Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009
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Robert
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Deep purple black with narrow rim. The nose is quintessential Vargellas taken to a sublime level. Powerful linear fruit, plum, black cherry and cassis set against a dark exotic background of rosewood and clove. The heady fragrance of violets contributes to the sense of transcendent, multilayered complexity. On the palate the dense thickly textured tannins are coated with sumptuous fruit flavour giving the wine massive volume, weight and grip. But it is on the long, rich tannic finish that the wine displays its resilience and energy.
2009 was a year of very low yields, partly due to the relatively small amount of fruit produced by all vine varieties and in part to the very dry summer.
The main stages in the viticultural cycle occurred earlier than usual, with bud burst taking place in the first days of March. The ripening season started in relatively cool weather which continued throughout July but this turned to extreme heat in August.
There was virtually no rain from July through to September which subjected the vines to stress in some more exposed areas of the valley. However, as usual, the old vines of the Vinha Velha, with their extensive root systems, were able to cope well with the heat. The harvest at Quinta de Vargellas started on 12th September but most of the selection and picking of the grapes used to make the Vinha Velha Vintage Port occurred between 15th and 17th.
The small amount of fruit and the dry summer meant that musts from the old vines were even more concentrated than usual, showing very high levels of sugar, tannin and colour.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a typical field blend aged in used French oak vats. It comes in with 98 grams per liter of residual sugar. One of the fleshiest wines in the vertical—from a very warm year—this has plenty of power and fine depth, hallmarks of the vintage. This was not always received as well as some lusher vintages, but it was likely also far more closed when young. This is a relative powerhouse even now, stern and dramatically different than the lusher and sexier 2007, for instance. For me, always obsessed with structure, it rings the bell. Laced with herbs and dried fruits, this is mightily impressive on its own terms, though. It adds a long finish, but it shows no trace of maturity anytime in the near future. The fruit is sappy but very dry. For all of its power, it retains some elegance, and it is vaguely approachable. The key word there is "vaguely." Do you want to enjoy it or just fight off the tannins?
This is another brilliant Vinha Velha, even if often underrated, probably thanks to its somewhat brooding demeanor. Even now, it is a relatively backward one that needs much more time to express itself. Drink it if you must now, but you'll probably regret it.
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Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.