Sandeman Quinta do Seixo Vintage Port 2013

Deep purple in colour, almost opaque. Intense, powerful aromas of cherries, raspberries, plums and blueberries are complemented by floral notes of violet and rose and hints of mint. On the palate, firm but ripe tannins and a linear acidity carry the concentrated and complex flavours onto the long finish.

Upon arrival at the state-of-the-art Quinta do Seixo winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place in granite lagares with vigorous foot treading to extract the optimum levels of colour, tannin and flavour from the skins before fortification with grape spirit, leaving some of the grapes’ natural sugars. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring following the harvest when they were transported downstream to the historic Sandeman cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. The wines were aged for two years in old oak barrels, these underwent careful tasting and analysis by winemaker Luís Sottomayor, and the final blend was assembled and bottled in 2015.

The 2013 vintage began with a cold winter and much-needed rains, which replenished water reserves in the soil. The cooler than average temperatures continued into the spring and this slightly delayed budburst. The summer was characterised by dry conditions and, again, lower than usual temperatures. This prolonged the growing season and the grapes underwent a perfectly paced slow ripening - accumulating great intensity of flavour whilst retaining a vibrant natural acidity. Harvest took place between the end of September and early October, around two weeks later than usual, and was disrupted by a few showers. However, a vigorous selection process ensured that only fruit in pristine condition made it into the wine.