Quinta do Vesuvio - Generic
Quinta do Vesuvio
This is an historic estate in the starkly beautiful eastern part of the Upper Douro. The soil is hard and rocky and the climate is severe - baking hot in slll11iller and cold in winter, and with only half the rainfall of more westerly estates. Yields are tiny and all the gra pes are all crushed by foot in granite lagares, making deep dark, intense wines that take years to develop. The 2006 is vio let-scented with dark, concentrated black fruits, with a layer of minerality. The 1998 vintage is starting to come round, with a fabulous balance of dark p lum fruit, cool minerality and terrific balance of tannin and acidity. Find Quinta do Vesuvio at House of Townend (£48 for the 1996 vintage, 01482 63888) or Bon Coeur (£175 in bond for the 2007 vintage 01765 6888810).
Christine Austin, Yorkshire Post, 19-11-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio - Generic
Quinta do Vesuvio
Quinta do Vesuvio has rocketed to fame during just a few years of ownership by the Symington family, who are well known to anyone who has more than a passing interest in what comes out of the Douro. Nevertheless, the estate has considerable history, starting with the Ferreira family who established the vineyard in the early 19th century. Of these the most notable is Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, referred to locally as the Ferreirinha; she shaped, terraced and planted the vineyards, a task which reputedly took thirteen years to complete. And with the death of her husband, she continued to build on her success, establishing a domaine which was described by James Suckling, writing well over a century later in Vintage Port, as "The showpiece of the Douro". The quinta she built (is there no end to this woman's talents?) is an impressive building on the south bank of the Douro, midway between Numao and Lavandeira. It contained eight massive granite lagares, each holding twenty-five pipes of wine; not quite big enough for a game of five-a-side, but you could certainly have a good kickabout with a couple of mates.
Chris Kissack, TheWineDoctor.com., 11-05-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio - Generic
"Historic quinta… making its name for powerful, super-concentrated but complex vintage ports."
Susan Keevil with Susy Atkins, The Which? Wine Guide 2003, 2003

Quinta do Vesuvio 1994 - Vintage
"Narrow-rimmed black-red; a dense, rich, persistent blend of fruit and minerals, a very classy early bouquet; perfectly balanced, concentrated midleweight Port, with a frame of very fine-textured, velvety tannin; deep, sweet, rich and generous to taste, with great complexity and a mouth-filling scent and spiciness; a wonderfully enveloping flavor, exceptional refinement and remarkable scented length. Discreet, understated power allied to the absolutely effortless harmony and feeling of completeness that is the hallmark of truly great wines. A glorious Vintage Port of outstanding quality."
Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine, 12-2007

Quinta do Vesuvio 1996 - Vintage
"There are cheaper Single Quinta Ports on the market at the moment, but this is the one to buy. It's fiery, sweet and peppery, with masses of fruit and dark, brooding concentration."
Tim Atkin, The Observer Food Monthly, 12-2006

Quinta do Vesuvio 1997 - Vintage
"'Wow' was my first impression when sniffing and sipping this wine. Impenetrable opacity to this wine’s appearance. An herbal note and straight forward violet aromas punched my proboscis. A massive wine, yet more approachable than expected from the ink in the glass, with ripe, chalky tannins but otherwise a gorgeous mouth feel. Almost syrupy but the acidity prevents the viscous black currant fruit from seeming cloying. With all of this, the best part of this Port is the sensational length and complexity to the aftertaste. If you own a case, open a bottle tomorrow. If you own a single bottle, wait fifteen to twenty years and drink it when it’s more mature."
Roy Hersh, For the Love of Port, 26-10-2005

Quinta do Vesuvio 2000 - Vintage
"A different style altogether – cool mint and eucalyptus with a touch of mint chocolate rounds out the rich, concentrated blackberry and floral fruit. It is wonderfully concentrated and shows real power and a clean dry edge."
Wine International, 10-2003

