To be launched alongside a limited-edition case
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 14, 2021 – Symington Family Estates, producers of some of the finest Ports in the world for five generations has bottled six Quinta Vintage Ports from 2019 and will release two en primeur – Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira. The release will be accompanied by a limited-edition case from Quinta do Vesúvio, containing the 2019, 2009 & 1999 Vintage Ports.
The other Quinta Vintage Ports produced in 2019 – Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos, Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha and Cockburn’s Quinta dos Canais – will age in the Symington cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for future release.
Charles Symington, fourth generation winemaker, and fifth generation producer Harry Symington, will present the family’s 2019 Quinta Vintage Ports via Instagram Live (@symingtonfamilyestates) on April 22nd at 11:00 AM Pacific Time in discussion with five notable industry guests from around the world.
The 2019 Quinta Vintage Ports are the result of an erratic growing season, with a little over 50% of the average winter rainfall in the Douro and almost none in the summer. Fortunately, showers at the end of August helped the grapes achieve more balanced maturations. Head Winemaker, Charles Symington, exercised patience and precisely timed the picking over six weeks – making it one of the longest harvests in recent years. The reward was a collection of perfectly ripe grape varieties in good quantities (averaging 1.27 kg/vine) delivering lively and exuberant wines. This was in contrast to the concentration of the exceptionally small years in 2017 and 2018.
Charles Symington commented, “when reviewing the top wines from 2019, we felt that the best expression of our grape varieties came from our six principal quintas. These estate wines are always the starting point from which we judge the year’s Vintage Port potential and, from there, decide what to bottle. In 2019, the various plots of vineyards within each of these estates delivered small volumes of wine with fantastic depth and complexity. We believe these wines could not have been enhanced by blending across each of our Port houses’ top quintas to produce a ‘classic’ Vintage Port. Instead, we decided to blend the best performing components within each of our estates and bottle six Quinta Vintage Ports. These exciting and lively young wines represent the absolute pinnacle of the 2019 harvest. They are stunning today and I believe they will age beautifully over many decades.”
As a celebration of the unique terroir of one of the Symingtons’ most renowned estates – Quinta do Vesúvio – the family is releasing a limited-edition case, containing three bottles of Vintage Port from the property: 2019, 2009 and 1999. Separated by a decade, these Vintage Ports show the incredible ageing potential of the wines from this estate. Quinta do Vesúvio is situated in the Douro Superior and consistently delivers outstanding Vintage Port with a unique expression from each year.
En primeur release:
- Quinta do Vesúvio 2019 Vintage Port – 775 (12 x 75cl cases)
- Dow’s – Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira 2019 Vintage Port – 375 (12 x 75cl cases)
- Limited-edition case:
- Quinta do Vesúvio 2019 | 2009 | 1999 Vintage Port – 110 (3 x 75cl cases)
Bottling now for ageing and future release:
- Graham’s – Quinta dos Malvedos 2019 Vintage Port
- Dow’s – Quinta do Bomfim 2019 Vintage Port
- Warre’s – Quinta da Cavadinha 2019 Vintage Port
- Cockburn’s – Quinta dos Canais 2019 Vintage Port
Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port video – narrated by Charles Symington, Head Winemaker
Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port video – narrated by Johnny Symington, Chairman
About Symington Family Estates — The Symingtons of Scottish, English and Portuguese descent have been Port producers in northern Portugal since 1882. For five generations they have combined their passion for producing premium Ports and wines with a deep commitment to the region’s land and people. Today ten Symingtons work across their four famous Port houses – Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s – as well as their Douro wine projects – Quinta do Vesúvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano and Prats & Symington (of Chryseia fame) – and a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto in the Alto Alentejo.
Symington Family Estates is a leading premium Port producer and the family is the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley, with 26 Quintas covering 5,527 acres and 2,530 acres of vineyard. Their vineyards are managed under sustainable viticulture practices and 276 acres are organically farmed, the largest area of organic vineyards in the Douro. In 2019 Symington Family Estates became the first winery in Portugal to achieve B Corp certification. Symington Family Estates is unique amongst the major Port companies in that each working family member farms their own vineyard, alongside those under the family’s joint company ownership.
For further information and images, please contact michelle@calhounwine.com.
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