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
1995
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 first Vargellas Vinha Velha ever made. At the 1995 harvest, it was decided, exceptionally, to single out the best vines of the vinha velha and pick their grapes separately. This rare wine represents the quintessence of one of the world’s great vineyards.
An unseasonably hot spring resulted in early budding and by mid April the vines were showing good growth. Conditions for flowering in May were near perfect. A cool early summer was followed by very high temperatures in August.
Picking started at Vargellas on 13th September, a week later than most of the region. Conditions were perfect and the highest sugar readings in years were recorded. Due to the cool temperatures the fermentation periods were longer than usual ensuring a great extraction of fruit, flavour and colour.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby-brick with some development on the rim. A multi-dimensional wine, evolving now from youth to maturity. Jammy fruit, herbal fragrances and a powerful violet scent. Palate quite lean but with typical Vargellas backbone.
James Suckling, Wine Spectator