2005 Taylor's Vintage Port Quinta de Vargellas

Tasting note

Description

The year 2005 will go down in the books as a warm and dry year. The winter before harvest was extremely cold and the lack of precipitation meant that the vines had to tap into the water reserves in the ground after an already very dry 2004.
Leaf formation therefore had to wait until late March. The fruits also turned out to remain small for a long time due to water shortage. A redeeming bit of rain fell just before summer. Now, however, a very hot and dry period started with three heat waves. Although the plants were hindered by this, the small grapes ripen very steadily. Slower than usual, beautifully concentrated bunches emerged that were healthier than ever. Fortunately, at the beginning of September, there was enough cooling precipitation to successfully conclude the ripening season. The picking could start at Vargellas in the first half of the month.