Croft Quinta da Roeda 2018

Croft Quinta da Roeda 2018 is a port red wine from Croft, Quinta da Roêda vineyard, near the town of Pinhão, in the heart of the Douro Valley.

This is a vintage port wine that is a collector's item for anyone who loves port wines.

On the nose, the wine displays the seductive, opulent red fruit character that is a hallmark of vintage Roêda Port, there are also intense wild berries that add concentration and finesse. As usual, the fruit is wrapped in a package of exotic mint and eucalyptus aromas. The first impression on the palate is round and has a rich, velvety texture, but there is excellent acidity and well-integrated, catchy tannins on the finish.

The weather in 2018 was a little erratic and at times challenging, but in the end the conditions needed to produce an excellent Vintage Port were met. The year started extremely dry, as there had been very little rain in the previous year and by January around two thirds of the Portuguese soil was suffering from drought. The stress on the vines caused by the dry conditions was alleviated by heavy rains in March.

Croft's meteorological station in Quinta da Roêda recorded 223 mm of rainfall during the month. This replenished the groundwater reserves depleted in the previous year, and this underground moisture proved decisive during the ripening period.

Harvesting in Quinta da Roêda began on 17 September in hot, dry weather. Yields were low, but the wines were characterised by excellent intensity of colour, very good acid balance, elegance and freshness of fruit.