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
2009
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
2009 was a year of very low yields, partly due to the relatively small amount of fruit produced by all vine varieties and in part to the very dry summer.
The main stages in the viticultural cycle occurred earlier than usual, with bud burst taking place in the first days of March. The ripening season started in relatively cool weather which continued throughout July but this turned to extreme heat in August.
There was virtually no rain from July through to September which subjected the vines to stress in some more exposed areas of the valley. However, as usual, the old vines of the Vinha Velha, with their extensive root systems, were able to cope well with the heat. The harvest at Quinta de Vargellas started on 12th September but most of the selection and picking of the grapes used to make the Vinha Velha Vintage Port occurred between 15th and 17th.
The small amount of fruit and the dry summer meant that musts from the old vines were even more concentrated than usual, showing very high levels of sugar, tannin and colour.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple black with narrow rim. The nose is quintessential Vargellas taken to a sublime level. Powerful linear fruit, plum, black cherry and cassis set against a dark exotic background of rosewood and clove. The heady fragrance of violets contributes to the sense of transcendent, multilayered complexity. On the palate the dense thickly textured tannins are coated with sumptuous fruit flavour giving the wine massive volume, weight and grip. But it is on the long, rich tannic finish that the wine displays its resilience and energy.
Jamie Goode, Wineanorak.com