor during that decade, beating out all of their "full" declarations. See Roy's article in the current FTLOP newsletter comparing the TV87 and F85.

Not too far behind that are the 1986 and 1987 Graham's Malvedos SQVPs. Those are also pretty exceptional by any standard, and really stand out among SQVPs. But to do it back-to-back? That's amazing as well. Then there's my personal eye-opener, the 1970 Kopke Sao Luis. I've only had it once, but that one time I was shocked to find out it was an SQVP and not a "full" 1970 VP.

Then there are the "hazy" SQVPs. Do you count Quinta do Noval? How about Quinta do Vesuvio? I tend to think of the former as a VP and the latter as an SQVP, so for me the 1994 Vesuvio has to be near the top of the list of all-time great SQVPs. I think it deserves to be in the conversation for the best VP from 1994, and when you consider how good that year was and the 1994 Fonseca and Taylor in particular, that's saying a lot.

[Moses Botbol]

There are many great SQVP's hard to say which producer does it best. Ferreira does a great job in off vintages, some Vargellas vintages are as good as their declared Taylor vintages... Dow how great SQVP's... Difficult to generalize. I am starting to feel that Grahams is not one of the better SQVP.

[Eric Menchen]

First thing to come mind is 1991 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas.

[Bradley Bogdan]

In general, I don't count Noval, but probably would count Nacional. Nacional and Vargellas VV are really in a category of their own though.

I also count wines like Noval Silval and Fonseca Guimarens. They may not be single Quinta persay, but they hold true to the lesser year, finest fruit from only the best parts anyway storyline.

Vesuvio and the other quintas that bottle a VP every year almost regardless, tough to totally put them in the same category, as a SQVP from '94 or other great year is going to be pretty good, and doesn't really count as an effort in less than ideal circumstances in the same way most other SQVPs do.

That's at least my two cents on how I view the category. Certainly doesn't mean I wouldn't drink anything suggested as delicious though!

[Marc J.]

I'd say that the 1976 Fonseca Guimaraens tops the list. After that blockbuster of a wine, the 1987 Taylor Vargellas is also very impressive as is the 1965 Graham Malvedos. I must also give honorable mention to 1967 Taylor Vargellas and the 2004 Warre Quinta da Cavadinha.

[Paul Fountain]

First thing to come mind is 1991 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas.

I tasted this on my first day in Porto so it was amongst the first real ports I tried. It was clearly head and shoulders above anything else I tried that day.
I'm hoping the 2001 Vargellas will turn out as good as I own quite a bit of that.

On the harvest tour in 2011 we got to try the 04 Malvedos and the group as a whole was very impressed with that, so I'll be looking forward to that when it is released (then I'll have to work out how the hell I can get hold of some)

[John M.]

My experience is limited here--but the best I've tasted in the 1967 Taylor Q de Vegellas (1969 Oporto bottled). One of the best I've ever had.

[Kurt Wieneke]

1987 Graham's Malvedos SQVPs. Those are also pretty exceptional by any standard

The '87 Malvedos gets my vote. Best SQVP I've ever had. . .

[Bradley Bogdan]

I'm a bit surprised at the popularity of 2-3 ports here, I figured there would be more disagreement as to which were top dogs. Sounds like i need to find some of the '87 Vargellas and Malvedos.

[Eric Menchen]

Oh yeah, that 1965 Malvedos was pretty great too.

[David Spriggs]

I agree with the 1965 Malvedos!

[Al B.]

My top SQVP is the 1994 Vesuvio, with the 2003 not far behind.

[John M.]

Al B. wrote:

My top SQVP is the 1994 Vesuvio, with the 2003 not far behind.

Excellent....I just won three 1994 Vesuvios at auction!!

[John M.]

Al B. wrote:

My top SQVP is the 1994 Vesuvio, with the 2003 not far behind.

Excellent....I just won three 1994 Vesuvios at auction!!

It also seems to me there is some very good value in SQVPs as prices tend to be lower than VP, yet the results can be phenomenal.

[Al B.]

Al B. wrote:

My top SQVP is the 1994 Vesuvio, with the 2003 not far behind.

