Quinta da Devesa, 2017

Late Bottled Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Presented in Devesa Gift Box

Description and Reviews:
The Quinta da Devesa 2017 Late Bottled Vintage comes from a single harvest, only from noble grape varieties. It is aged four to six years in barrels before being bottled. It is without a doubt a distinct, powerful, challenging, full and harmonious LBV, with very well-structured tannins, great freshness and purity of fruit. After opening the bottle, its peak lasts for 15 to 30 days.In order to maintain the excellent characteristics of this wine, bottling uses the same method as Vintage, without any prior treatments. As it is an unfiltered wine, it can be drunk immediately, but it will age beautifully in a cellar waiting for complexity. This wine is subject to deposits and should therefore be decanted before serving.

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.