Fladgate Partnership and Symingtons announce 2022 Ports

Douro heavyweights the Symington family and the Fladgate Partnership have both announced the forthcoming release of Ports from the “remarkably dry” 2022 vintage.

St George’s Day (23 April) is the day when the Fladgate Partnership traditionally announces its Vintage Port releases. Yesterday, the company announced two: 2022 Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas and the 2022 Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Ports.

“The 2022 vintage Ports are the result of a very dry and hot growing season which was broken by some very welcome rain at the beginning of harvest,” explained managing director Adrian Bridge. “The unique character of the Quinta de Vargellas vineyard is clearly expressed in the 2022 wines, and we therefore considered it appropriate to bottle this year as a single quinta vintage. As for the Fonseca Guimaraens 2022, this is showing the characteristic aromatic opulence and voluptuous ripe black fruit character, that are the hallmarks of the Guimaraens vintage style.”

Head winemaker David Guimaraens noted that 2022 stood out as a “remarkably dry year with a series of heatwaves” – on 14 July, a temperature of 46.5°C was recorded at Pinhão, the highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal. A “wet March” and “rain in early September” helped to offset some of the effects of the extreme heat.

Both fortified wines are made in years when a classic Vintage is not declared, and will be released later this year.

Tasting notes for the Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2022 are: “Exuberant, powerful, fresh blackcurrant and cherry nose. Finesse, elegance and poise with a linear push of woodland fruit, hints of plum and a kiss of citrus and quince.”

The Fonseca Guimaraens 2022 is described as having a nose that “opens with a surge of powerful and intense woodland berry aromas, rich and juicy with hints of cassis, blackberry and wild strawberries”, and “well knit tannins which emerge on the finish to provide an attractive firmness and grip”.

Also declaring was the Symington family, with the release of Capela do Vesúvio 2022 Vintage Port, making it only the fifth ever vintage (after 2007, 2011, 2016 and 2017) of this wine.

“At Quinta do Vesúvio there were three micro-terroirs within the estate that sung beautifully in 2022,” explained head winemaker Charles Symington. “These were the three plots of vineyard that contribute to the limited-edition Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port. We only make this wine when these vineyards produce the power, structure and refinement required to create a standalone Vintage Port that expresses the unique characteristics of these vines.”

One of the plots is planted with 100-year-old vines that have been interplanted with original vine cuttings, another is well-shaded (protecting it from the worst of the heat), and the third consists of 50+-year-old plantings of Touriga Franca in Vale da Teja.

“I believe that 2022 delivered such quality and am thrilled to announce the release of the fifth vintage of Capela do Vesúvio Vintage Port, together with two very exciting Vintage Ports from Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira,” Symington added.

Only 4,320 75cl bottles, 300 magnums, and 280 tappit hens will be produced of the 2022 Capela do Vesúvio Vintage Port, representing 1% of the total production at Quinta do Vesúvio in 2022.