Excellent....I just won three 1994 Vesuvios at auction!!

Congratulations - I think this has a chance of being one of the 20 best ports for our generation to drink. Just needs a few more years...

It also seems to me there is some very good value in SQVPs as prices tend to be lower than VP, yet the results can be phenomenal.

I won't argue with that. You can get some really keen prices on SQVP and the quality can be phenomenal - I rememebr how stunned I was when trying the Bomfim 1965 for the first time and I'm convinced that some of the recent SQVPs will turn into such amazing wines in the future (Vargellas 1987, for example).

[Ronald Wortel]

I'll do this in a slightly different way, just because it's a fun excercise. I'll divide the SQ's in 2 categories and give my top 3 producers for each:
–- Those from producers that normally declare a full vintage and make a SQVP in "off" years
1. Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas
2. Graham's Malvedos
3. Taylor's Quinta de Terra Feita

-- Those that aim to produce a SQVP every year (unless disaster strikes) as a "grand vin"
1. Quinta do Vesuvio
2. Quinta do Vale Meão
3. Pintas (which I believe is SQ but correct me if I'm wrong)

[Monique Heinemans.]

As I haven't tastet as much VP as most of you, I can only confirm some of the choises named before. Taylor's Vargellas 1987 is awesome, Grahams 1987 and 1986 are wonderful too. I gave the Vargellas '87 about the same score as the Fonseca 1985 which I drank in the same period.
When I just startet to collect port (some 10 years ago) I bought a case of Vargellas 1987 at a good price and thought of it as my "regular drinking" port to save my full vintage ports for the "special" occasions. Until I noticed that I liked the Vargellas even better than several full VP's. I've left two bottles now and they will be drunk with care...

[Andy Velebil]

While similar to Ronald, IMO there are really two distinct categories. Or should I say sub-categories?

SQVP's that truly are from a single Quinta (only produced in non-classicly declared years) and "SQVP's" which are really a blend released in non-classically declared years. One can rightly argue the later isn't a true "SQVP", but they seem to have been generally accepted as one. I'll limit these to those houses which have a longer track record at this point.

For true SQVP's:
Malvedos
Roeda
Vargellas
Madelena
Cavadinha
Bomfim
Sao Luis (though I've only had older ones)

The others:
Fonseca Guimaraens
????

[Derek T.]

Fonseca Guimaraens is most definitely not an SQVP !!

If you check out the thread where we had David Guimaraens as a guest on this site you will find that he says FG is made in the same way as the wines released as "Fonseca" in classic years.

As for this...

While similar to Ronald, IMO there are really two distinct categories. Or should I say sub-categories?

SQVP's that truly are from a single Quinta (only produced in non-classicly declared years) and "SQVP's" which are really a blend released in non-classically declared years. One can rightly argue the later isn't a true "SQVP", but they seem to have been generally accepted as one.

An SQVP is an SQVP whether it is the producer's primary or secondary brand. The definition of an SQVP is that it is produced using the grapes of one quinta. Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Noval, Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Anythingyoulike are all SQVPs, all of which are a blend of wines that are made from grapes grown on one quinta. There really is no difference.

Something that I find interesting in a debate about SQVPs is that the very existence of Quinta do Noval and its long history of making top class VP and the emergence of Quinta do Vesuvio dispel the myth that you need grapes from multiple locations to make the best VP. It simply isn't true Yes, it helps if you can access the best grapes from many places to blend together, but it doesn't have to be that way to end up with a fabulous wine. No doubt the argument will emerge that Vesuvio can only do this because of its size, but that argument falls over when you consider Noval, which is much smaller than Vesuvio.

To add fuel to the fire, in recent years Noval have been producing Noval Silval VP, which is a blend from Quinta do Noval and other sources, as their secondary brand. The is entirely the reverse of what producers such as Graham, Dow, and Taylor do. Then there is Croft, which in recent years has produced all (or the vast majority) of its vintage wines entirely from the grapes grown on Quinta da Roeda. In classic years they brand it "Croft" and in others years "Quinta da Roeda", but the wines are all from the same place.

So, when is an SQVP not a "real" SQVP?