Quinta do Vesuvio 2001 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2001 Vintage Port
This young port reveals black fruit and spice flavors, fine tannins and a sweet finish.
Gayot.com, 19-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2003 - Vintage
"Complex aromas of crushed berries, pepper and spices. Full-bodied, with medium sweetness and layers of polished tannins. Masses of berry, plum and citrus character. This single-vineyard Port is always superb."
James Suckling, Wine Spectator Online, 23-12-2005

Quinta do Vesuvio 2004 - Vintage
"This is very grapey on the nose, with hints of rose. Full-bodied and very balanced, with ultrafine, silky tannins and a long, long finish. Beautiful and balanced."
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, 31-12-2007

Quinta do Vesuvio 2005 - Vintage
"...dense, overtly ripe, rich and opulent; round and fleshy with plenty to give. Undeniably impressive."
Richard Mayson, Decanter Magazine, 12-2007

Quinta do Vesuvio 2006 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2006
We started with all seven 2006s: there wasn’t a weak link, but the star was the dazzling Quinta do Vesuvio which, without question, has 50+ years ahead of it, if anyone keeps it that long, and we went back to an absolutely glorious 1950 Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos. Three bottles of the 1950 were opened for this London tasting which means the Symingtons now have only three bottles left. They would have had four, but someone dropped one a couple of weeks ago when it had been brought up from the cellar for the joint MDs (Team Sym?) to taste for the first time… Glad it wasn’t me. The other five quintas are Dow’s do Bomfim, Warre’s da Cavadinha, Graham’s do Tua, Dow’s Senhora da Ribeira and Cockburn’s dos Canais. Berry Bros & Rudd has the 2006 Quinta do Vesuvio at £82.
Joanna SImon, joannasimon-wineandfood.blogspot.com, 22-10-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2006 - Vintage
100 Best Wines of 2009
"The steep conical hill at Vesuvio grew a completely Douro and completely delicious wine in 2006. The fresh scent of cherries and the earthier mineral schist meld into an intoxicating fragrance that develops across the luscious exposition of the flavors. The structure is about sophistication rather than sheer power, firm yet supple and accessible. Catch a bottle before it shuts down, then cellar a cache for ten years or more."
Wine & Spirits, 12-2008

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 Vintage
This fortified wine from one of Portugal’s premier estates enlivens the palate with aromas of grapefruit and orange zest, violets, and dried fig, while the wine’s rich, chocolaty texture coats the mouth, revealing flavors of blueberry, pepper, soy, and cinnamon. This Port playfully mirrors the rich taste sensations of the financier cake with plums.
Brett Anderson, Robb Report, Host's Guide, 01-07-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"The purple/black 2007 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port offers up aromas of pine forest, menthol, pepper, Asian spices, and blackberry compote. This leads to a youthful, primary Port with gobs of mid-palate fruit, firm but ripe tannins, tremendous depth and concentration, and a succulence which raises it above the crowd. Impeccably balanced..."
Robert Parker (Jay Miller), eRobertParker.com, 27-02-2010

