2017 Quinta Do Crasto - Late Bottled Vintage Porto (750ml)

Quinta do Crasto dates back to 1615, making it one of the oldest and most dramatically situated estates in the Douro region, with vineyards terraced above the river on some of the area's steepest slopes. Owned and run by the Roquette family, the estate has built a strong international reputation for both its table wines and its Ports, blending centuries old tradition with modern technique. Grapes are still foot trodden by hand in old granite lagares, a labor intensive method the family has preserved even as they've adopted newer tools elsewhere in the cellar.

This Late Bottled Vintage comes from a blend of old mixed vines, drawing on twenty five to thirty different local grape varieties averaging around sixty years of age. Following harvest, the grapes are hand picked and foot trodden in the traditional stone lagares, with fermentation stopped through the addition of grape spirit to fortify the wine. The Port then ages for around four years in large Portuguese oak vats before bottling without fining or filtration, a method that allows a light sediment to form and lets the wine continue developing gracefully over time.

The wine pours a deep, almost opaque purple, opening onto a nose of fresh gum cistus, wild blackberry, and delicate cocoa. On the palate it shows real structure, with solid yet fine textured tannins integrated around bright wild fruit, carrying through to a balanced, persistent finish. It makes a natural match for nuts, aged or blue cheeses, and desserts built around chocolate or red fruit.