Ramos Pinto Vintage Port
Douro, Portugal
Vintage:2017 (Current)
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Reviews
Wine Spectator 95 Points
“Pure and racy in feel, with a stream of violet, cassis and plum puree notes leading the way, flanked by subtle anise and alder details. A graphite spine through the finish keeps all the elements grounded on the finish. Rock-solid. Best from 2032 through 2045.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
“A generously textured wine, this has great tannins as well as powerful black fruits. Its ripeness has a shot of acidity to keep it fresh while it ages. It is certainly on the dry side, very firm at the end and needing time. Drink from 2032.”
The Wine Advocate 95 Points
“The 2017 Vintage Port is a blend of 70% Touriga Nacional (a big increase this year), 15% Touriga Franca, 10% Sousão and the rest a field blend from old vines. It comes in with 94 grams per liter of residual sugar. It was aged for only six months in very old (50+ years) Portuguese vats (balseiros) and then in cement tanks. When first seen, this was a tank sample in Porto. It's now bottled and in the USA. This seems rounder and less invigorating than the winery's Ervamoira this issue, but some may prefer the lesser personality here—relatively speaking. What you get in return is intense fruit flavors, leaning to blue fruits, the just-crushed essence of the fruit. It coats the palate and is simply delicious. The structure is not as stunning, but there certainly is some, even though this is rather approachable.
That said, with a couple of days open, this developed beautifully—and better than the Ervamoira. With time, this acquired more intense aromatics and more intensely flavorful fruit. It blossomed. The hallmark of this wine became its suddenly (and surprisingly) rich fruit. Yet it is graceful too. With this performance, I do not prefer the Ervamoira anymore. It remains to be seen how well they both age over a long term. They both drank well after being open for a few days, but every young Vintage Port of quality should. It will certainly hold well for a few decades or more. In the shorter to mid-term, I expect this to become sterner, drier and more intense, as it sheds the baby fat and shows some underlying steel. It's entitled to an uptick in score.”
Decanter 95 Points
“This Port is based on grapes from Quinta do Bom Retiro in the Rio Torto and Quinta da Ervamoira in the Douro Superior. It's demure initially on the nose, with lovely pure berry fruits. The palate is sweet, fleshy and well defined, backed by tight-knit tannins which build to a crescendo - a peacock’s tail of a finish with lovely freshness and balance. A triumph.”
Overview
Founded in 1880, Ramos Pinto's history has been marked by a balance between innovation and respect for tradition. In addition to producing wines of exceptional quality, the House is known for its knowledge of terroir and for its pioneering viticulture. Through its strict production policy, the selection of the best Douro grape varieties and the systematic technical and technological research, the House is positioned as the reference for the production of superior quality wines in Portugal.
Ramos Pinto has four estates in the Douro Valley: Quinta do Bom Retiro and Quinta da Urtiga, located in Cima Corgo, as well as Quinta dos Bons Ares and Quinta de Ervamoira, in the Douro Superior. These four Quintas cover an area of 890 acres.
Committed to improving its bond with nature and the environment, Ramos Pinto is working towards this achievement by implementing organic farming and increasing biodiversity in the vineyard.
Winemaking
Fermentation, which lasts between 4 and 5 days, in granite lagares with intense crushing and no destemming.
Tasting Notes
Deep and opaque purple center with a narrow scarlet outer rim. A complex and mature bouquet dominated by black fruit, cherry, plum and blackcurrant which surround notes of chocolate and liquorice. Delicate aromas of violets and touches of bergamot. On the palate, this is a powerful wine, dense and with great volume. Silky tannins are well integrated with the concentrated fruit. A fresh and almost never-ending finish.
Harvest Notes
In the Douro region, the 2016-2017 season was dry and from May onward there was no relevant precipitation. The budburst happened almost a week earlier than the average and the whole cycle was very precocious. In 2017, the harvest in the two sub-regions where the Ramos Pinto Quintas are located started almost simultaneously and much earlier than average. The grapes were harvested in perfect sanitary conditions and yields were very low. The profile of the 2017 crop is ripe, rich and perfumed.
Food Pairing
Decant at least 2 hours before serving. Serving temperature is between 17ºC and 18ºC.
Technical Information
Varietals: 70% Touriga Nacional, 15% Touriga Franca, 10% Sousão, 5% blend of old vines
Wine Alcohol: 19.5%
Residual Sugar: 94 g/L
Aging Potential: More than 30 years