The 2018 Vintage Porto is mostly a 50/40 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional with Tinto Cão and Sousão filling out the rest of the blend. It comes in with 106 grams of residual sugar. This doesn't seem any more concentrated than, say, the producer's Offley, but it is certainly more focused—and probably riper. It's very ripe, particularly noticeable a couple of days later. Of the producer's offerings (including the Ferreira), it is clearly the most dramatic. As it ages, one of the things this will have to prove is that it can come into good balance. It also has its fair share of power, so it is not just about the fruit. It was tight and tense the next day as well. The mid-palate easily stands up to the astringency, though. This gorgeously constructed Porto is built for aging, and it is going to need some. I had a minor preference for the Ferreira, but this might win in the end, depending on how they evolve. Let's start here for the moment. This was tasted from a tank sample in a half bottle. There were 19,333 bottles produced.
A blend of 50% Touriga Franca, 40% Touriga Nacional, 5% Sousão and 5% ‘other native red varietals’ from Quinta do Seixo and Quinta do Vau, both properties on the south side of the Douro in the Cima Corgo: very deep inky ‘black’ colour; demure and brooding on the nose, distinctly ripe, hot country fruit (kirsh) with a touch of liquorice and tar; big, ripe dark chocolate flavours, layered spicy depth, impressively structured with ripe tannins giving plenty of grip and leading to a big, expressive finish, perhaps lacking a little in freshness but very, very good. A definite keeper.