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"A great vintage of Vesuvio, this is completely Douro in its flavors, a bold stroke of color across the palate, a rush of green, red, blue and purple. It’s plump, if not downright fat (the wine seems softer in acidity than some of its peers), but it’s ripped by tannin, with a pervasive schistiness that makes it grand. Those resonant tannins combine with vibrant spice, licorice and green herb to create a hum of energy around all the fruit. The wine vibrates with power, intensely compressed. Drink it young to be wowed, or cellar it for decades; it’s anyone’s guess when this will calm down."
Wine & Spirits, 12-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"Fine, pure, opulent, fragrant fruit; rich, spicy tannins with bitter chocolate concentration; fine and focused. Nothing over-ripe here this year, yet impressive for its ripeness and opulence. Foot trodden by all Symington family members!"
Richard Mayson, Decanter Magazine, 08-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"The 2007 is first class, every bit ranking alongside the very top, more traditional Vintage Port names. This is so complete, svelte and velvety, yet is highly concentrated and powerful, without being over-saturated. Beautifully balanced, rounded and incredibly vibrant notes of clove, cinnamon, fresh berries, chocolate, plum and cherry. Delightful."
Justerini & Brooks, justerinis.com, 08-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"The nose is somewhat subdued giving a gentle perfume of kirsch, violets, macerated blackberries and cedar complimented by earthy aromas of loam and underbrush. The palate is taut with crisp acidity and a high level of very fine tannins. Just enough richness to flesh-out the palate but not overwhelming. Very long finish."
Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 08-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
Score: 17.5 Drink 2016-35
"Vibrant purple. Very lush and almost rudely fruity. Lots of interesting dry tannins and herbs on the finish. Obviously very much a terroir wine. Lovely long finish."
Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 21-05-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"Fascinating aromas of citrus fruits, blueberry and dried flowers, with tar notes as well, lead to a full-bodied, medium sweet palate, with a black pepper and spice undertone to the rich, ripe berry fruit. Turns chewy and tannic on the finish. So much to come with age in the bottle. Very typical for Vesuvio."
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, 06-05-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Vintage
"The nose is sumptuous and fleshy and this voluptuous richness of dark fruits is there on the palate. It is powerful, solid, a wonderful depth of fruit, the chewy blackcurrant vying with blackberry for dominance. The polished tannins give structure and a racy feel to the finish."
Derek Smedley, 05-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2008
Dense opulence and ripeness with lovely pure bery and cassis fruit. A modern style for early drinking.
Decanter, 10-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 Vintage
Structured wine, shouting of its dark schist terroir. Bitter chocolate and spicy fruit set an attractive frame for the acidity. With plenty of weight to go with the tannins, this will age well.
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, 04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Vintage
Quinta do vesuvio Vintafe 2009
– The aromatic intensity is off the charts with perfumed floral and bramble berry essence along with graphite and tar. Unctuous, symmetrical and structurally stunning with sublime layered flavors of crème de cassis and blueberry which meld in the mid-palate; ending up in a long, smooth evocative finish. Drink now to witness a star in the making or consume throughout its thirty five to forty years of life. This is one inspired and beautiful Vesuvio Vintage Port!
Roy Hersh, 12-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2009
This historic estate at the gateway to the Douro Superior has been in the Symington family since the late 1980s, at which point it underwent a major replanting. The older vines now average 35 years while the young vines average ten. Together they created a rich 2009 with meaty tannins and strawberry coolness to the fruit. It develops a meadow flower scent and wild, dark purple fruit flavor that lasts. The wine's complexity should begin to show itself at ten to 15 years from the vintage.
Wine & Spirits, 12-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 20009
93 points
Wine Enthusiast, 10-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Vintage
Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 Vintage
“…the Vesuvio is breathtaking for its delicacy, harmony and formal perfection – perhaps the most remarkable wine from this historic estate since the exquisite 1994 and surely a vindication of the relatively high proportion (24%) of Souzão this Vintage”.
Neil Beckett, The World of Fine Wine, 06-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Pombal do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Pombal do Vesuvio 2008
Very supple in texture, full bodied, and long and smooth on the palate; a wine with plum, red currant, toast, oak, and violet aromas/ flavors. Long finish. Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela.
Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, 12-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Pombal do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Pombal do Vesuvio 2008
Melhor que a col he ita de 2007, a comprovar 0 empenho enol6gico do grupo Symington na qualidade dos DOC Douro.
J.A. Salvador, Visão, 12-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Pombal do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Pombal do Vesuvio 2008
Red violet aromas and flavors are firm and focused. Plum and cherry chime in as well, with plenty of cream and spice. The plush finish is filled with rich notes of mocha and truffle. Drink now through 2016. 300 cases imported
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 30-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Pombal do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio Douro 2008
Concentrated red fruit flavors are well-spiced, with vibrant acidity behind the raspberry, wild plum and kirschlike notes. Supple finish of mineral and pepper is filled with concentrated chocolate mousse notes as well. Drink now through 2020. 50 cases imported.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 30-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Pombal do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Pombal do Vesuvio 2009
There's plenty of snap to this fruity red, with flavors of red currant, licorice, cherry and raspberry. The zesty finish features plenty of vanilla and spice, with hints of chocolate. Drink now through 2015.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 01-2012

