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Colheita

The 1997 vintage is widely acclaimed as one of the finest from the 1990s for Port wines. This colheita 1997 perfectly embodies that distinction, delivering a captivating, refined encounter. With refreshing acidity, a rich medley of flavors including creme brulee, nutty undertones, and a hint of caramel, it presents an elegant palate. The finish features a delightful note of grilled hazelnuts, leaving a long-lasting impression on the palate.

1997

TASTING NOTES

Colour

Medium saturated, dark brick

AROMA

While the nose of this wine may be understated, it offers a pleasant and inviting aroma that features discernible scents of candied fruit and freshly-picked berries.

PALATE

This wine boasts a refreshing acidity, complemented by delightful notes of candied fruit and freshly-picked berries. As you savor the wine, you'll be pleased to discover a rich medley of flavors, including creamy creme brulee, nutty undertones, and a subtle hint of caramel. The wine finishes with a delightful note of grilled hazelnuts, leaving a long-lasting impression on the palate.

PRESS COMMENTS & ACCOLADES

Wine Advocate

91/100

The 1997 Colheita Tawny Port is a blend of Touriga Franca (35%), Tinta Roriz (20%), Touriga Nacional (15%), Tinta Barroca (10%) and other typical, regional grapes sourced from Quinta Vale d’Agodinho. It comes in at 114 grams per liter of residual sugar. Bottled in May 2023 with a long cork, it was aged initially in 14,000-liter vats, then in 650-liter barrels. This was seen before in a 2014 release. Let’s check in. Years more in barrel and a new bottling can certainly help mold this into something else. This still seems a bit different, but it is in far better shape now and it smoothed out over a few days. It is spicy and relatively bright, a lot livelier than, say, the 2003 Colheita. There are some olives and herbs around the edges. The texture is pure velvet and rather sensual, though, and then it dribbles tasty fruit over the palate, showing some grip on the juicy finish. As it warms (it was originally quite cold), it becomes increasingly harder-edged and I was reminded why I sometimes had a quibble with this. It is a powerhouse at times with a touch of harshness. This still has its moments and a lot of them, especially based on when I encountered it during the time I had it open, but I couldn’t quite get to really loving this. As I always note, barring cork failures, these longer-aged Tawnies will last indefinitely, not that they need to be aged. Not imported just now, it runs around 65 euros in Portugal.

Technical Information

Grape Varieties

Touriga Franca (40%), Touriga Nacional (10%), Tinta Roriz (16%), Tinta Barroca (32%), Tinto Cão (2%)

SPECIFICATIONS

Alcohol - 19,50% Total Acidity - 5,4 (g/l) pH - 3,12 Residual Sugar - 114 (g/l) Contains sulfites

Winemaking Details

Viticulture:
A very good year for viticulture in the Douro Valley, with hot and dry weather that led to healthy vines and good-quality fruit. The resulting wines were rich, full-bodied, and well-structured.

Fermentation:
in stainless steel vats

Aging:
This wine was aged in chestnut wood barrels of 550 liters when it was younger, contributing to its unique flavor profile. As the wine matured, it was then transferred to barrels of larger dimensions also made of chestnut wood, further enhancing its complexity and depth. This meticulous aging process has resulted in a well-rounded wine that showcases the best of its character.

Winemaker:
Claudia Quevedo

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