Croft Vintage Porto, Douro, Portugal

高乐福酒庄年份波特酒

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The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in French oak. It comes in with 97 grams of residual sugar. This was only seen before bottling previously. Now, with some bottle aging, it looks super, superior to the 2016, also reviewed, and a fine 2017. It is, of course, extremely young. It's tight but not astringent (at least with decanting); the fruit is as if just crushed, and it is beautifully balanced. This is not even close to showing all it has. Throw it in the cellar. You can drink it now, but you'll just be wasting it. Right now, this and the 2016 are close, but I predict this will pull ahead with every passing year.

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend with 104 grams of residual sugar. When last seen this was in good form. Let's check in. Darker in its flavor profile than the 2017, this is more rhubarb, plums and blackberries. The tannins have moderated a bit, but obviously this is not exactly tamed. It is coming along fast enough so you can dive in now (or soon) with some decanting, but it certainly will show better at the end of the decade (or later).

The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig – complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor’s or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013. Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700

The 2009 Croft has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, black plum, and touches of glycerine and graphite that are well-defined but persistently broody. The palate is full-bodied with a burly, powerful entry. There is real structure and presence here – a Croft packed full of spicy black fruit with white peppers generously sprinkled over the finish. This is an ambitious Croft that could become a future legend – or might trip over its untrammeled ambition! Tasted May 2013.