Kopke Quinta S. Luiz Vintage 2021

Taste history with the oldest Port Wine House: This Vintage from Quinta de São Luiz is the result of the combination of a dry and cold winter and a summer (August and September) with a temperature range that benefited the grapes’ good maturation. Lack of rainfall, high temperatures during the day and cold nights were a stark contrast with the extreme summers of the previous years. The harvest began with dry weather and moderate temperatures, which benefited gradual ripening and healthy berries.

Grape Varieties: 67% Old Vines (more than 35 different varieties) and 33% Touriga Nacional.

Tasting Notes: Deep dark colour with violet hues. It shows a splendid nose, with floral aromas, menthol and black fruit (blueberries) and notes of smoke. In the mouth it displays assertive acidity, much in the style of Casa Kopke, well combined with intense tannins. Delicate fresh fruit developing into a long and compelling finish, foreseeing great ageing potential.

Vinification and Ageing: Harvested by hand at the optimum time, the grapes are then destemmed, crushed and vinifed in accordance to a process of careful maceration to extract their color, tannins and aromas, complemented by permanent churning during fermentation. This process takes place in vats, at a controlled temperature between 28-30°C, until reaching the desired Baume degree. At this stage, grape brandy is added (fortification). This is an exceptional wine, from a single harvest, bottled between the second and third year after the harvest. It is deep-red in colour, complex, full-bodied and with a remarkable ageing potential.

Recommendations: Pair it with a main course of red meat or game. Blue or soft cheese (such as Serra da Estrela) are equally well suited. This unique wine's exceptional quality means it's best enjoyed on its own or with a cigar.

Winemaker: Carlos Alves