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2007 Vintage Port - Full Review

‘Mad to declare, mad not to declare’; thus ran Paul Symington’s own pithy mini declaration on St George’s Day; a reflection both of the global recession and the extraordinary quality of the 2007 vintage in the Douro Valley. Having had the opportunity to taste the wines, pretty much universally declared by the shippers, we are inclined to concur with the second half of his statement. 

2007 looks set to join the ranks of the great Vintage Ports, its wines already imbued with an extraordinary purity of flavour, wonderfully polished tannins and a wealth of fruit. Elegance is already evidenced rather than brutal power; the spirit is finely integrated, the acidity fresh, and the palate broad and long. The winemaking is assured, with robotic lagares dancing to the same tune as those trodden traditionally; but the really significant progress has been in the vineyards, where romance of multi-varietal planting has been replaced by single blocks, each farmed with increasingly focused husbandry. Indeed, the term ‘ Port Shipper’ is, according to Johnny Symington, something of a misnomer now, another romantic anachronism that should be replaced by the more prosaic ‘Port Grower and Producer’ such is the significance now afforded by the major houses to their increasing ownership of the vines and the backbreaking work on the famously dramatic slopes.

So why all the excitement? A wet winter replenished reserves, but was followed by a rather humid spring with work required to combat rot; then an outstandingly mediocre early summer in terms of sunshine, but with a persistent dryness which made for healthy leaf canopies. The vintage was made by the intense late summer heat; the temperatures ranged from 35 -38 degrees in the first two weeks of September and it became increasingly clear that patience would be repaid by a happy coincidence of high sugars, balancing acidity and ripe phenolics. The lengthy growing season ensured the complexity in the musts, and then the welcome sunshine at harvest was more than enough to underwrite the nascent quality. The harvest ran from 12 September all the way to 20th October; layer upon layer of flavours evolved as time went by, and proved extremely beneficial to later–ripeners such as Touriga Francesa and also to those high quality varietals such as Touriga Nacional, which shun the excesses of very hot August weather.

An outstanding vintage then, its relative approachability belying a great ageing potential. The tannins, as Dirk Niepoort is quick to point out, are less stentorian and dry than those in the Ports of 2003; his nearest comparison is 1970; high praise indeed. For Adrian Bridge at Taylor, the 1966 is stylistically close, while Paul Symington detects some of the voluptuous fruit of the 1994, but less sweetness, more racy tannins and finer, more focused acidity. Other growers see the balance and refinement more in the vein of the 55s. 

Clearly the 2007 is destined for the High Table of Vintage Port; the juxtaposition of sweet and savoury elements and ripe primary fruit make for a very fine combination; wines of excellent deportment, finely tailored and set to last for a long time.

Simon Field MW, BBR Port Buyer

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