QUINTA DOS FRADES
COLHEITA TARDIA - LATE HARVEST
2017
Technical Data

Viticultural year: 2017 was an unusual year in the Douro Valley. The winter was sunny and dry, a pattern that continued for the next 6 months, with June recording the highest average temperature since 1980. These severe weather conditions led to a drop in production across the region but resulted in higher concentration and consequently better-quality grapes. This was a very challenging year for the Douro grape varieties. 2017 marks the first production of a Vintage Port at Quinta dos Frades and denotes the remarkable ability of the old vines to overcome the toughest conditions that the sustained lack of rainfall can cause. The wines produced are intense, with lots of black fruit and prominent tannins.

Grape varieties: Old vines over 40 years old and more than 20 different grape varieties, with Touriga Franca prevailing in this plot.

The Wine: We do not know if it will ever be possible to produce a wine like this again, as it is the result of the combination of human oversight with Nature’s generosity. In 2017, a plot of vines with a large proportion of Touriga Franca was left forgotten and unharvested. Mother Nature was compassionate and provided dry weather well into November, preventing the forgotten grapes to rot on the vine. The result was a wine with a very high sugar concentration – part of the grapes sugars were not fermented and remained in the final wine. This is one of the few (if not the only) late RED harvest wine in the Douro.

Grape growing and winemaking: The grapes are foot trodden in small stainless-steel open tanks. They are then pressed and the juice is fermented in small stainless-steel vats. Winter temperatures are so low that fermentation stops naturally and comes to an end, retaining the unfermented sugar in the wine.

Tasting notes: Appearance: Deep black core, with a slightly narrow ruby rim;
Nose: Pronounced aroma of kirsch and blackberry jelly. Balsamic nuances;
Palate: Sweet, full-bodied, balanced by a refreshing acidity. Pronounced fruit flavour intensity, showing sour cherry and ripe blackberry. Very pure and focused. Long and balsamic, almost endless finish.

Serving suggestions: Serve at 8°C, either as an aperitif or a dessert wine. This wine is a perfect accompaniment to foie gras and similar pâtés, as well as nuts. It is also a good match to sweet desserts such as cheesecake or recently picked cherries.