Ramos Pinto Late Bottled Vintage
Douro, Portugal
Vintage:2015 (Past)
2017 (Current) | 2018 (Current)
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Reviews
Decanter 94 Points
“A Gold Medal winner at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, this LBV stands out from a large crowd. Mostly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca (the grapes that give it fragrance), foot trodden then aged for years in wood before bottling this wine has real power and depth with rich, tight knit-fruit and gentle peppery grip. It already shows considerable floral finesse but, bottled unfiltered and with a driven cork, this will age and soften in bottle if laid down for another decade.”
Wine Spectator 91 Points
“This LBV has a polished feel to its mix of plum sauce, blackberry reduction and ganache flavors. Nice length and focus. Touriga Nacional, Sousão and Touriga Franca. Drink now through 2025.”
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
“This is a beautifully perfumed wine. With its violet aromas and rich floral flavors, it has both structure and great balance. Black fruits, sultanas and a poise between richness and great fruits, the Port is still young and will benefit from a few more months. Drink from 2021.”
The Wine Advocate 93 Points
“The 2015 Late Bottled Vintage Port is a traditional LBV, unfiltered and bottled with 102 grams per liter of residual sugar and a long cork. It is a blend of Touriga Nacional (62%), Touriga Franca (28%), a field blend from old vines (5%) and dollops of other typical grapes. This was partly (38%) aged in wooden vats for eight to 12 months (depending on lot) and bottled in October of 2019. At this great price, this focused and powerful LBV is classic in every way. The structure is gorgeous and so is the fruit, although it is undeveloped just now. Its precise finish shows grip, length and flavor. This is actually not ready to drink—it's pretty tight just now. It looks like it can age a couple of decades from the vintage date. This is another super LBV from a producer who has a habit of making terrific ones.”
Overview
A late-bottled vintage port is a single-vintage blend that has been aged four to six years in oak casks, unlike a vintage port which ages only two years in wood before bottling. As a result of this extended wood contact, LBV ports have mature, fruity flavors at a younger age, offering much of the character of a vintage port without the wait and at a lower price point. Young and elegant, this delicious LBV 2015 represents the Ramos Pinto style.
Winemaking
The grapes from our quintas of Ervamoira and Bom Retiro are harvested by hand in small containers and taken to the lagar to be crushed by foot. Fermentation lasted around 3 to 5 days, producing a wine with excellent extraction. The wine was aged in Vila Nova de Gaia, in seasoned wooden vats of approximately 15,000 litres. The blend was made in June 2018 and bottled in October of the same year. The 2015 LBV is a traditional late bottled vintage, without hot or cold treatments, unfiltered, thus preserving the full potential of the existing fruit and the capacity for extensive aging in bottle.
Tasting Notes
Great concentration of color. Lively shades of ruby, opaque and very dense. Fresh red fruit aromas such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherry have the first impact. Notes of lavender and cloves add to the complexity of the wine. This unfiltered LBV is soft, engaging and brimming with energy. Rich and dense with underlying black fruit on the mid-palate. Tannins are noticeable yet well integrated, followed by a long flavorful finish.
Harvest Notes
In the Douro region, 2014-2015 was an extremely dry year. A cold, dry winter was followed by an atypically hot spring, with great peaks of heat in May and at the end of June, which speeded up the vegetative rhythm. However, water reserves in the soil and the cool nights experienced throughout the summer enabled the grapes to ripen smoothly and progressively. The harvest of the grapes for Port wine began in the upper Douro at Quinta da Ervamoira on August 27th and ended on September 30th at Quinta do Bom Retiro, located in the Cima Corgo.
Food Pairing
Goes well with game dishes, red meat, cheese soufflé, Serra cheese or other fatty cheeses and chocolate desserts. Serve between 14º and 18ºC. Store the bottle horizontally in a cool, dry place, away from the light.
Technical Information
Varietals: 62% Touriga Nacional, 28% Touriga Franca, 5% Vinhas Velhas, 3% Barroca, 2% Sousão
Wine Alcohol: 19.44%
Titratable Acidity: 4.5 g/L
pH: 3.60
Residual Sugar: 95 g/L