Ramos Pinto : Vintage Port 2015

The 2015 Vintage Port is a blend of 55% Touriga Nacional (40% from Ervamoira in Douro Superior and 15% from Bom Retiro in Cima Corgo), 37% Touriga Franca (from Ervamoira) and 8% Sousão from Bom Retiro. It comes in with 94 grams per liter of residual sugar. It was aged for six months in used, large Portuguese vats (Balseiros) and then in concrete. This was seen early on in Porto, when it was only in the bottle for a month or so. The last Vintage Port from João Nicolau de Almeida's reign as Managing Director at Ramos Pinto, this looks like a fine 2015. It has tightened and closed since I first saw it (reminding me again that the wines often show better in Porto when they are young, before shipping and closing down). Back then, it was exuberant and more expressive. Now, it seems closed, dry and stern. It is, in fact, on the drier side in any event. Tasted again the next day, I found the fruit I remembered. It was pretty fine, the tannins able to carry the wine but not quite obliterate it. Needless to say, this could use some cellar time. Its elegance and focus will always serve it well, but it certainly will be more expressive with some age. At this point, the tannins are in control. It still looks like a big winner to me, but another decade or so will give us a better look. There were 8,300 bottles produced, plus some large-format bottles.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, soft brightening on the rim. Delicately spicy with dried plum nuances, candied orange zest and some nougat. Medium complexity, ripe sweet cherry, vivid tannins, chocolaty touch, persistent, dark berries and some honey on the finish, has good ageing potential.