Decanting
Vintage Port forms a natural deposit in the bottle and should be decanted. Stand the bottle upright a few hours before decanting to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle.
Select Year
1999
Storage
Continues to improve for decades after bottling. The bottle should be kept lain down in a cool place, ideally at a temperature below 16ºC.
Serving temperature
Serve at 16ºC to 18ºC. Vintage Port is best drunk one to two days after opening.
Pairing suggestions
Walnuts, blue veined and other richly flavoured cheeses are excellent accompaniments to Vintage Port; so too are dried fruits such as apricots or figs.
About the Wine
Following a wet 1998 vintage we had a very cold and dry winter, with very little rainfall. As a consequence, budburst started two weeks later than usual in mid March.
April and May were very wet, which was just as well as the water reserves in the soil were very low. Flowering occurred in mid May under wet conditions, however with the initial large number of inflorescences, the overall yield was not significantly compromised.
June and July were extremely hot with temperatures rising above 40ºC on several occasions. The extreme heat of the summer was interrupted at around the eclipse (11th August) with three days heavy rain and the same occurred in the first three days of September.
Fortunately, the end of September was dry and warm, and remarkably for the amount of rain that fell, good Ports were made.
Tasting Notes
Dark brick colour. Rich dense berry fruit nose, with minty, herbal notes. Very typical Terra Feita. Lots of depth and background. Treacle texture. Firm palate, with lean tannins. Discreet fruity flavour: plum black fruit, cassis. Long embracing finish.
Richard Mayson, Decanter