Tasting the Wines of Quinta do Vesuvio, 2024 Releases
Did you know: In 1868, Quinta do Vesúvio became the first single estate Port wine — and it’s still going strong in 2024. Though not exactly a household name, Vesuvio makes some outstanding Port wines — and it’s also got an impressive dry, table wine operation going on, too thanks to 328 acres planted to vines in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
In a recent, Zoom-based tasting, we sat down with winemakers Charles Symington and Mariana Brito, who guided us through the three most recent releases of the Vesuvio collection – Comboio, Pombal, and the namesake Quinta — along with its latest vintage Port offering.
Thoughts follow.
2020 Comboio do Vesuvio Douro – Touriga nacional, touriga franca, and tinta roriz. A rich and lively wine, undulating with notes of tart cherries, baking spice, and late-game anise, the lattermost element giving the wine a lightly sweet, candied licorice quality. Rich up front, with waves of currants undulating over the palate, the wine eventually settles down to make way for a grind of cinnamon, some cloves, and a silky vanilla note late in the game. Lush, licked with touches of chocolate, an insistent acidity tempering any lingering tannins. A / $26
2021 Pombal do Vesuvio Douro – Touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta amarela, and alicante bouschet. Very chocolatey from the start, with a toasty hazelnut character evident on the nose, almost charred as it develops in the glass. Cherry and some rhubarb notes offer a sweet-and-sour core against which notes of pine needles and baking spices come into focus. Moderated tannins make this approachable today, though it feels like a few years of aging wouldn’t be out of bounds. A- / $30
2021 Quinta do Vesuvio Douro – Touriga franca, touriga nacional, and tinta amarela. Initially chewy and tannic, this wine comes off as a bit oxidized at first, though it’s not without a healthy level of acidity that keeps things a bit brighter and berry-laced. Layers of green herbs overlay that fruit, with a gentle minerality underneath. More approachable than Comboio, without the heavy concentration you find there. B+ / $45
2022 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port – Newly released vintage Port to wrap things up. Iconic raisin and currant notes are layered with spice elements, giving way in time to notes of bittersweet chocolate and a hint of butterscotch. The finish has a vaguely floral bend and a clearer incense note, with echoes of Nutella lingering. Hard to put down. A / $81
2021 Quinta do Vesuvio Douro
$45
