2018 Croft Quinta da Roeda
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Vintage Port Quinta da Roeda is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very large used wooden vats. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Ripe and expressive, this delicious single-quinta Porto also has fine concentration and some pop on the finish. Indeed, as this sits and airs out, it proves it has a real backbone. Two days later, it was pretty tight. This is more about fruit than structure, though, and this sexy, nuanced and succulent Port is going to be hard to resist as it ages. Likely to be accessible on the younger side, it should still hold very well. I need to see a bit more to be fully convinced, but right now this seems like the steal and sleeper of the Fladgate Partnership trio this issue (the Fonseca and Taylor's being the others). For the moment—and young Ports do change notably as they age—this would be my favorite of the trio. The price references a full bottle, although this was tasted from a half bottle.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Adrian Bridge, managing director of The Fladgate Partnership commented: ' The Quinta da Roêda estate produced excellent wines in 2018. The old historic terraces at Roêda consistently produce wine of vintage quality. They are now being joined by more recent plantings resulting from the investments made since we acquired Croft nearly 30 years ago.' Like the other wines in this portfolio, it was bottled in July and won't be released until early 2021. David Guimaraens, head winemaker added: 'Although some vineyards in the Pinhão area had a challenging year in 2018, particularly as a result of the severe hailstorms in May, we were fortunate that the conditions at Quinta da Roêda were excellent and the estate produced some beautiful wines. Roêda has one of the best aspects of any property in the Douro, with excellent exposure. The hot summer conditions in 2018 ensured that phenolic ripeness at Roêda was excellent and, as well as the rich, ripe fruit, the wines have excellent tannins, beautifully intergrated but with a lively grip on the finish.' Deep purplish crimson. Modest meaty nose in which the key element is violets, normally associated with another Fladgate quinta, Vargellas. Very beguiling and round – you could almost drink this tonight! Tannins well hidden. Really rather glorious. Port is so good nowadays! Just a very slight lack of body and complexity towards the end of the palate suggests this may not be absolutely top drawer. (JR)
The 2018 Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port has an intense nose of black fruit mixed with raisin, fig, cloves and a touch of boot polish. This is well defined, but it requires a few years in bottle, as if I really need to say that. The palate is well balanced with quite a strict, terse opening, very spicy with black pepper, cloves (again) and bay leaf. Broody at first but opening with time to reveal a very attractive and complex, structured finish with hints of tobacco and smoke. This is a lovely nascent Quinta da Roeda but, as if it needs to be said, it will need time.