Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port Capela 2024 (75cl)

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Resonates with Douro schist, herbal garrigue aromas, and hallmark Vesuviolavender, with subliminal scents of pine breeze, forest floor and black chocolate.The bold palate is expansive, expressive and irrepressible, such is its scope andpower, undoubtedly provided by the components drawn from the estate'splots of field-blended, old vines. This multi-dimensional, complex wine ismonumental in structure with a well-crafted balance where fine acidity,sculpted tannins and layers of fruit and spice all come together to deliver aformidable, inspirational wine that will fascinate and linger in the memory. The 2024 Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port, named after the Chapel Vineyard, which is the first to be replanted after phylloxera, is a field blend of centenary vines, and the wine also has grapes from other plots, including a younger one planted exclusively with Touriga Franca. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stone lagars that were foot trodden and then matured in oak casks for 18 months. This somehow didn't have the energy and edge of the regular Vesúvio. It has notes of orange blossom, a hint of resin and rockrose, and it grew in the glass. It has lavender, notes of pine needles, the Vesúvio signature, and is explosive in the mouth, with well-armed tannins. It's a big wine but has balance. It has 20% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 101 grams of sugar. Range: 95-97 Graphite and blackberries, very aromatic and absorbing. Full-bodied and chiselled, with an engaging austerity that complements a sense of restrained sweetness. Grainy and sharp on the finish. Vines from Vinha da Capela co-fermented with alicante bouschet from Vinha dos Castelos; touriga nacional from Vinha da Escola co-fermented with sousão from Vale da Teja and touriga franca (50+ years) from Vale da Teja.