Quinta da Devesa, 2016

Late Bottled Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Presented In Devesa Gift Box
***92 Points - Mark Squires ***

Description and Reviews:
The 2016 Late Bottled Vintage comes from a single year, a single harvest, with grapes grown exclusively on our estate. It ages four to six years in oak vats before bottling.

The port is a blend of 35% each of Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, 15% Touriga Nacional and the rest a field blend from old vines. It was bottled unfiltered in 2021 after four years in wood with 118 grams of residual sugar and a long cork. Beautifully expressive, with ripe plums and a touch of strawberry, this is on the finessed side in terms of mouthfeel, but its elegance is easy to appreciate. The next day, moreover, it fleshed out a bit. It is very expressive, but a lot of the sex appeal at the moment comes from a little extra sugar. That will improve as this ages, and it certainly seems designed to age. There is a serious backbone, and some very fine structure, although you can drink it right now if you must. A few months in the bottle or even a year or three wouldn't hurt. There's no rush with this steely LBV. This is beautifully done. It will show even better when it pulls its parts together and shows a little complexity. It was far more interesting the next day, not just a Johnny-one-note. There were 5,000 bottles produced.
Tasting Notes:
Sensational scents of chocolate cookie dough, mocha, wintergreen and freshly picked wild berries, milk chocolate, chili spice, grape Nehi, and wintergreen gum. In the mid-palate, a seamless presence, an intensity and a terrific mouthfeel that provides greater pleasure. The palate has pleasant notes of boysenberry, black currant and herbal essence. Very nice, long boysenberry and minty finish.