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
2002
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
The 2001-2002 Viticultural year was one of the driest years on record. During the winter almost no rain fell. Besides the dry winter, the temperature was extremely cold, with the Pinhão river at Cruzeiro completely freezing over at Christmas.
Just when we were waiting for the last ripening of the grapes to occur in early September, between the 15th and 22nd, we received 70mm (4.3 Inches) of rain across the Douro. If it had not been for the perfect health of the grapes this season, the effect would have been much more damaging.
The vintage started on our Quintas from the 23rd September, and clear hot weather resulted in very good Ports being made during the two weeks until the rains returned at the beginning of October.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple-black with narrow magenta rim. Shows some attractive bottle age on the nose. Mature fruit notes with spice. Good aromatic quality. Hint of violets. Warm plum and cherry jam on the mouth. Holds nicely. Smooth, satiny texture. A subtle, elegant wine. Showing nicely now.
