CROFT Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port 2018 Bottle

Description

The 2018 Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port is a standout release, receiving 94 points from The Wine Advocate. Mark Squires describes it as ripe and expressive, with fine concentration and a pop on the finish. This single-quinta Porto demonstrates great fruitiness and is likely to be accessible early, making it hard to resist as it ages. Vinous rates it 93 points, highlighting an intense nose of black fruit, raisin, and spices, with a well-balanced palate that requires time to develop, revealing complex notes of tobacco and smoke on the structured finish. James Suckling gives it 92 points, noting aromas of chocolate, cherries, and cassis, with polished tannins and a berry-soaked palate, suggesting it will improve from 2024.

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THE WINE ADVOCATE 94 points
Drink Date: 2027 - 2060
The 2018 Vintage Port Quinta da Roeda is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very large used wooden vats. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Ripe and expressive, this delicious single-quinta Porto also has fine concentration and some pop on the finish. Indeed, as this sits and airs out, it proves it has a real backbone. Two days later, it was pretty tight. This is more about fruit than structure, though, and this sexy, nuanced and succulent Port is going to be hard to resist as it ages. Likely to be accessible on the younger side, it should still hold very well. I need to see a bit more to be fully convinced, but right now this seems like the steal and sleeper of the Fladgate Partnership trio this issue (the Fonseca and Taylor's being the others). For the moment—and young Ports do change notably as they age—this would be my favorite of the trio. The price references a full bottle, although this was tasted from a half bottle. - Mark Squires, 17th Dec 2020

VINOUS 93 points
The 2018 Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port has an intense nose of black fruit mixed with raisin, fig, cloves and a touch of boot polish. This is well defined, but it requires a few years in bottle, as if I really need to say that. The palate is well balanced with quite a strict, terse opening, very spicy with black pepper, cloves (again) and bay leaf. Broody at first but opening with time to reveal a very attractive and complex, structured finish with hints of tobacco and smoke. This is a lovely nascent Quinta da Roeda but, as if it needs to be said, it will need time. - Neal Martin

JAMES SUCKLING 92 points
Aromas of chocolate, cherries, cassis, smoky herbs, rubber and moist earth. Full and sweet with polished, chalky tannins and a crunchy, berry-soaked palate with a chocolaty finish. Better from 2024.

JANCIS ROBINSON 17- points
Deep purplish crimson. Modest meaty nose in which the key element is violets, normally associated with another Fladgate quinta, Vargellas. Very beguiling and round – you could almost drink this tonight! Tannins well hidden. Really rather glorious. Port is so good nowadays! Just a very slight lack of body and complexity towards the end of the palate suggests this may not be absolutely top drawer. (JR)