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2007
And look, too, at less familiar regions. My hot tips….the Douro Valley in Portugal for its new-wave table wines (look for estates such as Quinta do Vale Meao, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta Vale Dona Maria, Quinta do Vallado, Quinta do Protal and Quinta do Vesuvio). 2007 Quinta do Vesuvio Portugal (14% vol) £45 at Halifax Wine Company, One of the best new table wines from the Douro Valley port makers. An oak-aged blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Amarela, it's a big brooding beast.
Johnny Ray, April's GQ, 01-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2007
The nose is packed with fruit lots of voluptuous rich black fruits. The palate has great depth sensual richness layers of flavour giving complexity. Towards the back the power house of black fruits of liquorice, dark chocolate and coffee beans is refreshed by some red cherry with the lighter feel towards the back ensuring an elegant finish.
Dereck Smedley MW, 01-03-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2007
Here's another handsome bottle - too heavy in this case - from the revered Quinta do Vesuvio estate in port country that was acquired by the acquisitive Symington Family some years ago. I was told by the back label that it is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Amarela and it was clearly superior to its stablemate Pombal do Vesuvio 2007. And here's what I wrote: 'Very dark blackish crimson. Lustrous sheen. Very grown-up nose that seems more contained and less obviously alcoholic than that of the Pombal. Still a very dry finish with real structure. Claret-like structure but volcanic/Vesuvial fruit. Lovely stuff. I always taste wines new to me without knowing the price, hoping that we have a little bargain on our hands. Does not taste at all alcoholic.' The bottle was finished with great relish and admiration at this beautifully made wine from an admittedly very superior vintage. I asked Paul Symington for more details of this wine and here is his reply: 'This was our first red wine from the Quinta after some years of trials. It is 70% Touriga Nacional, 20% Touriga Franca and 10% Tinta Amarela. We only made 1,000 cases of this '07. The other point that may be of interest to you is that we left the wine in oak (400-litre Taransaud and Boutes) for just 10 months. The wine was bottled in September 2008. Many of our friends in the Douro are leaving their DOCs for some 20 months or more. I am not saying we are right and they are wrong (far from it, others are making some brilliant wines), it just shows that we are all at the "work in progress" stage of the Douro DOCs. My family prefer rather less oak, our view is that we have strong tannins and low yields anyway and we want the Quinta's wines to speak for themselves, and Vesuvio has a lot of individuality anyway and so a lot to say…'
Jancis Robinson, http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201101072.html, 07-01-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2007
Although it is very rich sensuously lush the richness is nicely balanced by some fresher bramble and bilberry. There are layers of flavour giving complexity, black fruits enriched by liquorice and dark chocolate. The finish has both length and elegance
Derek Smedley MW, 01-11-2009

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2008
A colheita de 2007 superava esta de 2008, mas com 0 tempo em garrafa este tinto vai melhorar clara mente.
J.A. Salvador, Visão, 12-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Vesuvio 2008
Red violet aromas and flavors are firm and focused. Plum and cherry chime in as well, with plenty of cream and spice. The plush finish is filled with rich notes of mocha and truffle. Drink now through 2016. 300 cases imported.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 30-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2008
Concentrated red fruit flavors are intense and well spiced, with vibrant acidity behind raspberry, wild plum and kirsch like notes. Supple finish of mineral and pepper is filled with concentrated chocolate mousse notes as well. Drink now through 2020. 50 cases imported. –KM April 30th 2011
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 30-04-2011

Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 - Quinta do Vesuvio Douro DOC
Quinta do Vesuvio 2009
Elegant, with an intense spiced cherry note that features plenty of rich, chocolaty accents. Well-structured, with a long, vibrant finish that's filled with licorice and black olive overtones. Drink now through 2017.
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 01-2012

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 - Capela Vintage
"Floral but closed on the nose, with underlying power and depth. Rich, still quite raw, needing time to come together. Very intense, with a solid, tannic, dark chocolate core. Finishes with a flourish."
Richard Mayson, Decanter Magazine, 08-2009